N-CSR 1 d775449dncsr.htm N-CSR N-CSR
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LOGO

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-CSR

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-09253

 

 

Wells Fargo Funds Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

525 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

Catherine Kennedy

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

525 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 800-222-8222

Date of fiscal year end: September 30

Registrant is making a filing for 12 of its series:

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund, Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund, Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund, Wells Fargo International Bond Fund, Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund, Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund, Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund, Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund, Wells Fargo Discovery Fund, Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund, Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund, and Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund.

Date of reporting period: September 30, 2019

 

 

 


Table of Contents

ITEM 1. REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS


Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo

Diversified Capital Builder Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

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The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

 

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

4  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Robert Junkin

Margaret Patel

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 20191

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios2 (%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net3  
                   
Class A (EKBAX)   1-20-1998     -0.44       8.95       11.05       5.60       10.26       11.70       1.12       1.12  
                   
Class C (EKBCX)   1-22-1998     3.81       9.43       10.87       4.81       9.43       10.87       1.87       1.87  
                   
Administrator Class (EKBDX)4   7-30-2010                       5.67       10.38       11.89       1.04       1.04  
                   
Institutional Class (EKBYX)   1-26-1998                       5.98       10.64       12.13       0.79       0.78  
                   
Diversified Capital Builder Blended Index5                         4.65       9.36       11.95              
                   
ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index6                         6.34       5.36       7.82              
                   
Russell 1000® Index7                         3.87       10.62       13.23              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Administrator Class and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Balanced funds may invest in stocks and bonds. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk, high-yield securities risk, and smaller-company securities risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20198

LOGO

 

 

 

 

Mr. Junkin became a portfolio manager of the Fund on April 1, 2019.

 

1 

Historical performance prior to July 12, 2010, is based on the performance of the Fund’s predecessor, Evergreen Diversified Capital Builder Fund.

 

2 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

3 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at 1.20% for Class A, 1.95% for Class C, 1.05% for Administrator Class, and 0.78% for Institutional Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

4 

Historical performance for Administrator Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares and has been adjusted to reflect the higher expenses applicable to Administrator Class shares.

 

5 

Source: Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. The Diversified Capital Builder Blended Index is composed 75% of the Russell 1000® Index and 25% of the ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index is an unmanaged market index that provides a broad-based performance measure of the non-investment grade U.S. domestic bond index. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

7 

The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

8 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Diversified Capital Builder Blended Index, the ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index, and the Russell 1000® Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

9 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

10 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

*

This security was no longer held at the end of the reporting period.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Diversified Capital Builder Blended Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

The Fund outperformed the benchmark because of outperformance in the consumer discretionary, industrials, and utilities sectors.

 

 

Information technology (IT) holdings also contributed. Although our holdings somewhat underperformed the sector’s performance in the Russell 1000® Index, IT outperformed other sectors of the market.

 

 

Our health care holdings had performance about equal to the index’s overall performance, but the performance of Fund holdings in the health care sector significantly outperformed the stocks in the index’s health care sector.

 

 

Underperforming sectors were the communication services and real estate sectors.

 

 

In the Fund’s bond portfolio, holdings moderately outperformed the ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index due to our above-average-quality holdings. Better-quality below-investment-grade bonds outperformed lower-quality high-yield issues.

In the first quarter of the Fund’s fiscal year, which ended December 31, 2018, stock prices fell sharply as a result of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) strategy of gradually raising short-term interest rates. The lower prices reflected market participants’ concern that higher rates, even from low levels, would tighten financial conditions and slow the economy, precipitating a recession. However, in January, the Fed reversed course, indicating a policy more sensitive to financial and market conditions in the formulation of future monetary policy. The stock market reacted positively and reached record levels in the fourth and final quarter of the Fund’s fiscal year that ended September 30, 2019.

Reflecting the change in outlook toward the Fed policy of gradually raising rates over the fiscal year, rates on intermediate-maturity Treasury bonds fell steadily during the period. Bond performance in the corporate market also was generally positive, with interest rates declining alongside the drops in Treasury yields, resulting in price increases for most corporate bonds.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20199  
   

Broadcom Incorporated

     3.75  
   

Vistra Energy Corporation

     3.66  
   

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

     3.31  
   

Amphenol Corporation Class A

     3.24  
   

DTE Energy Company

     3.13  
   

CMS Energy Corporation

     3.07  
   

Atmos Energy Corporation

     2.99  
   

Adobe Systems Incorporated

     2.88  
   

Akamai Technologies Incorporated

     2.82  
   

Leidos Holdings Incorporated

     2.57  

Stocks gained in value during the period

After an initial setback in equity performance, most stocks gained in value during the fiscal year. Companies continued to report rising sales and profits. In addition, most companies maintained the historically high profit margins that have been characteristic of the market advance since the financial crisis in 2008. By the last quarter of the fiscal year, however, market levels flattened out as investors became concerned about slowing economic growth not only in the U.S. but also in the rest of the world, where economic conditions are not as robust as in the U.S. Additional concerns about tariffs and restrictions on international trade possibly causing slower growth globally also contributed to market caution at the end of the fiscal year.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Portfolio composition as of September 30, 201910
LOGO

The Fund outperformed relative to its benchmark despite being overweight stocks, which trailed bonds over the 12-month period. Within the equity portfolio, its holdings in the health care, utilities, industrials, and consumer discretionary sectors outperformed the return of the equity benchmark. In addition, the Fund’s IT sector holdings, while slightly lagging the sector return of the benchmark, substantially outpaced the average market gain and thus substantially added to incremental returns. Sectors detracting from performance were holdings in the communication services, real estate, materials, and consumer staples sectors.

 

 

Equity outperformers in health care included Danaher Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated. In the utilities sector, American Electric Power Company, Incorporated; CMS Energy Corporation; and DTE Energy Company added to performance. In the IT sector, Akamai Technologies, Incorporated, added value, as did Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, which gained substantially in price after it accepted an acquisition offer from Infineon Technologies AG.

Detractors included energy sector holdings Andeavor Logistics LP* and Centennial Resource Development Incorporated*; materials sector holding Berry Global Group, Incorporated; and IT holdings Salesforce.com, Incorporated, and Corning Incorporated.

U.S. Treasury rates moved lower

In the bond market, interest rates for U.S. Treasury securities, after moving up in the first quarter of the fiscal year, steadily declined over the period’s last three quarters. To illustrate, Treasury issues maturing in 10 years fell from 3.06% at the beginning of the fiscal year to 1.67% by month-end September 2019.

High-yield bonds, which historically have been more sensitive to prospects of future economic growth than investment-grade bonds, had price trends that reflected both their equity-like and fixed-income characteristics. In the first quarter of the fiscal year, prices of high-yield bonds dropped, reflecting sharp price corrections in the equity market. However, as the Fed reversed course on monetary policy at the beginning of 2019, prices of high-yield bonds rose as Treasury rates fell. These fluctuations resulted in double-digit total returns for most high-yield bonds based on interest income combined with capital appreciation as yields fell. To illustrate, at the end of September 2018, the average yield to maturity of the index of high-yield bonds was 6.28%, with a yield advantage over similar-maturity U.S. Treasury bonds of 366 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%). But at the end of the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2019, the yield to maturity had fallen to 5.87%, with a yield advantage over similar-maturity Treasuries of 420 bps.

In general, lower-quality high-yield bonds underperformed higher-quality high-yield bonds because investors became more concerned with the prospects of poor-credit-quality companies should future economic growth slow materially.

Relative outperformers in the bond portfolio included health care sector holdings AMN Healthcare Services, Incorporated, and DaVita HealthCare Partners Incorporated. In the industrials sector, Resideo Funding Incorporated and SPX FLOW, Incorporated, contributed to performance. Technology sector bonds of Gartner, Incorporated; Seagate Technology plc; and TTM Technologies, Incorporated, outperformed other holdings in the sector. Bond detractors included pharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt plc*; materials sector holding Rayonier Advanced Materials Incorporated; and industrials sector investment CommScope Holding Company, Incorporated.

Our outlook remains one of cautious optimism

The Fund’s positioning reflects our expectation for continued economic growth over the next year, although at levels probably around 1.5% to 2.0%, or somewhat lower than recent economic growth rates. We find stock prices reasonable compared with the earnings growth potential of many stocks. Thus, we are optimistic that equities may provide returns well above those available on the very low yields of risk-free alternatives. In addition, with yields of Treasuries likely to be at low levels for the foreseeable future, we feel stock dividend yields are attractive alternatives to yields offered on short-term fixed-income securities. Within the fixed-income assets of the Fund, virtually all of the bond holdings are of companies with U.S. public equity outstanding, which we think provides a more flexible capital structure and more transparent reporting of financial results. We expect these high-yield bonds to provide a competitive return to that available on lower-yielding, higher-rated bonds.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.    

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.    

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,062.68      $ 5.76        1.11

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.49      $ 5.64        1.11
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,058.99      $ 9.63        1.86

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.71      $ 9.43        1.86
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,062.93      $ 5.35        1.03

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.89      $ 5.23        1.03
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,064.79      $ 4.05        0.78

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.15      $ 3.96        0.78

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 84.04%           

Communication Services: 1.35%

          
Media: 1.35%                           

Comcast Corporation Class A

          330,000      $ 14,876,400  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 0.53%

          
Specialty Retail: 0.53%                           

The Home Depot Incorporated

          25,000        5,800,500  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 0.33%

          
Food Products: 0.33%                           

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          50,001        3,636,073  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 1.11%

          
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1.11%                           

Kinder Morgan Incorporated

          10,000        206,100  

ONEOK Incorporated

          160,000        11,790,400  

Plains All American Pipeline LP

          15,000        311,250  
             12,307,750  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 1.30%

          
Insurance: 1.30%                           

Chubb Limited

          35,000        5,650,400  

The Allstate Corporation

          80,000        8,694,400  
             14,344,800  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 8.21%

          
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 3.63%                           

Abbott Laboratories

          100,000        8,367,000  

Becton Dickinson & Company

          45,000        11,383,200  

Danaher Corporation

          140,000        20,220,200  

ElectroCore LLC Ǡ

          30,000        65,700  
             40,036,100  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 0.11%                           

HCA Healthcare Incorporated

          10,000        1,204,200  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 2.91%                           

Agilent Technologies Incorporated

          80,000        6,130,400  

Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated Class A †

          15,000        4,991,100  

Illumina Incorporated †

          2,000        608,440  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated

          70,000        20,388,900  
             32,118,840  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 1.56%                           

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

          110,000        5,578,100  

Horizon Therapeutics plc †

          100,000        2,723,000  

Merck KGaA ADR

          400,000        8,992,000  
             17,293,100  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 12.15%

          
Aerospace & Defense: 5.37%                           

Curtiss-Wright Corporation

          165,000        21,346,050  

Huntington Ingalls Industries Incorporated

          65,000        13,766,350  

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Aerospace & Defense (continued)                           

L3Harris Technologies Incorporated

          50,000      $ 10,432,000  

Lockheed Martin Corporation

          20,000        7,801,200  

Raytheon Company

          30,000        5,885,700  
             59,231,300  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 0.21%                           

Apogee Enterprises Incorporated

          60,000        2,339,400  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 1.37%                           

AMETEK Incorporated

          165,000        15,150,300  
          

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.65%                           

Honeywell International Incorporated

          15,000        2,538,000  

Roper Technologies Incorporated

          13,000        4,635,800  
             7,173,800  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 4.55%                           

Crane Company

          100,000        8,063,000  

IDEX Corporation

          120,000        19,665,600  

John Bean Technologies Corporation

          180,000        17,897,400  

Oshkosh Corporation

          60,000        4,548,000  
             50,174,000  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 30.97%

          
Communications Equipment: 1.26%                           

Cisco Systems Incorporated

          280,000        13,834,800  
          

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 6.91%                           

Amphenol Corporation Class A

          370,000        35,705,000  

Corning Incorporated

          670,000        19,108,400  

FLIR Systems Incorporated

          345,000        18,143,550  

MTS Systems Corporation

          60,000        3,315,000  
             76,271,950  
          

 

 

 
IT Services: 5.38%                           

Akamai Technologies Incorporated †

          340,000        31,069,200  

Leidos Holdings Incorporated

          330,000        28,340,400  
             59,409,600  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 8.90%                           

Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated †

          610,000        17,683,900  

Broadcom Incorporated

          150,000        41,410,500  

Microchip Technology Incorporated

          235,000        21,833,850  

Micron Technology Incorporated †

          35,000        1,499,750  

Texas Instruments Incorporated

          70,000        9,046,800  

Xilinx Incorporated

          70,000        6,713,000  
             98,187,800  
          

 

 

 
Software: 7.71%                           

Adobe Systems Incorporated †

          115,000        31,768,750  

ANSYS Incorporated †

          45,000        9,961,200  

Nutanix Incorporated Class A †

          50,000        1,312,500  

Palo Alto Networks Incorporated †

          55,000        11,210,650  

Salesforce.com Incorporated †

          80,000        11,875,200  

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Software (continued)                           

ServiceNow Incorporated †

          37,000      $ 9,392,450  

Synopsys Incorporated †

          70,000        9,607,500  
             85,128,250  
          

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 0.81%                           

Pure Storage Incorporated Class A †

          175,000        2,964,500  

Western Digital Corporation

          100,000        5,964,000  
             8,928,500  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 7.99%

          
Chemicals: 6.26%                           

Celanese Corporation Series A

          75,000        9,171,750  

Eastman Chemical Company

          80,000        5,906,400  

Huntsman Corporation

          630,000        14,653,800  

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A

          280,000        25,051,600  

Olin Corporation

          60,000        1,123,200  

The Sherwin-Williams Company

          17,000        9,347,790  

Tronox Holdings plc Class A

          150,000        1,245,000  

Westlake Chemical Corporation

          40,000        2,620,800  
             69,120,340  
          

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 1.73%                           

AptarGroup Incorporated

          81,500        9,653,675  

Berry Global Group Incorporated †

          240,000        9,424,800  
             19,078,475  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 2.38%

          
Equity REITs: 2.38%                           

Crown Castle International Corporation

          150,000        20,851,500  

Iron Mountain Incorporated

          50,000        1,619,500  

Saul Centers Incorporated

          70,000        3,815,700  
             26,286,700  
          

 

 

 

Utilities: 17.72%

          
Electric Utilities: 4.76%                           

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

          390,000        36,539,100  

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation

          165,000        16,016,550  
             52,555,650  
          

 

 

 
Gas Utilities: 2.99%                           

Atmos Energy Corporation

          290,000        33,028,100  
          

 

 

 
Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers: 3.66%                           

Vistra Energy Corporation

          1,510,000        40,362,300  
          

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities: 6.31%                           

CMS Energy Corporation

          530,000        33,893,500  

DTE Energy Company

          260,000        34,569,600  

NiSource Incorporated

          40,000        1,196,800  
             69,659,900  
          

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $766,056,388)

             927,538,928  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

         
         
    Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Corporate Bonds and Notes: 13.17%          

Communication Services: 0.23%

         
Media: 0.23%                          

McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings LLC 144A«

    7.88     5-15-2024      $ 3,000,000      $ 2,595,000  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 0.44%

         
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.19%                          

Speedway Motorsports Incorporated

    5.13       2-1-2023        2,000,000        2,030,000  
         

 

 

 
Household Durables: 0.25%                          

Installed Building Company 144A

    5.75       2-1-2028        2,700,000        2,784,374  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 0.19%

         
Food Products: 0.19%                          

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated 144A

    4.88       11-1-2026        2,000,000        2,095,000  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 3.38%

         
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 0.68%                          

Teleflex Incorporated

    4.88       6-1-2026        7,175,000        7,479,938  
         

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 2.61%                          

AMN Healthcare Incorporated 144A

    5.13       10-1-2024        13,512,000        14,018,700  

DaVita Incorporated

    5.00       5-1-2025        7,000,000        6,973,750  

DaVita Incorporated

    5.13       7-15-2024        1,000,000        1,016,250  

West Street Merger Subordinate Bond Incorporated 144A

    6.38       9-1-2025        7,400,000        6,808,000  
            28,816,700  
         

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 0.09%                          

Catalent Pharma Solutions Incorporated 144A

    4.88       1-15-2026        1,000,000        1,028,750  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 3.57%

         
Aerospace & Defense: 0.81%                          

TransDigm Group Incorporated

    6.38       6-15-2026        7,000,000        7,358,750  

TransDigm Group Incorporated

    6.50       5-15-2025        1,500,000        1,556,250  
            8,915,000  
         

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.14%                          

ACCO Brands Corporation 144A

    5.25       12-15-2024        1,500,000        1,552,500  
         

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 1.25%                          

Resideo Funding Incorporated 144A

    6.13       11-1-2026        13,112,000        13,833,160  
         

 

 

 
Machinery: 1.00%                          

SPX FLOW Incorporated 144A

    5.88       8-15-2026        10,500,000        10,972,500  
         

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 0.37%                          

WESCO Distribution Incorporated

    5.38       6-15-2024        4,000,000        4,130,000  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 3.41%

         
Communications Equipment: 0.51%                          

CommScope Incorporated 144A

    5.50       6-15-2024        6,000,000        5,638,080  
         

 

 

 

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 1.50%                          

MTS Systems Corporation 144A

    5.75     8-15-2027      $ 3,000,000      $ 3,120,000  

TTM Technologies Incorporated 144A«

    5.63       10-1-2025        13,505,000        13,505,000  
            16,625,000  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 0.93%                          

Gartner Incorporated 144A

    5.13       4-1-2025        9,779,000        10,231,279  
         

 

 

 
Software: 0.28%                          

Nuance Communications Company

    6.00       7-1-2024        3,000,000        3,135,000  
         

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 0.19%                          

Western Digital Corporation

    4.75       2-15-2026        2,000,000        2,057,500  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 1.76%

         
Chemicals: 1.58%                          

Koppers Incorporated 144A

    6.00       2-15-2025        8,190,000        8,195,160  

Olin Corporation

    5.50       8-15-2022        1,000,000        1,055,000  

Platform Specialty Products Corporation 144A

    5.88       12-1-2025        3,000,000        3,139,800  

Rayonier Advanced Materials Products Incorporated 144A

    5.50       6-1-2024        4,130,000        3,017,481  

Valvoline Incorporated

    4.38       8-15-2025        2,000,000        2,035,000  
            17,442,441  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 0.18%                          

Berry Global Incorporated 144A

    4.50       2-15-2026        2,000,000        1,972,500  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 0.19%

         
Equity REITs: 0.19%                          

Iron Mountain Incorporated 144A

    5.38       6-1-2026        2,000,000        2,060,000  
         

 

 

 

Total Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $143,012,081)

            145,394,722  
         

 

 

 
Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes: 1.93%                          

Financials: 0.43%

         
Diversified Financial Services: 0.43%                          

Tronox Finance plc 144A

    5.75       10-1-2025        5,000,000        4,728,750  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 1.50%

         
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.50%                          

Seagate HDD

    4.75       6-1-2023        9,500,000        9,937,684  

Seagate HDD

    4.88       6-1-2027        6,396,000        6,604,561  
            16,542,245  
         

 

 

 

Total Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $20,013,880)

            21,270,995  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield            Shares         
Short-Term Investments: 1.04%                          
Investment Companies: 1.04%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11          5,714,900        5,715,472  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          5,712,610        5,712,610  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $11,428,082)

            11,428,082  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $940,510,431)     100.18        1,105,632,727  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (0.18        (2,003,789
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 1,103,628,938  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

 

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

Non-income-earning security

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

 

ADR

American depositary receipt

 

REIT

Real estate investment trust

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 

Short-Term Investments

                 

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    14,415,390       146,589,697       155,290,187       5,714,900     $ (670   $ 0     $ 390,629 #    $ 5,715,472    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    22,600,022       416,436,441       433,323,853       5,712,610       0       0       353,260       5,712,610    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ (670   $ 0     $ 743,889     $ 11,428,082       1.04
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

#

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities, (including $5,528,453 of securities on loan) at value (cost $929,082,349)

  $ 1,094,204,645  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $11,428,082)

    11,428,082  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    1,405,406  

Receivable for dividends and interest

    3,935,775  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    3,434  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    175,321  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,111,152,663  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    5,716,509  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    829,750  

Management fee payable

    557,828  

Administration fees payable

    165,472  

Distribution fee payable

    72,181  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,246  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    179,739  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    7,523,725  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,103,628,938  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 890,051,184  

Total distributable earnings

    213,577,754  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,103,628,938  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 616,345,852  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    57,528,842  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $10.71  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $11.36  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 118,296,693  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    11,066,066  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $10.69  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 9,707,918  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    905,183  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $10.72  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 359,278,475  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    33,771,722  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $10.64  

 

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $15,223)

  $ 14,061,326  

Interest

    11,364,415  

Income from affiliated securities

    405,545  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    25,831,286  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    6,415,796  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    1,203,693  

Class C

    241,778  

Administrator Class

    14,593  

Institutional Class

    431,848  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    1,432,968  

Class C

    287,831  

Administrator Class

    28,063  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    863,471  

Custody and accounting fees

    49,001  

Professional fees

    46,111  

Registration fees

    104,733  

Shareholder report expenses

    104,733  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    33,789  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    11,280,060  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Administrator Class

    (101

Institutional Class

    (23,260
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    11,256,699  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    14,574,587  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    53,802,578  

Affiliated securities

    (670
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    53,801,908  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (8,891,274
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    44,910,634  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 59,485,221  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 14,574,587       $ 9,550,632  

Net realized gains on investments

      53,801,908         45,547,043  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      (8,891,274       53,496,076  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      59,485,221         108,593,751  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

       

Class A

      (36,253,338       (31,088,631

Class C

      (7,460,798       (5,826,986

Administrator Class

      (764,433       (638,260

Institutional Class

      (21,977,654       (16,658,344
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (66,456,223       (54,212,221
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    9,391,056       93,260,195       4,168,569       43,865,273  

Class C

    4,595,019       46,061,402       3,054,283       32,032,658  

Administrator Class

    227,726       2,281,752       507,748       5,354,505  

Institutional Class

    15,448,752       154,786,786       10,093,186       106,245,129  
 

 

 

 
      296,390,135         187,497,565  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    3,667,392       34,796,863       2,909,042       29,709,824  

Class C

    774,676       7,255,587       555,563       5,639,821  

Administrator Class

    79,989       758,159       60,161       615,499  

Institutional Class

    2,124,090       20,080,474       1,566,794       15,933,541  
 

 

 

 
      62,891,083         51,898,685  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (8,342,798     (83,876,599     (7,765,843     (81,546,998

Class C

    (6,420,901     (63,323,374     (2,906,268     (30,438,895

Administrator Class

    (671,418     (7,048,173     (290,129     (3,037,359

Institutional Class

    (13,982,283     (140,897,557     (7,121,216     (73,887,823
 

 

 

 
      (295,145,703       (188,911,075
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      64,135,515         50,485,175  
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

      57,164,513         104,866,705  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      1,046,464,425         941,597,720  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 1,103,628,938       $ 1,046,464,425  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.88       $10.30       $9.96       $9.12       $9.31  

Net investment income

    0.14       0.10       0.14 1      0.17       0.11  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.37       1.06       1.12       1.71       (0.20
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.51       1.16       1.26       1.88       (0.09

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.14     (0.09     (0.14     (0.15     (0.10

Net realized gains

    (0.54     (0.49     (0.78     (0.89     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.68     (0.58     (0.92     (1.04     (0.10

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.71       $10.88       $10.30       $9.96       $9.12  

Total return2

    5.60     11.72     13.62     22.85     (1.05 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.12     1.11     1.12     1.14     1.19

Net expenses

    1.12     1.11     1.12     1.14     1.19

Net investment income

    1.38     0.96     1.43     1.77     1.17

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    61     31     54     73     69

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $616,346       $574,760       $551,272       $467,503       $402,303  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.86       $10.28       $9.96       $9.12       $9.32  

Net investment income

    0.06       0.02       0.08       0.10       0.05  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.37       1.06       1.11       1.72       (0.22
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.43       1.08       1.19       1.82       (0.17

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.06     (0.01     (0.09     (0.09     (0.03

Net realized gains

    (0.54     (0.49     (0.78     (0.89     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.60     (0.50     (0.87     (0.98     (0.03

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.69       $10.86       $10.28       $9.96       $9.12  

Total return1

    4.81     10.88     12.85     21.96     (1.88 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.87     1.87     1.87     1.89     1.94

Net expenses

    1.87     1.87     1.87     1.89     1.94

Net investment income

    0.65     0.21     0.65     1.03     0.41

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    61     31     54     73     69

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $118,297       $131,601       $117,346       $67,630       $53,373  

 

 

 

1 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.89       $10.32       $9.97       $9.12       $9.32  

Net investment income

    0.15 1      0.11 1      0.16 1      0.18 1      0.14 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.37       1.06       1.12       1.73       (0.22
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.52       1.17       1.28       1.91       (0.08

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.15     (0.11     (0.15     (0.17     (0.12

Net realized gains

    (0.54     (0.49     (0.78     (0.89     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.69     (0.60     (0.93     (1.06     (0.12

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.72       $10.89       $10.32       $9.97       $9.12  

Total return

    5.67     11.73     13.75     23.14     (0.92 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.04     1.03     1.04     1.06     1.05

Net expenses

    1.04     1.03     1.04     1.03     0.95

Net investment income

    1.47     1.04     1.58     1.89     1.41

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    61     31     54     73     69

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $9,708       $13,821       $10,225       $21,398       $7,898  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.81       $10.25       $9.90       $9.07       $9.27  

Net investment income

    0.18       0.14       0.19       0.20       0.15  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.36       1.05       1.11       1.71       (0.21
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.54       1.19       1.30       1.91       (0.06

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.17     (0.14     (0.17     (0.19     (0.14

Net realized gains

    (0.54     (0.49     (0.78     (0.89     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.71     (0.63     (0.95     (1.08     (0.14

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.64       $10.81       $10.25       $9.90       $9.07  

Total return

    5.98     12.04     14.11     23.28     (0.75 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.79     0.79     0.79     0.81     0.79

Net expenses

    0.78     0.78     0.78     0.78     0.77

Net investment income

    1.73     1.30     1.71     2.14     1.58

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    61     31     54     73     69

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $359,278       $326,283       $262,754       $122,769       $97,251  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Dividend income is record net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income quarterly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $940,484,688 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 190,008,181  

Gross unrealized losses

     (24,860,142

Net unrealized gains

   $ 165,148,039  

Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under federal income tax regulations. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. At September 30, 2019, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, the following reclassification adjustments were made on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:

 

Paid-in capital   

Total distributable

earnings

$(11,830)    $11,830

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund  |  25


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 14,876,400      $ 0      $ 0      $ 14,876,400  

Consumer discretionary

     5,800,500        0        0        5,800,500  

Consumer staples

     3,636,073        0        0        3,636,073  

Energy

     12,307,750        0        0        12,307,750  

Financials

     14,344,800        0        0        14,344,800  

Health care

     90,652,240        0        0        90,652,240  

Industrials

     134,068,800        0        0        134,068,800  

Information technology

     341,760,900        0        0        341,760,900  

Materials

     88,198,815        0        0        88,198,815  

Real estate

     26,286,700        0        0        26,286,700  

Utilities

     195,605,950        0        0        195,605,950  

Corporate bonds and notes

     0        145,394,722        0        145,394,722  

Yankee corporate bonds and notes

     0        21,270,995        0        21,270,995  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     11,428,082        0        0        11,428,082  

Total assets

   $ 938,967,010      $ 166,665,717      $ 0      $ 1,105,632,727  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee

First $500 million

   0.650%

Next $500 million

   0.600

Next $2 billion

   0.550

Next $2 billion

   0.525

Next $5 billion

   0.490

Over $10 billion

   0.480

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.62% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.35% and declining to 0.20% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee

Class A, Class C

   0.21%

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

   0.13

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.20% for Class A shares, 1.95% for Class C shares, 1.05% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.78% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. 

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $71,907 from the sale of Class A shares and $496, in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices. Pursuant to these procedures, the Fund had $49,948,125 and $8,145,000 in interfund purchases and sales, respectively, during the year ended September 30, 2019.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $642,159,124 and $618,990,792, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019 the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty      Value of
securities on
loan
       Collateral
received1
       Net amount  

Barclays Capital Inc.

     $ 62,415        $ (62,415      $ 0  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

       2,550,038          (2,550,038        0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

       2,916,000          (2,916,000        0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 14,455,943      $ 25,392,045  

Long-term capital gain

     52,000,280        28,820,176  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed

ordinary
income

  

Undistributed

long-term
gain

  

Unrealized

gains

$5,229,614    $43,305,460    $165,148,039

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian and transfer agent. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 63.16% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $52,000,280 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $10,071,413 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $5,979,385 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee,
since 2015
  Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2015;
Chair Liaison, since 2018
  Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr.
(Born 1952)
  Trustee, since 2009;
Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019
  Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson
(Born 1949)
  Trustee, since 2008;
Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018
  Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker
(Born 1950)
  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell
(Born 1953)
  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny
(Born 1951)
  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson
(Born 1959)
  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Treasurer, since 2012   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary,
since 2019
  Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

 

 

 

1

Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Diversified Capital Builder Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Class A) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Diversified Capital Builder Blended Index, for the one-year period under review, but higher than its benchmark for the three-, five- and ten-year periods under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were lower than or in range of the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes. The Board also noted that the net operating expense ratio cap for Class A would be reduced.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

 

 

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Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406800 11-19

A225/AR225 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo

Diversified Income Builder Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

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The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com, or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

4  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Kandarp R. Acharya, CFA®, FRM

Margaret Patel

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 20191

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios2 (%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net3  
                   
Class A (EKSAX)   4-14-1987     -1.55       4.66       7.15       4.51       5.92       7.79       1.04       0.85  
                   
Class C (EKSCX)   2-1-1993     2.71       5.09       6.98       3.71       5.09       6.98       1.79       1.60  
                   
Class R6 (EKSRX)4   7-31-2018                       5.07       6.29       8.19       0.61       0.42  
                   
Administrator Class (EKSDX)5   7-30-2010                       4.52       6.03       7.95       0.96       0.77  
                   
Institutional Class (EKSYX)   1-13-1997                       4.80       6.26       8.18       0.71       0.52  
                   
Diversified Income Builder Blended Index6                         5.67       6.85       9.30              
                   
ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index7                         6.34       5.36       7.82              
                   
Russell 1000® Index8                         3.87       10.62       13.23              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Balanced funds may invest in stocks and bonds. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk, high-yield securities risk, and smaller-company securities risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20199

LOGO

 

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Historical performance shown prior to July 12, 2010, is based on the performance of Fund’s predecessor, Evergreen Diversified Income Builder Fund.

 

2 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

3 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

4 

Historical performance shown for the Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Institutional Class shares, and is not adjusted to reflect Class R6 expenses. If these expenses had been included, returns for Class R6 would be higher.

 

5 

Historical performance shown for the Administrator Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher expenses applicable to the Administrator Class shares.

 

6 

Source: Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. The Diversified Income Builder Blended Index is composed 65% of the ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index and 35% of the Russell 1000® Index. Prior to January 2, 2018, the Diversified Income Builder Blended Index was composed 75% of the ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index and 25% of the Russell 1000® Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7 

The ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index is an unmanaged market index that provides a broad-based performance measure of the noninvestment grade U.S. domestic bond index. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

8 

The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

9 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Diversified Income Builder Blended Index, ICE BofAML U.S. Cash Pay High Yield Index, and the Russell 1000® Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

10 

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

11 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

12 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Diversified Income Builder Blended Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

The Fund’s equity sector allocation was the main detractor from performance due to an overweight to the energy sector and allocation to non-U.S. equities.

 

 

The Fund’s high-yield allocation outperformed the bond index on strong performance of industrials companies.

An increase in market volatility and a decrease in rates.

Following a tumultuous fourth quarter in 2018 in which the S&P 500 Index10 nearly entered correction territory, markets rebounded in the first quarter of 2019. Over the final three months of the period, global equity prices moved up and down but produced little in the way of returns. In the U.S., equity returns ended the period slightly positive. At the same time, interest rates declined markedly, resulting in strong returns on rate-sensitive assets, particularly U.S. Treasuries.

Perhaps the disparity can be explained, in part, by concerns over future economic growth coupled with dovish sentiments from the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed). Perhaps it is partly attributable to the strong 2019 year-to-date equity returns as the markets recovered from the December 2018 shock sell-off. Perhaps the inverted yield curve contributed to the disparity, increasing financial market uncertainty. The third quarter of 2019 certainly saw its share of volatility. The powerful whipsaw effect observed would have certainly left even the best of lumberjacks impressed.

Earnings report and companies did not disappoint during the final quarter of the period. Inflation remains at bay. Looking back, we feel it is fair to say that most of 2019 has been a story of the Fed remaining patient, stocks accruing value, and eyes peering at other nations. The world’s eyes are fixed on two major geopolitical events that have significant potential to rile markets or push them higher if resolved benignly: Brexit and U.S. trade squabbles. The market needs some level of certainty for risk assets to climb over the wall of worry.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 201911       
   

TTM Technologies Incorporated, 5.63%, 10-1-2025

     2.30  
   

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated, 4.63%, 11-1-2024

     1.91  
   

Koppers Incorporated, 6.00%, 2-15-2025

     1.84  
   

Installed Building Company, 5.75 %, 2-1-2028

     1.75  
   

Iron Mountain Incorporated, 4.88%, 9-15-2027

     1.71  
   

Valvoline Incorporated, 4.38%, 8-15-2025

     1.70  
   

Tronox Finance plc, 5.75%, 10-1-2025

     1.58  
   

Cheniere Corpus Christi Holdings LLC, 5.13%, 6-30-2027

     1.45  
   

HCA Incorporated, 5.38%, 2-1-2025

     1.45  
   

AMN Healthcare Incorporated, 5.13%, 10-1-2024

     1.35  

Diversification continued to deliver.

The Fund diversified its holdings in the second quarter of 2019 to provide more varied sources of income. Specifically, the Fund introduced dedicated allocations to dividend-focused global equities and U.S. industries, including real estate investment partnerships and master limited partnerships. The Fund also diversified its high-yield exposure to include taxable municipal high-yield bonds. The allocation changes helped increase the portfolio’s overall yield while providing greater diversification. U.S. high yield, high-yield municipal bonds, and contingent convertible bonds all had positive performance for the trailing one year. High-yield holdings were additive to performance as higher-quality companies outperformed the lower-quality firms in the portfolio.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Portfolio composition as of September 30, 201912
LOGO

Within equities, the global equity allocation detracted from Fund performance as it tilted toward value stocks during a period of outperformance for growth stocks. Emerging market holdings also detracted from performance on global trade fears and a stronger dollar. We continue to believe that equity exposure to non-U.S. dividend-focused companies with strong balance sheets should provide diversification benefits to the Fund.

Our outlook remains cautious.

We are concerned about slowing U.S. growth, continued trade disputes, and global geopolitical uncertainty. Over the past year, we have taken various actions to ensure the portfolio is defensively positioned. Based upon growth concerns in Europe, in July we established a short position in the euro. In August, a multi-leg defensive trade was initiated; we simultaneously established a short position in the S&P 500 Index and a long position in the U.S. 10-year Treasury.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,028.13      $ 4.34        0.85

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.79      $ 4.32        0.85
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,024.24      $ 8.14        1.60

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,017.02      $ 8.12        1.60
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,031.03      $ 2.15        0.42

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,022.95      $ 2.15        0.42
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,027.51      $ 3.93        0.77

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.19      $ 3.92        0.77
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,028.81      $ 2.66        0.52

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,022.45      $ 2.65        0.52

 

 

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Asset-Backed Securities: 1.06%  

Avis Budget Rental Car Funding Series 2019-2A Class C 144A

    4.24     9-22-2025      $ 2,000,000      $ 2,099,407  

Chesapeake Funding II LLC Series 2018-1A Class D 144A

    3.92       4-15-2030        1,980,000        2,030,397  

Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC Series 2019-1A Class B 144A

    4.10       3-25-2023        1,380,000        1,421,471  

Santander Retail Auto Lease Trust Series 2019-A Class D 144A

    3.66       5-20-2024        2,000,000        2,029,398  

Total Asset-Backed Securities (Cost $7,396,996)

 

     7,580,673  
         

 

 

 
         
       Shares         
Common Stocks: 26.97%

 

Communication Services: 0.83%

 

Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.45%  

AT&T Incorporated

 

     43,274        1,637,488  

PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero Tbk

 

     1,149,500        349,020  

Verizon Communications Incorporated

 

     20,017        1,208,226  
            3,194,734  
         

 

 

 
Media: 0.13%  

Comcast Corporation Class A

 

     21,325        961,331  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.25%  

China Mobile Limited

 

     27,500        227,538  

KDDI Corporation

 

     32,066        837,794  

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC ADR

 

     27,131        219,761  

MTN Group Limited

 

     31,862        202,596  

SK Telecom Company Limited

 

     1,436        289,925  
            1,777,614  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 1.39%

 

Automobiles: 0.39%  

Geely Automobile Holdings Limited

 

     77,000        130,663  

General Motors Company

 

     28,578        1,071,103  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Company Limited H Shares

 

     156,000        149,278  

Hyundai Motor Company

 

     1,405        157,397  

Peugeot SA

 

     50,738        1,265,307  
            2,773,748  
         

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.41%  

Sands China Limited

 

     301,654        1,366,308  

Starbucks Corporation

 

     9,191        812,668  

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation

 

     16,875        776,588  
            2,955,564  
         

 

 

 
Household Durables: 0.27%  

Coway Company Limited

 

     2,960        209,352  

Haier Smart Home Company Limited Class A

 

     123,399        264,486  

Midea Group Company Limited Class A

 

     42,999        307,807  

Persimmon plc

 

     42,426        1,131,978  
            1,913,623  
         

 

 

 
Multiline Retail: 0.13%  

Target Corporation

 

     8,619        921,457  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Specialty Retail: 0.06%  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Company Limited

          241,000      $ 198,945  

Petrobras Distribuidora SA

          31,600        209,376  
             408,321  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 0.13%  

Eclat Textile Company Limited

          9,000        120,856  

Kering SA

          1,667        849,514  
             970,370  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 1.07%

 

Food & Staples Retailing: 0.32%  

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

          31,472        787,423  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

          76,000        225,258  

Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated

          10,911        1,294,917  
             2,307,598  
          

 

 

 
Food Products: 0.50%  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Company Limited Class A

          68,799        274,872  

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          20,000        1,454,400  

Nestle SA

          11,902        1,291,267  

Uni-President China Holdings Limited

          152,000        164,069  

Uni-President Enterprises Corporation

          58,000        139,962  

WH Group Limited 144A

          317,500        284,376  
             3,608,946  
          

 

 

 
Household Products: 0.22%  

The Procter & Gamble Company

          12,507        1,555,621  
          

 

 

 
Personal Products: 0.03%  

Hengan International Group Company Limited

          28,600        187,560  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 4.50%

 

Energy Equipment & Services: 0.02%  

USA Compression Partners LP

          6,994        120,786  
          

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 4.48%  

Alliance Resource Partners LP

          14,570        233,266  

Black Stone Minerals LP

          23,603        336,107  

BP Midstream Partners LP

          6,741        98,419  

Buckeye Partners LP

          21,748        893,625  

Calumet Specialty Products LP †

          8,590        31,268  

Capital Product Partners LP

          1,979        21,175  

Cheniere Energy Partners LP

          5,892        267,968  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation H Shares

          472,000        280,633  

CNOOC Limited

          522,297        797,003  

CNX Midstream Partners LP

          5,908        83,303  

ConocoPhillips

          16,500        940,170  

Consol Coal Resources LP

          728        9,828  

Crestwood Equity Partners LP

          6,864        250,605  

CrossAmerica Partners LP

          1,517        25,880  

DCP Midstream LP

          12,786        335,121  

Delek Logistics Partners LP

          1,256        39,300  

Dorchester Minerals LP

          4,090        76,279  

Enable Midstream Partners LP

          7,954        95,687  

Energy Transfer Equity LP

          319,325        4,176,771  

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (continued)  

Enterprise Products Partners

          210,651      $ 6,020,406  

Enviva Partners LP

          2,985        95,371  

EQT Midstream Partners LP

          11,646        380,824  

Gazprom PAO ADR

          33,474        231,105  

Genesis Energy LP

          15,602        334,975  

Global Partners LP

          3,912        76,714  

Golar LNG Partners LP

          6,788        65,029  

Green Plains Partners LP

          1,615        21,447  

Hess Midstream Partners LP

          2,357        45,396  

Holly Energy Partners LP

          6,447        162,916  

Kimbell Royalty Partners LP

          3,095        45,527  

Kinder Morgan Incorporated

          20,000        412,200  

KNOT Offshore Partners LP

          3,077        58,740  

LUKOIL PJSC ADR

          3,629        300,263  

Magellan Midstream Partners LP

          32,284        2,139,461  

MPLX LP

          53,612        1,501,672  

Natural Resource Partners LP

          1,158        29,355  

NGL Energy Partners LP

          17,832        248,043  

Noble Midstream Partners LP

          3,091        74,555  

NuStar Energy LP

          13,924        394,328  

Oasis Midstream Partners LP

          1,528        24,402  

ONEOK Incorporated

          24,000        1,768,560  

PBF Logistics LP

          3,815        80,687  

Pembina Pipeline Corporation

          21,224        786,739  

PetroChina Company Limited H Shares

          380,000        195,389  

Phillips 66 Partners LP

          14,034        794,605  

Plains All American Pipeline LP

          81,713        1,695,545  

PTT Exploration & Production plc

          38,200        151,126  

Reliance Industries Limited GDR 144A

          15,987        596,315  

S-Oil Corporation

          2,308        191,795  

Shell Midstream Partners LP

          18,043        368,979  

SK Innovation Company Limited

          1,773        246,054  

Sprague Resources LP

          1,428        25,276  

Summit Midstream Partners LP

          5,880        28,577  

Sunoco LP

          7,635        240,121  

Tatneft ADR

          2,241        142,304  

TC Pipelines LP

          7,648        311,044  

Teekay LNG Partners LP

          7,523        102,689  

Teekay Offshore Partners LP

          15,739        18,257  

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

          5,672        144,135  

USD Partners LP

          1,395        14,578  

Valero Energy Corporation

          12,571        1,071,552  

Viper Energy Partners LP

          8,829        244,298  

Western Midstream Partners LP

          28,118        699,857  

Whitehaven Coal Limited

          266,673        559,772  
             32,133,391  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 3.99%

 

Banks: 1.09%  

Absa Group Limited

          13,518        136,447  

Banco de Brasil SA

          16,700        182,838  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

          14,000        152,738  

Bancolombia SA ADR

          3,290        162,691  

Bangkok Bank PCL

          25,000        143,861  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

          89,210        160,072  

China Construction Bank H Shares

          770,000        587,494  

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Banks (continued)  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

          146,800      $ 176,356  

Citigroup Incorporated

          13,375        923,945  

Credicorp Limited

          695        144,866  

CTBC Financial Holding Company Limited

          35,000        23,233  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV

          30,720        165,571  

Hana Financial Group Incorporated

          6,499        191,523  

HDFC Bank Limited ADR

          5,908        337,051  

ICICI Bank Limited ADR

          25,227        307,265  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Limited H Shares

          719,000        481,615  

ING Groep NV

          90,800        950,484  

JPMorgan Chase & Company

          11,947        1,406,042  

KB Financial Group Incorporated

          6,066        216,543  

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk

          988,900        287,021  

Qatar National Bank

          30,440        161,238  

Sberbank of Russia ADR

          20,866        295,776  

Standard Bank Group Limited

          17,634        203,399  
             7,798,069  
          

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 0.62%  

3i Group plc

          62,073        890,294  

Ares Capital Corporation

          87,753        1,635,277  

B3 Brasil Bolsa Balcao SA

          42,600        447,331  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

          17,200        242,376  

CITIC Securities Company Limited H Shares

          116,000        217,268  

Intermediate Capital Group

          46,988        840,613  

NH Investment & Securities Company Limited

          14,720        156,288  
             4,429,447  
          

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 0.21%  

Discover Financial Services

          9,138        741,000  

Navient Corporation

          61,975        793,280  
             1,534,280  
          

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 0.12%  

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation

          1,643,000        157,865  

ORIX Corporation

          47,800        712,192  
             870,057  
          

 

 

 
Insurance: 1.38%  

Allianz AG

          3,373        786,199  

China Life Insurance Company H Shares

          61,000        141,337  

Chubb Limited

          20,000        3,228,800  

Legal & General Group plc

          317,284        969,049  

PICC Property & Casualty Company Limited H Shares

          146,000        170,445  

Ping An Insurance Group Company H Shares

          136,900        1,572,891  

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen SA

          20,114        187,492  

Sanlam Limited

          27,821        137,002  

The Allstate Corporation

          25,000        2,717,000  
             9,910,215  
          

 

 

 
Mortgage REITs: 0.57%  

Ladder Capital Corporation

          67,560        1,166,761  

MFA Financial Incorporated

          151,228        1,113,038  

New Residential Investment Corporation

          55,640        872,435  

Redwood Trust Incorporated

          55,115        904,437  
             4,056,671  
          

 

 

 

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  

Health Care: 2.40%

 

Biotechnology: 0.32%  

Amgen Incorporated

          6,572      $ 1,271,748  

Gilead Sciences Incorporated

          16,760        1,062,249  
             2,333,997  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 0.61%  

Abbott Laboratories

          25,000        2,091,750  

Becton Dickinson & Company

          5,000        1,264,800  

Danaher Corporation

          7,000        1,011,010  
             4,367,560  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 0.26%  

Anthem Incorporated

          2,898        695,810  

Sinopharm Group Company Limited H Shares

          68,400        214,249  

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

          4,342        943,603  
             1,853,662  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 0.26%  

Agilent Technologies Incorporated

          5,000        383,150  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated

          5,000        1,456,350  
             1,839,500  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 0.95%  

Astellas Pharma Incorporated

          73,762        1,049,552  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

          20,589        1,044,068  

GlaxoSmithKline plc

          42,492        911,484  

Johnson & Johnson

          12,125        1,568,733  

Roche Holding AG

          3,719        1,082,294  

Sanofi SA

          12,100        1,121,805  
             6,777,936  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 2.87%

 

Aerospace & Defense: 0.74%  

Curtiss-Wright Corporation

          14,000        1,811,180  

Huntington Ingalls Industries Incorporated

          8,000        1,694,320  

Raytheon Company

          9,000        1,765,710  
             5,271,210  
          

 

 

 
Airlines: 0.14%  

Aeroflot PJSC

          93,360        149,278  

Air China H Shares

          166,000        146,140  

Delta Air Lines Incorporated

          12,047        693,907  
             989,325  
          

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering: 0.11%  

China Communications Construction Company Limited H Shares

          272,000        212,736  

China Communications Services Corporation Limited H Shares

          256,000        145,022  

China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Class A

          228,400        173,738  

China State Construction International Holdings

          286,000        268,933  
             800,429  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 0.35%  

AMETEK Incorporated

          15,000        1,377,300  

Schneider Electric SE

          13,105        1,149,846  
             2,527,146  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.47%  

Honeywell International Incorporated

          17,025      $ 2,880,630  

Sime Darby Bhd

          413,700        222,313  

The Bidvest Group Limited

          21,714        273,572  
             3,376,515  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 0.83%  

Hyundai Robotics Company Limited

          632        184,662  

IDEX Corporation

          9,000        1,474,920  

Ingersoll-Rand plc

          9,225        1,136,612  

John Bean Technologies Corporation

          20,000        1,988,600  

Sany Heavy Industry Company Limited Class A

          80,700        161,436  

Volvo AB Class B

          58,974        828,232  

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company Limited

          104,600        203,679  
             5,978,141  
          

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 0.15%  

Itochu Corporation

          52,753        1,088,480  
          

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure: 0.08%  

Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited H Shares

          256,000        218,513  

China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited

          120,000        180,665  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV Class B

          15,240        147,087  
             546,265  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 5.61%

 

Communications Equipment: 0.41%  

Accton Technology Corporation

          35,000        184,361  

Cisco Systems Incorporated

          55,380        2,736,326  
             2,920,687  
          

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 0.92%  

Amphenol Corporation Class A

          25,000        2,412,500  

Corning Incorporated

          85,000        2,424,200  

Delta Electronics Incorporated

          53,000        226,438  

FLIR Systems Incorporated

          22,000        1,156,980  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Limited

          80,600        190,185  

Largan Precision Company Limited

          1,200        171,649  
             6,581,952  
          

 

 

 
IT Services: 0.84%  

Infosys Limited ADR

          58,053        660,063  

International Business Machines Corporation

          9,475        1,377,855  

Leidos Holdings Incorporated

          30,000        2,576,400  

Visa Incorporated Class A

          8,314        1,430,091  
             6,044,409  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 1.48%  

ASE Industrial Holding Company Limited

          77,000        175,314  

Broadcom Incorporated

          10,000        2,760,700  

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

          100,000        2,334,000  

Mediatek Incorporated

          45,600        542,535  

Microchip Technology Incorporated

          9,000        836,190  

SK Hynix Incorporated

          5,647        388,065  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

          175,000        1,554,267  

Texas Instruments Incorporated

          15,810        2,043,284  
             10,634,355  
          

 

 

 

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Software: 1.05%  

Adobe Systems Incorporated †

          7,000      $ 1,933,750  

Microsoft Corporation

          19,166        2,664,649  

SAP SE

          7,418        872,237  

Synopsys Incorporated †

          15,000        2,058,750  
             7,529,386  
          

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 0.91%  

Advantech Company Limited

          18,000        158,331  

Apple Incorporated

          5,990        1,341,580  

Ennoconn Corporation

          17,000        120,185  

Lenovo Group Limited

          1,582,000        1,055,649  

Samsung Electronics Company Limited

          37,561        1,540,248  

Western Digital Corporation

          20,000        1,192,800  

Wiwynn Corporation

          21,000        298,834  

Xerox Holdings Corporation

          26,430        790,521  
             6,498,148  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 1.10%

 

Chemicals: 0.50%  

Celanese Corporation Series A

          6,000        733,740  

Ciner Resources LP

          721        13,310  

CVR Partners LP

          10,817        41,970  

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A

          29,150        2,608,051  

Wanhua Chemical Group Company Limited Class A

          21,600        133,593  

Westlake Chemical Partners LP

          2,773        64,445  
             3,595,109  
          

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 0.57%  

Anglo American plc

          57,686        1,327,200  

Barrick Gold Corporation

          50,357        871,180  

Fortescue Metals Group Limited

          187,370        1,112,896  

Korea Zinc Company Limited

          536        200,751  

Polymetal International plc

          15,850        222,167  

POSCO

          822        155,995  

Vale SA †

          18,200        209,160  
             4,099,349  
          

 

 

 
Paper & Forest Products: 0.03%  

Mondi plc

          8,101        155,186  

Pope Resources LP

          455        32,087  
             187,273  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 1.16%

 

Equity REITs: 0.84%  

Crown Castle International Corporation

          20,000        2,780,200  

Growthpoint Properties Limited

          94,613        144,309  

Saul Centers Incorporated

          35,000        1,907,850  

VEREIT Incorporated

          115,709        1,131,634  
             5,963,993  
          

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development: 0.32%  

Ascendas India Trust

          211,400        238,602  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Company Limited Class A

          68,700        182,760  

China Overseas Land & Investment Limited

          83,400        262,298  

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                    Shares      Value  
Real Estate Management & Development (continued)  

China Resources Land Limited

         69,350      $ 290,665  

China Vanke Company Limited Class A

         50,294        182,480  

Logan Property Holdings Company Limited

         662,442        943,243  

Shimao Property Holding Limited

         72,000        210,368  
            2,310,416  
         

 

 

 

Utilities: 2.05%

 

Electric Utilities: 0.62%  

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

         34,000        3,185,460  

Enel Americas SA ADR

         22,510        205,066  

Neoenergia SA

         60,486        299,449  

Red Eléctrica de Espana SA

         38,197        775,828  
            4,465,803  
         

 

 

 
Gas Utilities: 0.37%  

Atmos Energy Corporation

         20,000        2,277,800  

Infraestructura Energetica Nova SAB de CV †

         52,200        207,726  

Suburban Propane Partners LP

         8,739        206,503  
            2,692,029  
         

 

 

 
Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers: 0.26%  

Brookfield Renewable Partner LP

         12,449        505,678  

Drax Group plc

         239,949        814,871  

Vistra Energy Corporation

         20,000        534,600  
            1,855,149  
         

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities: 0.77%  

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP

         20,367        1,010,407  

CMS Energy Corporation

         37,000        2,366,150  

DTE Energy Company

         16,000        2,127,360  
            5,503,917  
         

 

 

 
Water Utilities: 0.03%  

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limited

         380,000        194,419  
         

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $170,714,890)

 

     193,215,963  
         

 

 

 
         
    Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal         
Corporate Bonds and Notes: 49.27%

 

Communication Services: 0.92%

 

Media: 0.92%  

McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings LLC 144A

    7.88     5-15-2024      $ 7,598,000        6,572,270  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 4.10%

 

Auto Components: 1.38%  

Dana Holding Corporation

    5.50       12-15-2024        3,925,000        3,993,688  

Tenneco Incorporated

    5.00       7-15-2026        7,250,000        5,945,000  
            9,938,688  
         

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.34%  

1929 Fieldhouse LLC / West Ward Street Development Corporation 144A

    5.25       6-1-2020        2,410,000        2,428,960  
         

 

 

 

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Household Durables: 1.75%  

Installed Building Company 144A

    5.75     2-1-2028      $ 12,140,000      $ 12,519,375  
         

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 0.63%  

Group 1 Automotive Incorporated

    5.00       6-1-2022        4,453,000        4,497,530  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 2.20%

 

Food Products: 2.20%  

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated 144A

    4.63       11-1-2024        13,000,000        13,681,200  

Post Holdings Incorporated 144A

    5.00       8-15-2026        2,000,000        2,074,200  
            15,755,400  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 1.45%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 1.45%  

Cheniere Corpus Christi Holdings LLC

    5.13       6-30-2027        9,500,000        10,402,500  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 0.65%

 

Banks: 0.49%  

Allied Irish Banks plc

    7.38       12-29-2049        3,000,000        3,469,639  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 0.16%  

Toll Road Investors Partnership II 144A¤

    0.00       2-15-2030        2,000,000        1,161,852  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 9.90%

 

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 2.46%  

Hologic Incorporated 144A

    4.38       10-15-2025        7,000,000        7,175,000  

Teleflex Incorporated

    4.63       11-15-2027        1,984,000        2,070,800  

Teleflex Incorporated

    4.88       6-1-2026        8,000,000        8,340,000  
            17,585,800  
         

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 5.35%  

AMN Healthcare Incorporated 144A

    5.13       10-1-2024        9,335,000        9,685,063  

Davita Incorporated

    5.00       5-1-2025        9,000,000        8,966,250  

HCA Incorporated

    5.38       2-1-2025        9,500,000        10,378,750  

HealthSouth Corporation

    5.13       3-15-2023        2,000,000        2,035,000  

St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center

    3.93       7-1-2022        2,000,000        2,052,568  

West Street Merger Subordinate Bond Incorporated 144A

    6.38       9-1-2025        5,700,000        5,244,000  
            38,361,631  
         

 

 

 
Health Care Technology: 0.15%  

Quintiles IMS Holdings Incorporated 144A

    5.00       10-15-2026        1,000,000        1,047,500  
         

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 0.75%  

Charles River Laboratories Incorporated 144A

    5.50       4-1-2026        5,075,000        5,398,430  
         

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 1.19%                          

Catalent Pharma Solutions Incorporated 144A

    4.88       1-15-2026        8,300,000        8,538,625  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 9.18%

         
Aerospace & Defense: 2.07%                          

Moog Incorporated 144A

    5.25       12-1-2022        5,500,000        5,589,375  

TransDigm Group Incorporated

    6.38       6-15-2026        8,800,000        9,251,000  
            14,840,375  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Commercial Services & Supplies: 1.32%  

ACCO Brands Corporation 144A

    5.25 %       12-15-2024      $ 5,000,000      $ 5,175,000  

Northern Light Health

    5.02       7-1-2036        1,000,000        1,039,165  

South Nassau Communities Hospital Incorporated

    4.65       8-1-2048        2,000,000        2,213,562  

Stericycle Incorporated 144A

    5.38       7-15-2024        1,000,000        1,027,500  
            9,455,227  
         

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering: 0.29%  

Aecom Company

    5.13       3-15-2027        2,000,000        2,100,000  
         

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 0.89%  

Resideo Funding Incorporated 144A

    6.13       11-1-2026        6,000,000        6,330,000  
         

 

 

 
Machinery: 3.32%  

Actuant Corporation

    5.63       6-15-2022        1,165,000        1,175,194  

HD Supply Incorporated 144A

    5.38       10-15-2026        8,100,000        8,575,875  

Oshkosh Corporation

    5.38       3-1-2025        3,675,000        3,817,406  

SPX FLOW Incorporated 144A

    5.63       8-15-2024        4,500,000        4,646,250  

SPX FLOW Incorporated 144A

    5.88       8-15-2026        5,328,000        5,567,760  
            23,782,485  
         

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 1.29%  

WESCO Distribution Incorporated

    5.38       6-15-2024        8,974,000        9,265,655  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 7.96%

 

Communications Equipment: 0.75%  

CommScope Technologies Finance LLC 144A

    5.00       3-15-2027        6,500,000        5,362,500  
         

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 3.23%  

Anixter International Incorporated

    5.13       10-1-2021        3,000,000        3,120,000  

MTS Systems Corporation 144A

    5.75       8-15-2027        3,400,000        3,536,000  

TTM Technologies Incorporated 144A

    5.63       10-1-2025        16,495,000        16,495,000  
            23,151,000  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 0.29%  

Gartner Incorporated 144A

    5.13       4-1-2025        2,000,000        2,092,500  
         

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.28%  

Micron Technology Incorporated

    5.50       2-1-2025        6,750,000        6,936,815  

Versum Materials Incorporated 144A

    5.50       9-30-2024        8,834,000        9,408,210  
            16,345,025  
         

 

 

 
Software: 0.29%  

Nuance Communications Company

    6.00       7-1-2024        2,000,000        2,090,000  
         

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.12%  

Diebold Nixdorf Incorporated

    8.50       4-15-2024        8,500,000        7,990,000  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 10.23%

 

Chemicals: 7.41%  

Koppers Incorporated 144A

    6.00       2-15-2025        13,150,000        13,158,285  

Olin Corporation

    5.13       9-15-2027        5,000,000        5,112,500  

Olin Corporation

    5.50       8-15-2022        5,500,000        5,802,500  

Rayonier Advanced Materials Products Incorporated 144A

    5.50       6-1-2024        8,000,000        5,845,000  

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

    5.25       12-15-2026        4,000,000        4,200,000  

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

    6.00       10-15-2023        6,000,000        6,189,000  

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Chemicals (continued)  

Valvoline Incorporated

    4.38 %       8-15-2025      $ 12,000,000      $ 12,210,000  

Valvoline Incorporated

    5.50       7-15-2024        500,000        520,000  
            53,037,285  
  

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 2.51%  

Ball Corporation

    4.00       11-15-2023        1,000,000        1,046,250  

Ball Corporation

    5.00       3-15-2022        2,500,000        2,638,150  

Berry Global Incorporated

    5.13       7-15-2023        6,500,000        6,670,625  

Sealed Air Corporation 144A

    5.25       4-1-2023        4,650,000        4,952,250  

Sealed Air Corporation 144A

    5.50       9-15-2025        2,500,000        2,693,750  
            18,001,025  
  

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 0.31%  

Commercial Metals Company

    4.88       5-15-2023        2,150,000        2,230,625  
  

 

 

 

Real Estate: 2.68%

 

Equity REITs: 2.68%  

Equinix Incorporated

    5.38       5-15-2027        5,000,000        5,390,625  

Equinix Incorporated

    5.75       1-1-2025        1,500,000        1,561,950  

Iron Mountain Incorporated 144A

    4.88       9-15-2027        12,000,000        12,272,160  
            19,224,735  
  

 

 

 

Total Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $350,404,877)

 

     352,976,637  
  

 

 

 
  
       Shares         
Exchange-Traded Funds: 0.03%  

iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF

 

     6,985        212,903  
  

 

 

 

Total Exchange-Traded Funds (Cost $227,598)

 

     212,903  
  

 

 

 
  
       Principal         
Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes: 2.80%

 

Financials: 2.80%

 

Banks: 2.80%  

ABN AMRO Bank NV

    4.75       12-31-2099      EUR  3,000,000        3,410,899  

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    6.75       12-29-2049      EUR  3,000,000        3,329,689  

Bankia SA

    6.38       12-31-2099      EUR  3,000,000        3,456,429  

Cooperatieve Rabobank UA

    6.63       12-29-2049      EUR  2,800,000        3,325,741  

Governor & Company of The Bank of Ireland

    7.38       12-29-2049      EUR  3,000,000        3,395,479  

Nykredit Realkredit AS

    6.25       12-29-2049      EUR  2,800,000        3,189,195  

Total Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $20,340,944)

 

     20,107,432  
  

 

 

 

Municipal Obligations: 4.29%

 

Colorado: 0.32%

 

Health Revenue: 0.32%  

Denver CO Health & Hospital Authority Series B

    4.65       12-1-2023      $ 1,205,000        1,275,938  

Denver CO Health & Hospital Authority Series B

    4.90       12-1-2024        250,000        265,833  

Denver CO Health & Hospital Authority Series B

    5.00       12-1-2025        275,000        292,047  

Denver CO Health & Hospital Authority Series B

    5.15       12-1-2026        445,000        473,378  
            2,307,196  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Florida: 0.36%

         
Education Revenue: 0.23%                          

Capital Trust Agency Renaissance Charter School Project Series B 144A

    5.63 %       6-15-2023      $ 590,000      $ 591,953  

Florida HEFAR Jacksonville University Project Series A2 144A

    5.43       6-1-2027        1,000,000        1,036,060  
            1,628,013  
         

 

 

 
Transportation Revenue: 0.13%                          

Florida Development Finance Corporation Virgin Trains USA Passenger Rail Project Series A 144A

    6.25       1-1-2049        1,000,000        931,830  
         

 

 

 
            2,559,843  
         

 

 

 

Guam: 0.09%

         
Airport Revenue: 0.09%                          

Guam Port Authority Series C

    3.78       7-1-2021        635,000        646,303  
         

 

 

 

Illinois: 0.82%

         
GO Revenue: 0.35%                          

Chicago IL Project Series C1

    7.78       1-1-2035        2,000,000        2,507,860  
         

 

 

 
Miscellaneous Revenue: 0.47%                          

Chicago IL Board of Education Taxable Build America Bonds Series E

    6.04       12-1-2029        1,255,000        1,360,897  

Chicago IL Certificate of Participation River Point Plaza Redevelopment Project Series A 144A

    4.84       4-15-2028        2,000,000        2,031,460  
            3,392,357  
         

 

 

 
            5,900,217  
         

 

 

 

Indiana: 0.07%

         
Health Revenue: 0.07%                          

Knox County IN Good Samaritian Hospital Project Industry Economic Development Series B

    5.90       4-1-2034        480,000        495,898  
         

 

 

 

Iowa: 0.17%

         
GO Revenue: 0.17%                          

Coralville IA Series C

    5.00       5-1-2030        1,200,000        1,187,784  
         

 

 

 

Michigan: 0.45%

         
Miscellaneous Revenue: 0.45%                          

Wayne County MI Recovery Zone Economic Development Build America Bonds

    10.00       12-1-2040        3,000,000        3,244,890  
         

 

 

 

New Jersey: 0.30%

         
Education Revenue: 0.14%                          

New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority Georgian Court University Series H

    4.25       7-1-2028        1,000,000        1,028,650  
         

 

 

 
Utilities Revenue: 0.16%                          

Newark NJ Redevelopment Area Public Service Electric & Gas Project 144A

    4.49       12-1-2047        1,000,000        1,124,570  
         

 

 

 
            2,153,220  
         

 

 

 

New York: 0.14%

         
Health Revenue: 0.05%                          

Jefferson County NY Civic Facility Development Corporation Refunding Bond Series B Samaritan Medical Center Obligated Group

    4.25       11-1-2028        330,000        340,725  
         

 

 

 

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Utilities Revenue: 0.09%                          

New York Energy R&D Authority Green Bond Series A

    4.81 %       4-1-2034      $ 600,000      $ 670,116  
         

 

 

 
            1,010,841  
         

 

 

 

Oklahoma: 0.27%

         
Health Revenue: 0.08%                          

Oklahoma Development Finance Authority

    5.45       8-15-2028        500,000        581,600  
         

 

 

 
Miscellaneous Revenue: 0.19%                          

Woodward County OK Educational Facilities Authority Mooreland Public Schools Project Series B

    4.63       9-15-2025        1,310,000        1,359,597  
         

 

 

 
            1,941,197  
         

 

 

 

Oregon: 0.08%

         
Health Revenue: 0.08%                          

Clackamas County OR Hospital Facility Authority Series C

    4.00       11-15-2022        550,000        550,473  
         

 

 

 

Pennsylvania: 0.28%

         
Housing Revenue: 0.28%                          

Philadelphia PA IDA MFHR University Square Apartments Low Income Housing Project 144A

    5.00       12-1-2020        2,000,000        2,003,560  
         

 

 

 

Tennessee: 0.29%

         
Tax Revenue: 0.29%                          

Bristol TN Industrial Development Board The Pinnacle Project Series A 144A

    5.13       12-1-2042        2,000,000        2,051,480  
         

 

 

 

Texas: 0.07%

         
Education Revenue: 0.07%                          

Clifton TX Higher Education Finance Corporation International Leadership Texas

    6.13       8-15-2023        500,000        509,570  
         

 

 

 

Virginia: 0.29%

         
Tax Revenue: 0.29%                          

Mosaic District VA CDA Series A-T

    7.25       3-1-2036        2,000,000        2,112,920  
         

 

 

 

Wisconsin: 0.29%

         
Education Revenue: 0.29%                          

PFA Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Project 144A

    5.13       6-1-2028        1,360,000        1,486,262  

Public Finance Authority WI Educational Facility Ikaho College 144A

    6.75       6-1-2031        500,000        568,230  
            2,054,492  
         

 

 

 

Total Municipal Obligations (Cost $29,730,624)

 

     30,729,884  
         

 

 

 
Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities: 1.94%  

AFN LLC Series 2019-1A Class A2 144A‡

    4.46       5-20-2049        1,000,000        1,042,332  

Aqua Finance Trust Series 2019-A Class A 144A

    3.14       7-16-2040        600,000        600,776  

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust Series 2015-GC27 Class B

    3.77       2-10-2048        2,524,616        2,637,537  

CLI Funding LLC Series 2018-1A Class A 144A

    4.03       4-18-2043        638,633        644,729  

CLI Funding LLC Series 2019-1A Class A 144A

    3.71       5-18-2044        963,573        982,270  

CLI Funding LLC Series 2019-1A Class B 144A

    4.64       5-18-2044        528,045        539,668  

Conn Funding II LP Series A Class A 144A

    3.40       10-16-2023        1,182,339        1,189,805  

Driven Brands Funding LLC Series 2019-2A Class A2 144A

    3.98       10-20-2049        800,000        803,765  

JPMorgan Mortgage Trust Series 2019-2 Class A3 144A±±

    4.00       8-25-2049        1,067,630        1,085,854  

Longtrain Leasing III LLC Series 2015-1A Class A2 144A

    4.06       1-15-2045        1,000,000        1,035,769  

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  23


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (continued)  

Sequoia Mortgage Trust Series 2018-6 Class A19 144A±±

    4.00 %       7-25-2048      $ 1,254,967      $ 1,279,913  

SoFi Consumer Loan Program Trust Series 2019-2 Class C 144A

    3.46       4-25-2028        2,000,000        2,046,548  

Total Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (Cost $13,622,652)

 

     13,888,966  
         

 

 

 
         
    Dividend
yield
           Shares         
Preferred Stocks: 0.19%  

Energy: 0.04%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 0.04%  

Petroleo Brasil SP ADR

    3.44          20,454        268,766  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 0.08%

 

Banks: 0.08%  

Banco Bradesco SA

    2.69          28,340        231,361  

Itaúsa Investimentos Itaú SA

    9.45          122,700        389,219  
            620,580  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 0.04%

 

Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 0.04%  

Samsung Electronics Company Limited

    2.83          8,851        292,283  
         

 

 

 

Utilities: 0.03%

 

Electric Utilities: 0.03%  

Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais SA

    4.21          58,600        202,105  
         

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $1,111,881)

 

     1,383,734  
         

 

 

 
         
    Interest
rate
           Principal         
Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes: 8.74%  

Financials: 7.18%

 

Banks: 4.57%  

Barclays plc

    7.75       12-31-2099      $ 3,660,000        3,808,852  

BNP Paribas SA

    7.63       12-29-2049        3,460,000        3,645,975  

Credit Agricole SA 144A

    7.88       12-29-2049        1,750,000        1,951,250  

Credit Agricole SA 144A

    8.13       12-29-2049        1,750,000        2,058,438  

Danske Bank AS

    7.00       12-31-2099        2,300,000        2,377,625  

DNB Bank ASA

    6.50       12-29-2049        3,690,000        3,860,663  

HSBC Holdings plc

    6.38       12-29-2049        3,690,000        3,911,400  

ING Groep NV

    6.75       12-31-2099        2,000,000        2,099,508  

Lloyds Banking Group plc

    7.50       4-30-2049        3,665,000        3,929,247  

Societe Generale SA 144A

    8.00       12-29-2049        3,535,000        3,981,294  

Standard Chartered plc 144A

    7.75       12-29-2049        1,000,000        1,080,620  
            32,704,872  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 0.52%  

Credit Suisse Group AG 144A

    7.50       12-29-2049        3,395,000        3,751,471  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 2.09%  

Tronox Finance plc 144A

    5.75       10-1-2025        12,000,000        11,349,000  

UBS Group Funding Switzerland AG

    7.00       12-29-2049        3,330,000        3,651,745  
            15,000,745  
         

 

 

 

 

 

24  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Industrials: 1.56%

 

Electrical Equipment: 1.56%  

Sensata Technologies BV 144A

    4.88 %       10-15-2023      $ 6,700,000      $ 7,060,125  

Sensata Technologies BV 144A

    5.63       11-1-2024        3,750,000        4,078,125  
            11,138,250  
         

 

 

 

Total Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $60,309,607)

 

     62,595,338  
         

 

 

 
  
    Yield            Shares         
Short-Term Investments: 3.01%  
Investment Companies: 2.77%  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          19,875,845        19,875,845  
         

 

 

 
       
                 Principal         
U.S. Treasury Securities: 0.24%  

U.S. Treasury Bill (z)#

    1.90       11-7-2019      $ 1,685,000        1,682,024  
         

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $21,557,479)

 

     21,557,869  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $675,417,548)     98.30        704,249,399  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    1.70          12,178,292  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 716,427,691  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

Non-income-earning security

¤

The security is issued in zero coupon form with no periodic interest payments.

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs.

±±

The coupon of the security is adjusted based on the principal and interest payments received from the underlying pool of mortgages as well as the credit quality and the actual prepayment speed of the underlying mortgages.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

(z)

Zero coupon security. The rate represents the current yield to maturity.

#

All or a portion of this security is segregated as collateral for investments in derivative instruments.

Abbreviations:

 

ADR

American depositary receipt

 

CDA

Community Development Authority

 

EUR

Euro

 

GDR

Global depositary receipt

 

GO

General obligation

 

HEFAR

Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue

 

IDA

Industrial Development Authority

 

MFHR

Multifamily housing revenue

 

R&D

Research & development

 

REIT

Real estate investment trust

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  25


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
contracts
     Expiration
date
     Notional
cost
     Notional
value
     Unrealized
gains
     Unrealized
losses
 

Long

                 

10-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     486        12-19-2019      $ 63,828,149      $ 63,331,875      $ 0      $ (496,274

Short

                 

Euro FX Futures

     (255      12-16-2019        (35,410,505      (34,942,969      467,536        0  

S&P 500 E-Mini Index

     (72      12-20-2019        (10,850,029      (10,722,600      127,429        0  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 
               $ 594,965      $ (496,274
              

 

 

    

 

 

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
26,652,324 USD      23,900,000 EUR      Citibank      12-31-2019      $ 412,984        $ 0  

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 

Short-Term Investments

                 

Investment Companies

                 

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    71,872,762       190,365,099       242,362,016       19,875,845     $ 0     $ 0     $ 568,972     $ 19,875,845       2.77

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

26  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


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Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities, at value (cost $655,541,703)

  $ 684,373,554  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $19,875,845)

    19,875,845  

Cash

    677,418  

Foreign currency, at value (cost $2,603,808)

    2,601,877  

Receivable for investments sold

    250,871  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    2,938,916  

Receivable for dividends and interest

    7,479,833  

Receivable for daily variation margin on open futures contracts

    31,832  

Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts

    412,984  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    219,884  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    718,863,014  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable for investments purchased

    207,637  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    1,015,453  

Cash collateral due to broker for forward foreign currency contracts

    740,000  

Management fee payable

    199,595  

Distribution fee payable

    86,198  

Administration fees payable

    101,574  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,221  

Shareholder servicing fees payable

    82,645  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    2,435,323  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 716,427,691  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 711,215,365  

Total distributable earnings

    5,212,326  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 716,427,691  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 251,673,334  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    41,552,510  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $6.06  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $6.43  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 140,721,704  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    23,179,224  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $6.07  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 23,928  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    4,052  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $5.91  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 11,916,181  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    2,016,536  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $5.91  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 312,092,544  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    52,815,280  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $5.91  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  27


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Interest

  $ 25,429,590  

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $296,147)

    5,920,108  

Income from affiliated securities

    568,972  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    31,918,670  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    3,772,623  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    492,570  

Class C

    303,359  

Class R6

    7  

Administrator Class

    21,231  

Institutional Class

    389,241  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    586,393  

Class C

    361,142  

Administrator Class

    40,598  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    1,083,277  

Custody and accounting fees

    36,599  

Professional fees

    65,266  

Registration fees

    102,033  

Shareholder report expenses

    104,733  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    22,510  

Other fees and expenses

    18,630  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    7,400,212  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (1,341,342

Class A

    (24,385

Class C

    (14,955

Administrator Class

    (1,487

Institutional Class

    (30,678
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    5,987,365  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    25,931,305  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    (22,870,873

Futures contracts

    (1,776,753

Forward foreign currency contracts

    1,319,216  
 

 

 

 

Net realized losses on investments

    (23,328,410
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    22,424,383  

Futures contracts

    73,677  

Forward foreign currency contracts

    412,984  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    22,911,044  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (417,366
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 25,513,939  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

28  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 25,931,305       $ 25,677,784  

Net realized gains (losses) on investments

      (23,328,410       31,343,912  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      22,911,044         (33,794,120
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      25,513,939         23,227,576  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

       

Class A

      (19,291,628       (10,518,893

Class C

      (11,757,683       (6,577,828

Class R6

      (2,192       (138 )1 

Administrator Class

      (2,015,528       (1,793,521

Institutional Class

      (26,837,985       (16,782,186
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (59,905,016       (35,672,566
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    15,741,839       94,086,277       11,145,149       70,956,206  

Class C

    6,522,568       38,947,259       6,785,413       43,270,788  

Class R6

    0       0       4,052 1      25,000 1 

Administrator Class

    729,093       4,244,341       1,384,053       8,606,856  

Institutional Class

    22,831,336       132,583,652       22,967,858       142,978,608  
 

 

 

 
      269,861,529         265,837,458  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    3,135,334       18,209,570       1,561,264       9,891,159  

Class C

    1,853,575       10,728,732       946,882       6,011,290  

Administrator Class

    322,489       1,815,085       263,760       1,637,316  

Institutional Class

    3,849,831       21,832,218       2,194,831       13,596,513  
 

 

 

 
      52,585,605         31,136,278  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (13,852,338     (82,279,885     (10,590,623     (67,150,218

Class C

    (11,490,423     (68,292,199     (7,154,705     (45,403,714

Administrator Class

    (4,353,482     (24,635,205     (3,003,395     (18,651,958

Institutional Class

    (28,099,288     (162,899,174     (21,127,558     (130,722,169
 

 

 

 
      (338,106,463       (261,928,059
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      (15,659,329       35,045,677  
 

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (50,050,406       22,600,687  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      766,478,097         743,877,410  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 716,427,691       $ 766,478,097  
 

 

 

 

 

 

1 

For the period from July 31, 2018 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2018

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  29


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $6.33       $6.42       $6.13       $5.71       $6.37  

Net investment income

    0.22       0.21       0.20       0.20       0.21  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.02       (0.01     0.35       0.64       (0.31
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.24       0.20       0.55       0.84       (0.10

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.23     (0.19     (0.22     (0.21     (0.21

Net realized gains

    (0.28     (0.10     (0.04     (0.21     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.51     (0.29     (0.26     (0.42     (0.56

Net asset value, end of period

    $6.06       $6.33       $6.42       $6.13       $5.71  

Total return1

    4.51     3.23     9.16     15.39     (1.92 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.05     1.04     1.05     1.08     1.11

Net expenses

    0.85     0.90     1.05     1.08     1.08

Net investment income

    3.75     3.34     3.29     3.55     3.38

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    43     50     29     38     63

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $251,673       $231,176       $220,977       $154,496       $127,242  

 

 

 

 

1 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

30  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $6.34       $6.44       $6.14       $5.72       $6.39  

Net investment income

    0.18       0.17       0.16       0.16 1      0.16 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.02       (0.02     0.35       0.63       (0.32
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.20       0.15       0.51       0.79       (0.16

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.19     (0.15     (0.17     (0.16     (0.16

Net realized gains

    (0.28     (0.10     (0.04     (0.21     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.47     (0.25     (0.21     (0.37     (0.51

Net asset value, end of period

    $6.07       $6.34       $6.44       $6.14       $5.72  

Total return2

    3.71     2.32     8.51     14.51     (2.81 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.80     1.79     1.80     1.83     1.86

Net expenses

    1.60     1.65     1.80     1.83     1.83

Net investment income

    2.99     2.59     2.54     2.80     2.62

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    43     50     29     38     63

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $140,722       $166,750       $165,513       $129,856       $110,457  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund  |  31


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R6   2019     20181  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $6.18       $6.17  

Net investment income

    0.24 2      0.02 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.03       0.02  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.27       0.04  

Distributions to shareholders from

   

Net investment income

    (0.26     (0.03

Net realized gains

    (0.28     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.54     (0.03

Net asset value, end of period

    $5.91       $6.18  

Total return3

    5.07     0.71

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

   

Gross expenses

    0.61     0.64

Net expenses

    0.42     0.41

Net investment income

    4.17     2.31

Supplemental data

   

Portfolio turnover rate

    43     50

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $24       $25  

 

 

 

1 

For the period from July 31, 2018 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2018

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

32  |  Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $6.19       $6.29       $6.00       $5.60       $6.25  

Net investment income

    0.22 1      0.21 1      0.21 1      0.21 1      0.21 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.02       (0.01     0.34       0.61       (0.30
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.24       0.20       0.55       0.82       (0.09

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.24     (0.20     (0.22     (0.21     (0.21

Net realized gains

    (0.28     (0.10     (0.04     (0.21     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.52     (0.30     (0.26     (0.42     (0.56

Net asset value, end of period

    $5.91       $6.19       $6.29       $6.00       $5.60  

Total return

    4.52     3.21     9.45     15.45     (1.69 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.97     0.96     0.97     1.00     0.97

Net expenses

    0.77     0.81     0.90     0.90     0.90

Net investment income

    3.77     3.40     3.51     3.72     3.56

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    43     50     29     38     63

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $11,916       $32,938       $41,975       $70,051       $31,367  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $6.19       $6.28       $6.00       $5.59       $6.25  

Net investment income

    0.24       0.23       0.24       0.23       0.24  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.01       (0.01     0.31       0.61       (0.32
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.25       0.22       0.55       0.84       (0.08

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.25     (0.21     (0.23     (0.22     (0.23

Net realized gains

    (0.28     (0.10     (0.04     (0.21     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.53     (0.31     (0.27     (0.43     (0.58

Net asset value, end of period

    $5.91       $6.19       $6.28       $6.00       $5.59  

Total return

    4.80     3.62     9.49     15.88     (1.65 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.72     0.71     0.72     0.75     0.71

Net expenses

    0.52     0.57     0.71     0.71     0.69

Net investment income

    4.07     3.67     3.60     3.92     3.76

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    43     50     29     38     63

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $312,093       $335,589       $315,413       $124,116       $77,558  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Equity securities and futures contracts that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

The values of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore may not fully reflect trading or events that occur after the close of the principal exchange in which the foreign securities are traded, but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. If such trading or events are expected to materially affect the value of such securities, then fair value pricing procedures approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund are applied. These procedures take into account multiple factors including movements in U.S. securities markets after foreign exchanges close. Foreign securities that are fair valued under these procedures are categorized as Level 2 and the application of these procedures may result in transfers between Level 1 and Level 2. Depending on market activity, such fair valuations may be frequent. Such fair value pricing may result in net asset values that are higher or lower than net asset values based on the last reported sales price or latest quoted bid price. On September 30, 2019, such fair value pricing was used in pricing certain foreign securities.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

Forward foreign currency contracts

A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. The Fund enters into forward foreign currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign-denominated securities and to attempt to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between currencies. Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate and marked-to-market daily. When the contracts are closed, realized gains and losses arising from such transactions are recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency contracts. The Fund is subject to foreign currency risk and may be exposed to risks if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. The Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gains on the contracts. This risk may be mitigated if there is a master netting arrangement between the Fund and the counterparty.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

When-issued transactions

The Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. The Fund records a when-issued transaction on the trade date and will segregate assets in an amount at least equal in value to the Fund’s commitment to purchase when-issued securities. Securities purchased on a when-issued basis are marked-to-market daily and the Fund begins earning interest on the settlement date. Losses may arise due to changes in the market value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Futures contracts

Futures contracts are agreements between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific amount of a commodity, financial instrument or currency at a specified price and on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts in order to gain exposure to, or protect against, changes in interest rates, security values, and foreign exchange rates and is subject to interest rate risk, equity price risk, and foreign currency risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are the imperfect correlation between changes in market values of securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts, and the possibility of an illiquid market. Futures contracts are generally entered into on a regulated futures exchange and cleared through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange. With futures contracts, there is minimal counterparty risk to the Fund since futures contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures contracts against default.

Upon entering into a futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit either cash or securities (initial margin) with the broker in an amount equal to a certain percentage of the contract value. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are paid to or from the broker each day equal to the daily changes in the contract value. Such payments are recorded as unrealized gains or losses and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (payable) in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Should the Fund fail to make requested variation margin payments, the broker can gain access to the initial margin to satisfy the Fund’s payment obligations. When the contracts are closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statement of Operations.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date, except for certain dividends from foreign securities, which are recorded as soon as the custodian verifies the ex-dividend date. Dividend income from foreign securities is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

Income dividends and capital gain distributions from investment companies are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Capital gain distributions from investment companies are treated as realized gains.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income monthly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $677,961,845 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 43,102,452  

Gross unrealized losses

     (16,303,223

Net unrealized gains

   $ 26,799,229  

Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under federal income tax regulations. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. At September 30, 2019, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, the following reclassification adjustments were made on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:

 

Paid-in capital    Total distributable earnings
$(14,932)    $14,932

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had capital loss carryforwards which consist of $8,937,939 in short-term capital losses and $15,236,081 in long-term capital losses.

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Asset-backed securities

   $ 0      $ 7,580,673      $ 0      $ 7,580,673  

Common stocks

           

Communication services

     5,933,679        0        0        5,933,679  

Consumer discretionary

     9,822,227        120,856        0        9,943,083  

Consumer staples

     7,519,763        139,962        0        7,659,725  

Energy

     32,254,177        0        0        32,254,177  

Financials

     28,575,506        23,233        0        28,598,739  

Health care

     17,172,655        0        0        17,172,655  

Industrials

     20,577,511        0        0        20,577,511  

Information technology

     36,586,838        3,622,099        0        40,208,937  

Materials

     7,881,731        0        0        7,881,731  

Real estate

     8,274,409        0        0        8,274,409  

Utilities

     14,711,317        0        0        14,711,317  

Corporate bonds and notes

     0        352,976,637        0        352,976,637  

Exchange-traded funds

     212,903        0        0        212,903  

Foreign corporate bonds and notes

     0        20,107,432        0        20,107,432  

Municipal obligations

     0        30,729,884        0        30,729,884  

Non-agency mortgage-backed securities

     0        12,846,634        1,042,332        13,888,966  

Preferred stocks

           

Energy

     268,766        0        0        268,766  

Financials

     620,580        0        0        620,580  

Information technology

     292,283        0        0        292,283  

Utilities

     202,105        0        0        202,105  

Yankee corporate bonds and notes

     0        62,595,338        0        62,595,338  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     19,875,845        0        0        19,875,845  

U.S. Treasury securities

     1,682,024        0        0        1,682,024  
     212,464,319        490,742,748        1,042,332        704,249,399  

Futures contracts

     594,965        0        0        594,965  

Forward foreign currency contracts

     0        412,984        0        412,984  

Total assets

   $ 213,059,284      $ 491,155,732      $ 1,042,332      $ 705,257,348  

Liabilities

           

Futures contracts

   $ 496,274      $ 0      $ 0      $ 496,274  

Total liabilities

   $ 496,274      $ 0      $ 0      $ 496,274  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

Futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts are reported at their cumulative unrealized gains (losses) at measurement date as reported in the tables following the Portfolio of Investments. For futures contracts, the current day’s variation margin is reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. All other assets and liabilities are reported at their market value at measurement date.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee

First $500 million

   0.550%

Next $500 million

   0.525

Next $2 billion

   0.500

Next $2 billion

   0.475

Next $5 billion

   0.440

Over $10 billion

   0.430

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.54% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.35% and declining to 0.20% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee

Class A, Class C

   0.21%

Class R6

   0.03

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

   0.13

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 0.85% for Class A shares, 1.60% for Class C shares, 0.42% for Class R6 shares, 0.77% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.52% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $50,056 from the sale of Class A shares and $1,474 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices. Pursuant to these procedures, the Fund had $4,185,000 and $0 in interfund purchases and sales, respectively, during the year ended September 30, 2019.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $287,507,028 and $282,230,174, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any securities on loan.

7. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund entered into futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts for economic hedging purposes.

The volume of the Fund’s futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts during the year ended September 30, 2019 was as follows:

 

Futures contracts

  

Average notional balance on long futures

   $ 11,913,070  

Average notional balance on short futures

     14,195,171  

Forward foreign currency contracts

  

Average contract amounts to buy

     3,789,341  

Average contract amounts to sell

     25,854,964  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

A summary of the location of derivative instruments on the financial statements by risk is outlined in the following tables.

The fair value of derivative instruments as of September 30, 2019 by risk type was as follows for the Fund:

 

    

Asset derivatives

    

Liability derivatives

 
     

Statement of Assets and

Liabilities location

   Fair value     

Statement of Assets and

Liabilities location

   Fair value  

Interest rate risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts    $ 0    Unrealized losses on futures contracts    $ 496,274

Equity risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts      127,429    Unrealized losses on futures contracts      0

Foreign currency risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts      467,536    Unrealized losses on futures contracts      0

Foreign currency risk

   Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts      412,984      Unrealized losses on forward foreign currency contracts      0  
          $ 1,007,949           $ 496,274  

 

*

Amount represents cumulative unrealized gains (losses) as reported in the tables following the Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day’s variation margin as of September 30, 2019 is reported separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

The effect of derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations for the year ended September 30, 2019 was as follows for the Fund:

 

       Amount of realized gains (losses) on derivatives  
        Futures
contracts
       Forward
foreign
currency
contracts
       Total  

Interest rate risk

     $ (544,548      $ 0        $ (544,548

Equity risk

       (1,777,244        0          (1,777,244

Foreign currency risk

       545,039          1,319,216          1,864,255  
       $ (1,776,753      $ 1,319,216        $ (457,537
       Change in unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives  
        Futures
contracts
       Forward
foreign
currency
contracts
       Total  

Interest rate risk

     $ (496,274      $ 0        $ (496,274

Equity risk

       102,415          0          102,415  

Foreign currency risk

       467,536          412,984          880,520  
       $ 73,677        $ 412,984        $ 486,661  

For certain types of derivative transactions, the Fund has entered into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. master agreements (“ISDA Master Agreements”) or similar agreements with approved counterparties. The ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements may have requirements to deliver/deposit securities or cash to/with an exchange or broker-dealer as collateral and allows the Fund to offset, with each counterparty, certain derivative financial instrument’s assets and/or liabilities with collateral held or pledged. Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral or margin requirements are set by the broker or exchange clearinghouse for exchange traded derivatives while collateral terms are contract specific for over-the-counter traded derivatives. Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Fund under ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements, if any, are reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Securities pledged as collateral, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. With respect to balance sheet offsetting, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are not offset

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

across transactions between the Fund and the applicable counterparty. A reconciliation of the gross amounts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities to the net amounts by counterparty, including any collateral exposure, is as follows:

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of assets in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
received
       Net amount
of assets
 

Citibank

     $412,984      $0      $ 0        $ 412,984  

8. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

9. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 33,578,334      $ 27,884,669  

Long-term capital gain

     26,326,682        7,787,897  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary
income
   Unrealized
gains
   Capital loss
carryforward
$2,608,219    $26,790,901    $(24,174,020)

10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

11. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 8.14% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $26,326,682 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $4,988,730 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $16,922,217 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $6,280,067 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee,
since 2015
  Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee,
since 2015;
Chair Liaison,
since 2018
  Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr. (Born 1952)   Trustee,
since 2009;
Audit Committee Chairman,
since 2019
  Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson (Born 1949)   Trustee,
since 2008;
Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018
  Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker (Born 1950)   Trustee,
since 2009
  James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell (Born 1953)   Trustee,
since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman,
since 2018
  International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny (Born 1951)   Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson (Born 1959)   Trustee,
since 2018
  Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Officers

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen (Born 1960)   President,
since 2017
  Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Treasurer,
since 2012
  Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)   Chief Legal Officer,
since 2019
  Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary,
since 2019
  Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer,
since 2016
  Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.
David Berardi (Born 1975)   Assistant Treasurer,
since 2009
  Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

 

 

 

1

Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Diversified Income Builder Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Class A) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for the three-, five- and ten-year periods under review, and lower than the average investment performance of the Universe for the one-year period under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Diversified Income Builder Blended Index, for all periods under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to the Universe and benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment decisions and market factors that affected the Fund’s investment performance. The Board also took note of the Fund’s outperformance relative to the Universe and benchmark over the longer time periods under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were lower than, equal to or in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406806 11-19

A226/AR226 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo

Index Asset Allocation Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Kandarp R. Acharya, CFA®, FRM

Petros N. Bocray, CFA®, FRM

Christian L. Chan, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios1 (%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (SFAAX)   11-13-1986     -0.52       6.42       9.71       5.54       7.69       10.36       1.08       1.08  
                   
Class C (WFALX)   4-1-1998     3.75       6.89       9.54       4.75       6.89       9.54       1.83       1.83  
                   
Administrator Class (WFAIX)   11-8-1999                       5.73       7.90       10.61       1.00       0.90  
                   
Institutional Class (WFATX)3   10-31-2016                       5.89       8.00       10.66       0.75       0.75  
                   
Index Asset Allocation Blended Index4                         7.23       8.71       10.79              
                   
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index5                         10.48       2.91       3.08              
                   
S&P 500 Index6                         4.25       10.84       13.24              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Administrator Class and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Balanced funds may invest in stocks and bonds. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. The use of derivatives may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20197

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for the Institutional Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Administrator Class shares, and is not adjusted to reflect the expenses of the Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had been included, returns for Institutional Class shares would be higher.

 

4 

Source: Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Index Asset Allocation Blended Index is composed 60% of the S&P 500 Index and 40% of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index. Prior to April 1, 2015, the Index Asset Allocation Blended Index was composed 60% of the S&P 500 Index and 40% of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index is an unmanaged index of prices of U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities of 1 to 30 years. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Index Asset Allocation Blended Index, Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index, and the S&P 500 Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

8 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the United States and Canada. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

9 

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

10 

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Index is an unmanaged index composed of securities in the U.S. Treasury Index with maturities of 20 years or greater. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

11 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

12 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

13 

The effective allocation includes the effect of any tactical futures overlay that may be in place. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Index Asset Allocation Blended Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

The Fund’s tactical asset allocation overlay, which is implemented with liquid futures contracts, detracted from performance during the 12-month period.

 

 

The Fund’s stock allocation performed in line with its respective benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, while the Fund’s bond allocation underperformed its respective benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index.

 

 

Relative to its benchmark, the Fund’s slightly lower duration detracted from performance.

Equity markets ended the 12-month period in positive territory despite mounting concerns about trade and a global slowdown. It was by no means a smooth ride, however, as risk assets sold off in the final three months of 2018 only to stage a sharp rebound in the first half of 2019. Volatility—which remained quite high during the fourth quarter of 2018—hovered below historical levels during the first nine months of the year.

Negative sentiment among investors gave way to renewed optimism as the Federal Reserve (the Fed) adopted a more dovish tone in the new year and then proceeded to lower rates for the first time in a decade. U.S. equity markets rallied, while U.S. bond yields fell to historical lows. For the period, the S&P 500 Index posted a return of 4.25%, while developed non-U.S. markets, as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index (Net)8, returned -1.34%. Meanwhile, emerging market stocks, as measured by the MSCI EM Index (Net)9, posted a return of -2.02%.

Longer-duration U.S. government bond prices rose sharply amid a precipitous decline in yields. For the 12-month period, the yield on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds fell by 1.10%, from 3.21% to 2.11%, while yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes fell by 1.39%, from 3.06% to 1.67%. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index, a broad measure of U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, gained 10.48% during the 12-month period, while the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Index10 returned 25.21%.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 201911  
   

Microsoft Corporation

     2.58  
   

Apple Incorporated

     2.31  
   

Amazon.com Incorporated

     1.75  
   

Facebook Incorporated Class A

     1.04  
   

Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated Class B

     0.99  
   

JPMorgan Chase & Company

     0.91  
   

Alphabet Incorporated Class C

     0.89  
   

Alphabet Incorporated Class A

     0.89  
   

Johnson & Johnson

     0.83  
   

The Procter & Gamble Company

     0.76  

 

Tactical asset allocation shifts detracted from performance during the 12-month period.

The Fund’s stock holdings seek to replicate the holdings of the S&P 500 Index. Its bond holdings seek to replicate the holdings of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Index. The Fund’s neutral target allocation is 60% stocks and 40% bonds. As of fiscal year-end, the Fund had an effective target allocation of 58% stocks, 53% bonds, and -11% effective cash.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 201912
LOGO
Allocations (%) as of September 30, 2019  
     Effective
allocation13
     Neutral
allocation
 
     

Bonds

     53        40  
     

Stocks

     58        60  
     

Effective Cash

     -11        0  
 

 

During the period, the portfolio management team implemented tactical shifts between stocks and bonds in order to adjust the Fund’s effective allocations based on the relative attractiveness of the two asset classes. The Fund began the period with a long position in S&P 500 futures, which we increased as markets sold off in the fourth quarter of 2018. We subsequently closed out the long position in early February after a sharp rebound in risk markets. As markets continued to climb higher during the spring of 2019, setting several record highs along the way, we established a short position in S&P 500 futures. In early June, we covered the short position after the Fed presented its modified dovish stance. In mid-August, amid growing concerns about trade and weaker global growth, we reestablished the short position.

On the fixed-income side, the Fund started the period with a short position in U.S. 10-year Treasury futures, which we covered in the first couple of days of October 2018 and then reestablished toward the end of 2018. We covered the entire position in March 2019. In early June, we initiated another short position in U.S. 10-year Treasury futures on our belief that the market had too aggressively priced in future rate cuts. We closed out the short position in early July. In mid-August and early September, we established a long position in U.S. 10-year Treasury futures amid growing concerns about trade and weaker global growth.

The Fund’s effective allocation is determined by a combination of inputs from multiple quantitative and qualitative factors. As of the close of the period, relative to its benchmark, the Fund maintained an underweight to stocks and an overweight to bonds. All of the changes to the effective asset allocation were implemented with liquid futures contracts.

The portfolio management team has adopted a more cautious stance

Slowing growth, trade disputes, negative yields, Brexit, oil-field bombings, and impeachment form a firm foundation for the wall of worry that markets are forced to climb each day. We are particularly focused on Brexit and U.S. trade disputes as they both have significant potential to either rock markets or push them higher if resolved benignly. The market needs some level of certainty for risk assets to climb over the wall of worry. We take some comfort in the Fed as it appears ready to cut rates further if it sees weakness.

We continue to look across all markets to discover investment opportunities. While attractive investment options are not overabundant now, we remain dedicated and vigilant in seeking these risk and return opportunities in the Fund. We stand ready to adjust exposures as needed.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,050.97      $ 5.57        1.08

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.64      $ 5.48        1.08
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,046.92      $ 9.42        1.83

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.87      $ 9.27        1.83
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,051.91      $ 4.64        0.90

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.54      $ 4.57        0.90
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,052.43      $ 3.87        0.75

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.30      $ 3.81        0.75

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Agency Securities: 0.00%                          

FNMA Series 2002-T1 Class A4

    9.50     11-25-2031      $ 34,946      $ 41,766  
         

 

 

 

Total Agency Securities (Cost $34,946)

            41,766  
         

 

 

 
         
                 Shares         
Common Stocks: 59.94%          

Communication Services: 6.21%

         
Diversified Telecommunication Services: 1.30%                          

AT&T Incorporated

         236,041        8,931,791  

CenturyLink Incorporated

         31,711        395,753  

Verizon Communications Incorporated

         133,606        8,064,458  
            17,392,002  
         

 

 

 
Entertainment: 1.08%                          

Activision Blizzard Incorporated

         24,777        1,311,199  

Electronic Arts Incorporated †

         9,519        931,149  

Netflix Incorporated †

         14,143        3,784,950  

Take-Two Interactive Software Incorporated †

         3,655        458,118  

The Walt Disney Company

         58,190        7,583,321  

Viacom Incorporated Class B

         11,434        274,759  
            14,343,496  
         

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services: 2.91%                          

Alphabet Incorporated Class A †

         9,676        11,815,751  

Alphabet Incorporated Class C †

         9,762        11,899,878  

Facebook Incorporated Class A †

         77,712        13,838,953  

TripAdvisor Incorporated †

         3,391        131,164  

Twitter Incorporated †

         24,971        1,028,805  
            38,714,551  
         

 

 

 
Media: 0.86%                          

CBS Corporation Class B

         10,571        426,751  

Charter Communications Incorporated Class A †

         5,222        2,152,091  

Comcast Corporation Class A

         146,513        6,604,806  

Discovery Communications Incorporated Class A †

         5,104        135,920  

Discovery Communications Incorporated Class C †

         11,208        275,941  

DISH Network Corporation Class A †

         7,771        264,758  

Fox Corporation Class A

         11,449        361,044  

Fox Corporation Class B

         5,244        165,396  

Interpublic Group of Companies Incorporated

         12,509        269,694  

News Corporation Class A

         12,458        173,415  

News Corporation Class B

         3,933        56,222  

Omnicom Group Incorporated

         7,026        550,136  
            11,436,174  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.06%                          

T-Mobile US Incorporated †

         10,213        804,478  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 6.06%

         
Auto Components: 0.07%                          

Aptiv plc

         8,275        723,401  

BorgWarner Incorporated

         6,670        244,656  
            968,057  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Automobiles: 0.22%                           

Ford Motor Company

          126,596      $ 1,159,619  

General Motors Company

          40,586        1,521,163  

Harley-Davidson Incorporated

          5,062        182,080  
             2,862,862  
          

 

 

 
Distributors: 0.06%                           

Genuine Parts Company

          4,718        469,866  

LKQ Corporation †

          9,956        313,116  
             782,982  
          

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services: 0.01%                           

H&R Block Incorporated

          6,483        153,128  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.15%                           

Carnival Corporation

          12,934        565,345  

Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated †

          823        691,707  

Darden Restaurants Incorporated

          3,967        468,979  

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Incorporated

          9,266        862,757  

Marriott International Incorporated Class A

          8,830        1,098,187  

McDonald’s Corporation

          24,532        5,267,266  

MGM Resorts International

          16,844        466,916  

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Limited †

          6,964        360,526  

Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited

          5,550        601,232  

Starbucks Corporation

          38,667        3,418,936  

Wynn Resorts Limited

          3,128        340,076  

Yum! Brands Incorporated

          9,830        1,115,017  
             15,256,944  
          

 

 

 
Household Durables: 0.24%                           

D.R. Horton Incorporated

          10,871        573,010  

Garmin Limited

          4,666        395,164  

Leggett & Platt Incorporated

          4,246        173,831  

Lennar Corporation Class A

          9,186        513,038  

Mohawk Industries Incorporated †

          1,934        239,951  

Newell Rubbermaid Incorporated

          12,310        230,443  

NVR Incorporated †

          110        408,909  

Pulte Group Incorporated

          8,326        304,315  

Whirlpool Corporation

          2,052        324,955  
             3,163,616  
          

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 2.07%                           

Amazon.com Incorporated †

          13,422        23,299,384  

Booking Holdings Incorporated †

          1,373        2,694,664  

eBay Incorporated

          25,469        992,782  

Expedia Group Incorporated

          4,517        607,130  
             27,593,960  
          

 

 

 
Leisure Products: 0.03%                           

Hasbro Incorporated

          3,791        449,954  
          

 

 

 
Multiline Retail: 0.34%                           

Dollar General Corporation

          8,303        1,319,679  

Dollar Tree Incorporated †

          7,643        872,525  

Kohl’s Corporation

          5,140        255,252  

Macy’s Incorporated

          9,979        155,074  

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Multiline Retail (continued)                           

Nordstrom Incorporated «

          3,452      $ 116,229  

Target Corporation

          16,505        1,764,550  
             4,483,309  
          

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 1.43%                           

Advance Auto Parts Incorporated

          2,305        381,247  

AutoZone Incorporated †

          792        859,019  

Best Buy Company Incorporated

          7,492        516,873  

CarMax Incorporated †

          5,348        470,624  

L Brands Incorporated

          7,499        146,905  

Lowe’s Companies Incorporated

          24,931        2,741,413  

O’Reilly Automotive Incorporated †

          2,471        984,718  

Ross Stores Incorporated

          11,781        1,294,143  

The Gap Incorporated

          6,919        120,114  

The Home Depot Incorporated

          35,376        8,207,940  

The TJX Companies Incorporated

          39,053        2,176,814  

Tiffany & Company

          3,511        325,224  

Tractor Supply Company

          3,852        348,375  

ULTA Beauty Incorporated †

          1,900        476,235  
             19,049,644  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 0.44%                           

Capri Holdings Limited †

          4,896        162,351  

HanesBrands Incorporated

          11,679        178,922  

Nike Incorporated Class B

          40,439        3,798,031  

PVH Corporation

          2,395        211,311  

Ralph Lauren Corporation

          1,674        159,817  

Tapestry Incorporated

          9,265        241,353  

Under Armour Incorporated Class A †

          6,077        121,175  

Under Armour Incorporated Class C †

          6,278        113,820  

VF Corporation

          10,547        938,578  
             5,925,358  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 4.55%

          
Beverages: 1.16%                           

Brown-Forman Corporation Class B

          5,879        369,084  

Constellation Brands Incorporated Class A

          5,402        1,119,727  

Molson Coors Brewing Company Class B

          6,067        348,853  

Monster Beverage Corporation †

          12,497        725,576  

PepsiCo Incorporated

          45,165        6,192,122  

The Coca-Cola Company

          124,316        6,767,763  
             15,523,125  
          

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing: 0.97%                           

Costco Wholesale Corporation

          14,207        4,093,179  

Sysco Corporation

          16,577        1,316,214  

The Kroger Company

          25,803        665,201  

Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated

          45,940        5,452,159  

Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated

          24,506        1,355,427  
             12,882,180  
          

 

 

 
Food Products: 0.72%                           

Archer Daniels Midland Company

          17,992        738,931  

Campbell Soup Company

          5,447        255,573  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Food Products (continued)                           

ConAgra Foods Incorporated

          15,719      $ 482,259  

General Mills Incorporated

          19,494        1,074,509  

Hormel Foods Corporation

          8,969        392,214  

Kellogg Company

          8,032        516,859  

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          4,705        342,148  

McCormick & Company Incorporated

          3,974        621,136  

Mondelez International Incorporated Class A

          46,586        2,577,138  

The Hershey Company

          4,811        745,657  

The J.M. Smucker Company

          3,683        405,204  

The Kraft Heinz Company

          20,099        561,466  

Tyson Foods Incorporated Class A

          9,518        819,881  
             9,532,975  
          

 

 

 
Household Products: 1.12%                           

Church & Dwight Company Incorporated

          7,981        600,490  

Colgate-Palmolive Company

          27,716        2,037,403  

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

          11,119        1,579,454  

The Clorox Company

          4,061        616,744  

The Procter & Gamble Company

          80,843        10,055,252  
             14,889,343  
          

 

 

 
Personal Products: 0.11%                           

Coty Incorporated Class A

          9,502        99,866  

The Estee Lauder Companies Incorporated Class A

          7,145        1,421,498  
             1,521,364  
          

 

 

 
Tobacco: 0.47%                           

Altria Group Incorporated

          60,345        2,468,111  

Philip Morris International Incorporated

          50,258        3,816,090  
             6,284,201  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 2.71%

          
Energy Equipment & Services: 0.24%                           

Baker Hughes Incorporated

          16,680        386,976  

Halliburton Company

          28,295        533,361  

Helmerich & Payne Incorporated

          3,534        141,607  

National Oilwell Varco Incorporated

          12,466        264,279  

Schlumberger Limited

          44,675        1,526,545  

TechnipFMC plc

          13,557        327,266  
             3,180,034  
          

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 2.47%                           

Apache Corporation

          12,145        310,912  

Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation

          13,515        237,459  

Chevron Corporation

          61,325        7,273,145  

Cimarex Energy Company

          3,277        157,099  

Concho Resources Incorporated

          6,495        441,011  

ConocoPhillips

          35,860        2,043,303  

Devon Energy Corporation

          13,057        314,151  

Diamondback Energy Incorporated

          5,266        473,466  

EOG Resources Incorporated

          18,747        1,391,402  

Exxon Mobil Corporation

          136,679        9,650,904  

Hess Corporation

          8,360        505,613  

HollyFrontier Corporation

          4,890        262,300  

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (continued)                           

Kinder Morgan Incorporated

          62,890      $ 1,296,163  

Marathon Oil Corporation

          25,973        318,689  

Marathon Petroleum Corporation

          21,266        1,291,910  

Noble Energy Incorporated

          15,449        346,985  

Occidental Petroleum Corporation

          28,894        1,284,916  

ONEOK Incorporated

          13,340        983,025  

Phillips 66

          14,489        1,483,674  

Pioneer Natural Resources Company

          5,399        679,032  

The Williams Companies Incorporated

          39,152        941,997  

Valero Energy Corporation

          13,387        1,141,108  
             32,828,264  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 7.76%

          
Banks: 3.27%                           

Bank of America Corporation

          270,620        7,893,985  

BB&T Corporation

          24,749        1,320,854  

Citigroup Incorporated

          72,975        5,041,113  

Citizens Financial Group Incorporated

          14,442        510,814  

Comerica Incorporated

          4,824        318,336  

Fifth Third Bancorp

          23,597        646,086  

First Republic Bank

          5,433        525,371  

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated

          33,525        478,402  

JPMorgan Chase & Company

          103,289        12,156,082  

KeyCorp

          32,408        578,159  

M&T Bank Corporation

          4,317        681,956  

People’s United Financial Incorporated

          12,881        201,394  

PNC Financial Services Group Incorporated

          14,383        2,015,921  

Regions Financial Corporation

          32,231        509,894  

SunTrust Banks Incorporated

          14,341        986,661  

SVB Financial Group †

          1,664        347,693  

US Bancorp

          46,323        2,563,515  

Wells Fargo & Company (l)

          129,521        6,533,039  

Zions Bancorporation

          5,716        254,476  
             43,563,751  
          

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 1.61%                           

Affiliated Managers Group Incorporated

          1,635        136,277  

Ameriprise Financial Incorporated

          4,227        621,792  

Bank of New York Mellon Corporation

          27,710        1,252,769  

BlackRock Incorporated

          3,794        1,690,758  

CBOE Holdings Incorporated

          3,607        414,480  

CME Group Incorporated

          11,568        2,444,781  

E*TRADE Financial Corporation

          7,746        338,423  

Franklin Resources Incorporated

          9,110        262,915  

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated

          18,103        1,670,364  

Invesco Limited

          12,444        210,801  

MarketAxess Holdings Incorporated

          1,219        399,223  

Moody’s Corporation

          5,255        1,076,382  

Morgan Stanley

          40,576        1,731,378  

MSCI Incorporated

          2,735        595,546  

Northern Trust Corporation

          6,941        647,734  

Raymond James Financial Incorporated

          3,991        329,098  

S&P Global Incorporated

          7,955        1,948,816  

State Street Corporation

          12,036        712,411  

T. Rowe Price Group Incorporated

          7,609        869,328  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Capital Markets (continued)                           

The Charles Schwab Corporation

          37,581      $ 1,572,013  

The Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated

          10,454        2,166,382  

The NASDAQ OMX Group Incorporated

          3,723        369,880  
             21,461,551  
          

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 0.42%                           

American Express Company

          21,977        2,599,440  

Capital One Financial Corporation

          15,193        1,382,259  

Discover Financial Services

          10,280        833,605  

Synchrony Financial

          19,717        672,153  
             5,487,457  
          

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 0.99%                           

Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated Class B †

          63,342        13,176,403  
          

 

 

 
Insurance: 1.47%                           

AFLAC Incorporated

          23,916        1,251,285  

American International Group Incorporated

          28,100        1,565,170  

Aon plc

          7,618        1,474,616  

Arthur J. Gallagher & Company

          6,010        538,316  

Assurant Incorporated

          1,974        248,369  

Chubb Limited

          14,722        2,376,720  

Cincinnati Financial Corporation

          4,906        572,383  

Everest Reinsurance Group Limited

          1,315        349,908  

Globe Life Incorporated

          3,242        310,454  

Lincoln National Corporation

          6,466        390,029  

Loews Corporation

          8,400        432,432  

Marsh & McLennan Companies Incorporated

          16,355        1,636,318  

MetLife Incorporated

          25,712        1,212,578  

Principal Financial Group Incorporated

          8,375        478,548  

Prudential Financial Incorporated

          12,986        1,168,091  

The Allstate Corporation

          10,634        1,155,703  

The Hartford Financial Services Group Incorporated

          11,680        707,925  

The Progressive Corporation

          18,886        1,458,944  

The Travelers Companies Incorporated

          8,410        1,250,483  

Unum Group

          6,739        200,283  

Willis Towers Watson plc

          4,166        803,913  
             19,582,468  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 8.18%

          
Biotechnology: 1.27%                           

AbbVie Incorporated

          47,760        3,616,387  

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †

          7,242        709,281  

Amgen Incorporated

          19,372        3,748,676  

Biogen Incorporated †

          5,958        1,387,142  

Celgene Corporation †

          22,894        2,273,374  

Gilead Sciences Incorporated

          40,911        2,592,939  

Incyte Corporation †

          5,766        428,010  

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †

          2,581        715,969  

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †

          8,302        1,406,525  
             16,878,303  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 2.16%                           

Abbott Laboratories

          57,092        4,776,888  

ABIOMED Incorporated †

          1,465        260,609  

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies (continued)                           

Align Technology Incorporated †

          2,347      $ 424,619  

Baxter International Incorporated

          16,493        1,442,643  

Becton Dickinson & Company

          8,720        2,205,811  

Boston Scientific Corporation †

          44,997        1,830,928  

Danaher Corporation

          20,624        2,978,724  

Dentsply Sirona Incorporated

          7,241        386,018  

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation †

          6,717        1,477,135  

Hologic Incorporated †

          8,634        435,931  

IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated †

          2,780        755,965  

Intuitive Surgical Incorporated †

          3,722        2,009,619  

Medtronic plc

          43,340        4,707,591  

ResMed Incorporated

          4,640        626,910  

Stryker Corporation

          10,365        2,241,950  

Teleflex Incorporated

          1,493        507,247  

The Cooper Companies Incorporated

          1,601        475,497  

Varian Medical Systems Incorporated †

          2,941        350,244  

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Incorporated

          6,632        910,375  
             28,804,704  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 1.49%                           

AmerisourceBergen Corporation

          4,912        404,405  

Anthem Incorporated

          8,263        1,983,946  

Cardinal Health Incorporated

          9,631        454,487  

Centene Corporation †

          13,361        577,997  

Cigna Corporation

          12,198        1,851,534  

CVS Health Corporation

          42,010        2,649,571  

DaVita HealthCare Partners Incorporated †

          3,127        178,458  

HCA Holdings Incorporated

          8,591        1,034,528  

Henry Schein Incorporated

          4,789        304,102  

Humana Incorporated

          4,363        1,115,488  

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings †

          3,155        530,040  

McKesson Corporation

          5,972        816,134  

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

          4,350        465,581  

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

          30,613        6,652,817  

Universal Health Services Incorporated Class B

          2,623        390,171  

WellCare Health Plans Incorporated †

          1,625        421,151  
             19,830,410  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Technology: 0.05%                           

Cerner Corporation

          10,285        701,128  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 0.62%                           

Agilent Technologies Incorporated

          9,997        766,070  

Illumina Incorporated †

          4,748        1,444,437  

IQVIA Holdings Incorporated †

          5,884        878,952  

Mettler-Toledo International Incorporated †

          794        559,294  

PerkinElmer Incorporated

          3,587        305,505  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated

          12,937        3,768,160  

Waters Corporation †

          2,156        481,284  
             8,203,702  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 2.59%                           

Allergan plc

          10,597        1,783,369  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

          52,840        2,679,516  

Eli Lilly & Company

          27,444        3,069,063  

Johnson & Johnson

          85,254        11,030,163  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Pharmaceuticals (continued)                           

Merck & Company Incorporated

          82,708      $ 6,962,359  

Mylan NV †

          16,664        329,614  

Nektar Therapeutics †

          5,661        103,115  

Perrigo Company plc

          4,394        245,581  

Pfizer Incorporated

          178,671        6,419,649  

Zoetis Incorporated

          15,427        1,922,050  
             34,544,479  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 5.60%

          
Aerospace & Defense: 1.63%                           

Arconic Incorporated

          12,513        325,338  

General Dynamics Corporation

          7,557        1,380,891  

Huntington Ingalls Industries Incorporated

          1,335        282,740  

L3Harris Technologies Incorporated

          7,212        1,504,712  

Lockheed Martin Corporation

          8,027        3,131,012  

Northrop Grumman Corporation

          5,082        1,904,683  

Raytheon Company

          8,995        1,764,729  

Textron Incorporated

          7,433        363,920  

The Boeing Company

          17,268        6,569,956  

TransDigm Group Incorporated

          1,603        834,634  

United Technologies Corporation

          26,202        3,577,097  
             21,639,712  
          

 

 

 
Air Freight & Logistics: 0.35%                           

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Incorporated

          4,372        370,658  

Expeditors International of Washington Incorporated

          5,514        409,635  

FedEx Corporation

          7,752        1,128,459  

United Parcel Service Incorporated Class B

          22,558        2,702,900  
             4,611,652  
          

 

 

 
Airlines: 0.24%                           

Alaska Air Group Incorporated

          3,981        258,407  

American Airlines Group Incorporated

          12,802        345,270  

Delta Air Lines Incorporated

          18,693        1,076,717  

Southwest Airlines Company

          15,627        844,014  

United Continental Holdings Incorporated †

          7,137        630,982  
             3,155,390  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 0.17%                           

A.O. Smith Corporation

          4,468        213,168  

Allegion plc

          3,016        312,608  

Fortune Brands Home & Security Incorporated

          4,518        247,135  

Johnson Controls International plc

          25,703        1,128,105  

Masco Corporation

          9,350        389,708  
             2,290,724  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.26%                           

Cintas Corporation

          2,681        718,776  

Copart Incorporated †

          6,512        523,109  

Republic Services Incorporated

          6,838        591,829  

Rollins Incorporated

          4,548        154,950  

Waste Management Incorporated

          12,608        1,449,920  
             3,438,584  
          

 

 

 

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Construction & Engineering: 0.04%                           

Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated

          4,376      $ 400,404  

Quanta Services Incorporated

          4,592        173,578  
             573,982  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 0.28%                           

AMETEK Incorporated

          7,376        677,264  

Eaton Corporation plc

          13,567        1,128,096  

Emerson Electric Company

          19,870        1,328,508  

Rockwell Automation Incorporated

          3,779        622,779  
             3,756,647  
          

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.80%                           

3M Company

          18,583        3,055,045  

General Electric Company

          281,914        2,520,311  

Honeywell International Incorporated

          23,242        3,932,546  

Roper Technologies Incorporated

          3,359        1,197,819  
             10,705,721  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 0.95%                           

Caterpillar Incorporated

          18,173        2,295,432  

Cummins Incorporated

          5,096        828,966  

Deere & Company

          10,172        1,715,813  

Dover Corporation

          4,697        467,633  

Flowserve Corporation

          4,237        197,910  

Fortive Corporation

          9,537        653,857  

IDEX Corporation

          2,450        401,506  

Illinois Tool Works Incorporated

          9,508        1,487,907  

Ingersoll-Rand plc

          7,803        961,408  

PACCAR Incorporated

          11,189        783,342  

Parker-Hannifin Corporation

          4,148        749,170  

Pentair plc

          5,428        205,178  

Snap-on Incorporated

          1,783        279,111  

Stanley Black & Decker Incorporated

          4,901        707,753  

Wabtec Corporation

          5,882        422,681  

Xylem Incorporated

          5,815        462,990  
             12,620,657  
          

 

 

 
Professional Services: 0.20%                           

Equifax Incorporated

          3,904        549,176  

IHS Markit Limited †

          12,957        866,564  

Nielsen Holdings plc

          11,489        244,141  

Robert Half International Incorporated

          3,797        211,341  

Verisk Analytics Incorporated

          5,281        835,137  
             2,706,359  
          

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 0.58%                           

CSX Corporation

          25,783        1,785,988  

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Incorporated

          2,759        305,283  

Kansas City Southern

          3,249        432,149  

Norfolk Southern Corporation

          8,508        1,528,547  

Union Pacific Corporation

          22,758        3,686,341  
             7,738,308  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Trading Companies & Distributors: 0.10%                           

Fastenal Company

          18,523      $ 605,146  

United Rentals Incorporated †

          2,492        310,603  

W.W. Grainger Incorporated

          1,427        424,033  
             1,339,782  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 13.15%

          
Communications Equipment: 0.65%                           

Arista Networks Incorporated †

          1,757        419,782  

Cisco Systems Incorporated

          137,137        6,775,939  

F5 Networks Incorporated †

          1,942        272,696  

Juniper Networks Incorporated

          11,171        276,482  

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

          5,347        911,182  
             8,656,081  
          

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 0.32%                           

Amphenol Corporation Class A

          9,608        927,172  

CDW Corporation of Delaware

          4,674        576,024  

Corning Incorporated

          25,224        719,388  

FLIR Systems Incorporated

          4,380        230,344  

IPG Photonics Corporation †

          1,151        156,076  

Keysight Technologies Incorporated †

          6,059        589,238  

TE Connectivity Limited

          10,852        1,011,189  
             4,209,431  
          

 

 

 
IT Services: 3.31%                           

Accenture plc Class A

          20,581        3,958,755  

Akamai Technologies Incorporated †

          5,329        486,964  

Alliance Data Systems Corporation

          1,323        169,516  

Automatic Data Processing Incorporated

          14,018        2,262,786  

Broadridge Financial Solutions Incorporated

          3,691        459,271  

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation Class A

          17,841        1,075,188  

DXC Technology Company

          8,461        249,600  

Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated

          19,816        2,630,772  

Fiserv Incorporated †

          18,439        1,910,096  

FleetCor Technologies Incorporated †

          2,796        801,837  

Gartner Incorporated †

          2,911        416,244  

Global Payments Incorporated

          9,692        1,541,028  

International Business Machines Corporation

          28,616        4,161,339  

Jack Henry & Associates Incorporated

          2,487        363,027  

Leidos Holdings Incorporated

          4,366        374,952  

MasterCard Incorporated Class A

          28,839        7,831,807  

Paychex Incorporated

          10,331        855,097  

PayPal Holdings Incorporated †

          38,011        3,937,559  

The Western Union Company

          13,693        317,267  

VeriSign Incorporated †

          3,364        634,551  

Visa Incorporated Class A

          55,786        9,595,750  
             44,033,406  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.35%                           

Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated †

          35,066        1,016,563  

Analog Devices Incorporated

          11,933        1,333,274  

Applied Materials Incorporated

          29,840        1,489,016  

Broadcom Incorporated

          12,859        3,549,984  

Intel Corporation

          143,104        7,374,149  

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (continued)                           

KLA-Tencor Corporation

          5,144      $ 820,211  

Lam Research Corporation

          4,668        1,078,821  

Maxim Integrated Products Incorporated

          8,762        507,407  

Microchip Technology Incorporated

          7,689        714,385  

Micron Technology Incorporated †

          35,656        1,527,860  

NVIDIA Corporation

          19,672        3,424,305  

Qorvo Incorporated †

          3,804        282,029  

QUALCOMM Incorporated

          39,270        2,995,516  

Skyworks Solutions Incorporated

          5,546        439,521  

Texas Instruments Incorporated

          30,158        3,897,620  

Xilinx Incorporated

          8,159        782,448  
             31,233,109  
          

 

 

 
Software: 3.98%                           

Adobe Systems Incorporated †

          15,681        4,331,876  

Ansys Incorporated †

          2,716        601,214  

Autodesk Incorporated †

          7,093        1,047,636  

Cadence Design Systems Incorporated †

          9,049        597,958  

Citrix Systems Incorporated

          3,974        383,570  

Fortinet Incorporated †

          4,584        351,868  

Intuit Incorporated

          8,400        2,233,896  

Microsoft Corporation

          246,649        34,291,601  

Oracle Corporation

          71,120        3,913,734  

Salesforce.com Incorporated †

          28,329        4,205,157  

Symantec Corporation

          18,367        434,012  

Synopsys Incorporated †

          4,854        666,212  
             53,058,734  
          

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 2.54%                           

Apple Incorporated

          137,225        30,734,283  

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

          42,175        639,795  

HP Incorporated

          47,870        905,700  

NetApp Incorporated

          7,685        403,539  

Seagate Technology plc

          7,647        411,332  

Western Digital Corporation

          9,562        570,278  

Xerox Holdings Corporation

          6,147        183,857  
             33,848,784  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 1.64%

          
Chemicals: 1.18%                           

Air Products & Chemicals Incorporated

          7,117        1,578,978  

Albemarle Corporation «

          3,423        237,967  

Celanese Corporation Series A

          3,997        488,793  

CF Industries Holdings Incorporated

          7,052        346,958  

Corteva Incorporated

          24,191        677,348  

Dow Incorporated

          24,008        1,143,981  

Dupont de Nemours Incorporated

          24,081        1,717,216  

Eastman Chemical Company

          4,425        326,698  

Ecolab Incorporated

          8,086        1,601,351  

FMC Corporation

          4,213        369,396  

International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated «

          3,449        423,158  

Linde plc

          17,463        3,382,932  

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A

          8,338        746,001  

PPG Industries Incorporated

          7,632        904,468  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Chemicals (continued)                           

The Mosaic Company

          11,468      $ 235,094  

The Sherwin-Williams Company

          2,652        1,458,255  
             15,638,594  
          

 

 

 
Construction Materials: 0.09%                           

Martin Marietta Materials Incorporated

          2,016        552,586  

Vulcan Materials Company

          4,273        646,249  
             1,198,835  
          

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 0.22%                           

Amcor plc

          52,477        511,651  

Avery Dennison Corporation

          2,719        308,797  

Ball Corporation

          10,725        780,887  

International Paper Company

          12,690        530,696  

Packaging Corporation of America

          3,057        324,348  

Sealed Air Corporation

          4,991        207,176  

WestRock Company

          8,312        302,972  
             2,966,527  
          

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 0.15%                           

Freeport-McMoRan Incorporated

          46,868        448,527  

Newmont Goldcorp Corporation

          26,485        1,004,311  

Nucor Corporation

          9,793        498,562  
             1,951,400  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 1.93%

          
Equity REITs: 1.89%                           

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Incorporated

          3,663        564,249  

American Tower Corporation

          14,300        3,162,159  

Apartment Investment & Management Company Class A

          4,809        250,741  

AvalonBay Communities Incorporated

          4,511        971,354  

Boston Properties Incorporated

          4,643        602,011  

Crown Castle International Corporation

          13,430        1,866,904  

Digital Realty Trust Incorporated

          6,729        873,491  

Duke Realty Corporation

          11,676        396,634  

Equinix Incorporated

          2,739        1,579,855  

Equity Residential

          11,261        971,374  

Essex Property Trust Incorporated

          2,123        693,478  

Extra Space Storage Incorporated

          4,151        484,920  

Federal Realty Investment Trust

          2,251        306,451  

HCP Incorporated

          15,864        565,234  

Host Hotels & Resorts Incorporated

          23,578        407,664  

Iron Mountain Incorporated

          9,274        300,385  

Kimco Realty Corporation

          13,635        284,699  

Mid-America Apartment Communities Incorporated

          3,683        478,827  

Prologis Incorporated

          20,387        1,737,380  

Public Storage Incorporated

          4,850        1,189,560  

Realty Income Corporation

          10,280        788,270  

Regency Centers Corporation

          5,412        376,080  

SBA Communications Corporation

          3,653        880,921  

Simon Property Group Incorporated

          9,950        1,548,718  

SL Green Realty Corporation

          2,662        217,619  

The Macerich Company «

          3,559        112,429  

UDR Incorporated

          9,459        458,572  

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Equity REITs (continued)                           

Ventas Incorporated

          12,036      $ 878,989  

Vornado Realty Trust

          5,115        325,672  

Welltower Incorporated

          13,091        1,186,699  

Weyerhaeuser Company

          24,063        666,545  
             25,127,884  
          

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development: 0.04%                           

CBRE Group Incorporated Class A †

          10,865        575,954  
          

 

 

 

Utilities: 2.15%

          
Electric Utilities: 1.31%                           

Alliant Energy Corporation

          7,672        413,751  

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

          15,951        1,494,449  

Duke Energy Corporation

          23,536        2,256,161  

Edison International

          11,568        872,459  

Entergy Corporation

          6,422        753,686  

Evergy Incorporated

          7,606        506,255  

Eversource Energy

          10,454        893,503  

Exelon Corporation

          31,385        1,516,209  

FirstEnergy Corporation

          17,443        841,276  

NextEra Energy Incorporated

          15,788        3,678,446  

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation

          3,627        352,073  

PPL Corporation

          23,331        734,693  

The Southern Company

          33,764        2,085,602  

Xcel Energy Incorporated

          16,939        1,099,172  
             17,497,735  
          

 

 

 
Gas Utilities: 0.03%                           

Atmos Energy Corporation

          3,818        434,832  
          

 

 

 
Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers: 0.05%                           

AES Corporation

          21,444        350,395  

NRG Energy Incorporated

          8,172        323,611  
             674,006  
          

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities: 0.70%                           

Ameren Corporation

          7,939        635,517  

CenterPoint Energy Incorporated

          16,223        489,610  

CMS Energy Corporation

          9,166        586,166  

Consolidated Edison Incorporated

          10,729        1,013,569  

Dominion Energy Incorporated

          26,550        2,151,612  

DTE Energy Company

          5,921        787,256  

NiSource Incorporated

          12,060        360,835  

Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated

          16,334        1,014,015  

Sempra Energy

          8,868        1,309,005  

WEC Energy Group Incorporated

          10,190        969,069  
             9,316,654  
          

 

 

 
Water Utilities: 0.06%                           

American Water Works Company Incorporated

          5,835        724,882  
          

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $341,783,865)

             797,980,723  
          

 

 

 
          

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  23


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities: 0.00%                          

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust Incorporated Series 2004-HYB4 Class AA (1 Month LIBOR +0.33 %) ±

    2.35     12-25-2034      $ 7,150      $ 6,973  
         

 

 

 

Total Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (Cost $7,150)

            6,973  
         

 

 

 
U.S. Treasury Securities: 38.67%                          

U.S. Treasury Bond

    1.63       8-15-2029        2,854,000        2,841,625  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.13       9-30-2024        1,844,000        1,892,837  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.13       11-30-2024        1,852,000        1,902,279  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.25       8-15-2046        2,681,000        2,751,376  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.25       8-15-2049        1,955,000        2,012,657  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.50       2-15-2045        2,860,000        3,079,863  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.50       2-15-2046        2,659,000        2,864,969  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.50       5-15-2046        2,643,000        2,848,658  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.75       8-15-2042        1,340,000        1,505,773  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.75       11-15-2042        1,781,000        1,999,938  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.75       8-15-2047        2,582,000        2,924,720  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.75       11-15-2047        2,602,000        2,949,509  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       5-15-2028        4,464,000        4,900,286  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       5-15-2043        2,534,000        2,907,270  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       8-15-2045        2,862,000        3,300,467  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       11-15-2046        2,645,000        3,062,827  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       5-15-2049        2,856,000        3,333,711  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       5-15-2042        904,000        1,057,821  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       11-15-2044        2,772,000        3,258,291  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       5-15-2045        2,864,000        3,374,486  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       11-15-2045        2,835,000        3,346,407  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       2-15-2047        2,651,000        3,144,956  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       5-15-2047        2,626,000        3,114,067  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       2-15-2048        2,812,000        3,341,447  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       8-15-2048        2,099,000        2,498,138  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.00       2-15-2049        3,006,000        3,587,003  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.13       11-15-2041        846,000        1,008,921  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.13       2-15-2042        1,066,000        1,271,788  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.13       2-15-2043        1,783,000        2,127,969  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.13       8-15-2044        2,827,000        3,389,750  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.13       5-15-2048        2,895,000        3,521,609  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.38       5-15-2044        2,936,000        3,659,793  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.38       11-15-2048        3,002,000        3,828,019  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.50       2-15-2039        731,000        916,291  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.63       8-15-2043        2,200,000        2,839,375  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.63       2-15-2044        2,898,000        3,749,061  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.75       8-15-2041        929,000        1,211,510  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.75       11-15-2043        2,870,000        3,777,750  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    3.88       8-15-2040        946,000        1,251,418  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.25       5-15-2039        681,000        938,583  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.25       11-15-2040        977,000        1,356,809  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.38       2-15-2038        381,000        528,697  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.38       11-15-2039        757,000        1,062,609  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.38       5-15-2040        1,078,000        1,517,201  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.38       5-15-2041        842,000        1,190,970  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.50       2-15-2036        837,000        1,154,275  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.50       5-15-2038        428,000        603,647  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.50       8-15-2039        721,000        1,026,101  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.63       2-15-2040        1,276,000        1,848,156  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.75       2-15-2037        264,000        378,541  

 

 

24  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
U.S. Treasury Securities (continued)                          

U.S. Treasury Bond

    4.75 %       2-15-2041      $ 1,084,000      $ 1,603,643  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    5.00       5-15-2037        375,000        553,389  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    5.25       11-15-2028        479,000        624,066  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    5.25       2-15-2029        349,000        457,326  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    5.38       2-15-2031        752,000        1,036,908  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    5.50       8-15-2028        369,000        485,898  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    6.13       11-15-2027        525,000        703,808  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    6.13       8-15-2029        293,000        411,242  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    6.25       5-15-2030        478,000        689,608  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    6.38       8-15-2027        224,000        302,330  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    6.88       8-15-2025        224,000        290,080  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       6-30-2026        1,825,000        1,855,084  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       3-15-2022        2,243,000        2,285,845  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       4-30-2026        1,812,000        1,897,433  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       12-15-2021        2,277,000        2,327,076  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       12-31-2025        1,914,000        2,028,765  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       9-30-2023        2,444,000        2,567,059  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       11-30-2025        1,880,000        2,018,944  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.13       2-28-2021        3,264,000        3,235,185  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.13       6-30-2021        3,343,000        3,309,831  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.13       7-31-2021        2,232,000        2,209,767  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.13       8-31-2021        2,233,000        2,210,321  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.13       9-30-2021        2,188,000        2,165,351  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.25       3-31-2021        3,250,000        3,226,641  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.25       10-31-2021        2,188,000        2,170,137  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.25       7-31-2023        1,829,000        1,807,066  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.25       8-31-2024        1,400,000        1,380,586  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       9-15-2020        1,598,000        1,592,070  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       9-30-2020        3,356,000        3,341,449  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       10-31-2020        3,178,000        3,163,227  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       1-31-2021        3,192,000        3,175,292  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       4-30-2021        3,245,000        3,227,254  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       5-31-2021        3,248,000        3,229,730  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       6-30-2023        1,733,000        1,720,409  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       8-31-2023        1,817,000        1,803,940  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       9-30-2023        1,778,000        1,765,082  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.38       8-31-2026        1,787,000        1,758,310  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.50       1-31-2022        1,625,000        1,620,620  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.50       2-28-2023        1,635,000        1,630,849  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.50       3-31-2023        1,679,000        1,675,262  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.50       8-15-2026        4,143,000        4,109,985  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       10-15-2020        1,591,000        1,587,893  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       11-30-2020        2,166,000        2,161,431  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       8-15-2022        1,250,000        1,251,709  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       8-31-2022        2,373,000        2,375,132  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       11-15-2022        2,108,000        2,111,129  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       4-30-2023        1,711,000        1,713,473  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       5-31-2023        1,714,000        1,717,482  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       10-31-2023        1,824,000        1,828,204  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       2-15-2026        4,269,000        4,270,834  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.63       5-15-2026        4,111,000        4,113,088  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       10-31-2020        1,585,000        1,583,947  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       11-15-2020        1,588,000        1,586,883  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       12-31-2020        3,353,000        3,350,904  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       11-30-2021        2,003,000        2,007,460  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  25


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
U.S. Treasury Securities (continued)                          

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75 %       2-28-2022      $ 1,637,000      $ 1,642,180  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       3-31-2022        1,640,000        1,646,214  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       4-30-2022        1,612,000        1,618,234  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       5-15-2022        1,448,000        1,453,939  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       5-31-2022        2,343,000        2,351,969  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       6-30-2022        2,347,000        2,357,635  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       9-30-2022        1,771,000        1,779,993  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       1-31-2023        1,684,000        1,693,012  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.75       5-15-2023        3,117,000        3,135,385  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       12-15-2020        1,619,000        1,620,455  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       11-30-2021        1,649,000        1,657,631  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       1-31-2022        2,358,000        2,370,987  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       2-28-2022        2,348,000        2,361,758  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       3-31-2022        2,371,000        2,387,208  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       4-30-2022        2,376,000        2,392,057  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       5-31-2022        1,795,000        1,808,252  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       7-31-2022        2,337,000        2,354,710  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       8-31-2022        1,754,000        1,768,799  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       9-30-2022        2,248,000        2,268,021  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       10-31-2022        1,650,000        1,664,631  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       8-31-2024        1,968,000        1,997,213  

U.S. Treasury Note

    1.88       7-31-2026        1,828,000        1,858,133  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       9-30-2020        2,093,000        2,096,761  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       11-30-2020        2,266,000        2,270,868  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       1-15-2021        1,617,000        1,621,358  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       2-28-2021        2,421,000        2,429,417  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       5-31-2021        1,559,000        1,566,186  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       8-31-2021        1,641,000        1,651,128  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       10-31-2021        1,649,000        1,660,530  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       11-15-2021        2,485,000        2,503,735  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       12-31-2021        2,300,000        2,318,688  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       2-15-2022        1,679,000        1,694,413  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       7-31-2022        1,778,000        1,798,697  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       10-31-2022        2,238,000        2,265,713  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       11-30-2022        4,261,000        4,315,095  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       2-15-2023        3,077,000        3,119,309  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       4-30-2024        1,930,000        1,967,017  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       5-31-2024        1,934,000        1,972,907  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       6-30-2024        1,939,000        1,976,871  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       2-15-2025        4,486,000        4,580,977  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       8-15-2025        4,495,000        4,595,084  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.00       11-15-2026        4,255,000        4,363,536  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       1-31-2021        1,409,000        1,415,385  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       6-30-2021        1,516,000        1,527,192  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       8-15-2021        2,440,000        2,459,634  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       9-30-2021        1,633,000        1,647,990  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       12-31-2021        1,626,000        1,643,721  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       6-30-2022        1,615,000        1,638,468  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       12-31-2022        4,298,000        4,371,872  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       11-30-2023        1,638,000        1,674,087  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       2-29-2024        1,960,000        2,006,703  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       3-31-2024        1,961,000        2,008,646  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       7-31-2024        1,927,000        1,976,680  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       5-15-2025        4,466,000        4,592,827  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.13       5-31-2026        1,793,000        1,850,082  

 

 

26  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
U.S. Treasury Securities (continued)                          

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25 %       2-15-2021      $ 1,767,000      $ 1,778,458  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       3-31-2021        1,440,000        1,450,575  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       4-30-2021        1,514,000        1,526,124  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       7-31-2021        2,618,000        2,644,282  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       12-31-2023        1,886,000        1,938,454  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       1-31-2024        1,914,000        1,968,429  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       10-31-2024        1,882,000        1,943,974  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       11-15-2024        4,492,000        4,640,096  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       12-31-2024        1,911,000        1,975,571  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       11-15-2025        4,512,000        4,679,438  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       3-31-2026        1,872,000        1,945,198  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       2-15-2027        4,295,000        4,481,061  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       8-15-2027        4,252,000        4,445,333  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.25       11-15-2027        4,284,000        4,481,633  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       12-31-2020        1,317,000        1,326,363  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       1-31-2023        2,325,000        2,384,124  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       2-29-2024        2,440,000        2,524,733  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       8-15-2024        4,465,000        4,632,438  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       5-15-2027        4,355,000        4,588,911  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       5-15-2029        4,253,000        4,517,650  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       1-15-2022        2,241,000        2,284,419  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       2-15-2022        2,245,000        2,290,514  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       3-31-2023        2,278,000        2,349,899  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       8-15-2023        2,662,000        2,754,754  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       1-31-2024        2,422,000        2,515,947  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       5-15-2024        4,360,000        4,540,191  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       1-31-2025        1,936,000        2,027,053  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.50       2-28-2026        1,888,000        1,989,406  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       11-15-2020        5,315,000        5,362,337  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       6-15-2021        1,885,000        1,913,790  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       2-28-2023        2,359,000        2,440,644  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       6-30-2023        2,304,000        2,392,020  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       12-31-2023        2,404,000        2,507,954  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       3-31-2025        1,884,000        1,986,148  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       1-31-2026        1,869,000        1,982,308  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.63       2-15-2029        4,451,000        4,818,555  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       4-30-2023        2,279,000        2,371,584  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       5-31-2023        2,334,000        2,431,098  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       7-31-2023        2,347,000        2,449,131  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       8-31-2023        2,402,000        2,509,339  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       11-15-2023        3,936,000        4,120,193  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       2-15-2024        3,410,000        3,579,701  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       2-28-2025        1,955,000        2,072,911  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       6-30-2025        1,959,000        2,082,203  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       8-31-2025        2,020,000        2,150,038  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.75       2-15-2028        3,068,000        3,331,417  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       10-31-2023        2,318,000        2,437,160  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       11-30-2023        2,370,000        2,494,240  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       4-30-2025        1,884,000        2,012,642  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       5-31-2025        1,939,000        2,072,761  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       7-31-2025        1,949,000        2,086,800  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.88       8-15-2028        3,133,000        3,445,443  

U.S. Treasury Note

    3.00       9-30-2025        1,994,000        2,152,196  

U.S. Treasury Note

    3.00       10-31-2025        1,814,000        1,959,758  

U.S. Treasury Note

    3.13       5-15-2021        1,657,000        1,693,506  

U.S. Treasury Note

    3.13       11-15-2028        4,425,000        4,969,137  

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  27


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
U.S. Treasury Securities (continued)                          

U.S. Treasury Note

    3.63 %       2-15-2021      $ 2,765,000      $ 2,834,773  

U.S. Treasury Note

    6.00       2-15-2026        445,000        563,116  

U.S. Treasury Note

    6.25       8-15-2023        378,000        444,283  

U.S. Treasury Note

    6.50       11-15-2026        296,000        393,033  

U.S. Treasury Note

    6.63       2-15-2027        215,000        289,435  

U.S. Treasury Note

    6.75       8-15-2026        221,000        294,767  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.13       2-15-2023        260,000        307,206  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.25       8-15-2022        261,000        302,250  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.50       11-15-2024        240,000        309,928  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.63       11-15-2022        140,000        165,665  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.63       2-15-2025        216,000        283,002  

U.S. Treasury Note

    7.88       2-15-2021        180,000        194,822  

U.S. Treasury Note

    8.00       11-15-2021        511,000        578,069  

U.S. Treasury Note

    8.13       5-15-2021        181,000        199,425  

U.S. Treasury Note

    8.13       8-15-2021        175,000        195,624  

Total U.S. Treasury Securities (Cost $487,865,001)

            514,862,094  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield            Shares         

Short-Term Investments: 1.28%

         
Investment Companies: 0.99%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11          819,291        819,373  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          12,325,531        12,325,531  
            13,144,904  
         

 

 

 
         
                 Principal         
U.S. Treasury Securities: 0.29%                          

U.S. Treasury Bill (z)#

    1.87       11-7-2019      $ 3,937,000        3,930,047  
         

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $17,074,153)

            17,074,951  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $846,765,115)     99.89        1,329,966,507  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    0.11          1,480,612  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 1,331,447,119  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

±

Variable rate investment. The rate shown is the rate in effect at period end.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

(z)

Zero coupon security. The rate represents the current yield to maturity.

#

All or a portion of this security is segregated as collateral for investments in derivative instruments.

Abbreviations:

FNMA

Federal National Mortgage Association

LIBOR

London Interbank Offered Rate

REIT

Real estate investment trust

 

 

28  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
contracts
     Expiration
date
     Notional
cost
     Notional
value
     Unrealized
gains
     Unrealized
losses
 

Long

                 

10-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     1,370        12-19-2019      $ 179,927,786      $ 178,528,125      $ 0      $ (1,399,661

5-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     103        12-31-2019        12,264,678        12,272,289        7,611        0  

Short

                 

S&P 500 E-Mini Index

     (203)        12-20-2019        (30,591,055      (30,231,775      359,280        0  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 
               $ 366,891      $ (1,399,661
              

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:    

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 
Common Stocks                                                      

Financials

                 

Banks

                 

Wells Fargo & Company

    140,237       8,628       19,344       129,521     $ 17,122     $ (322,401   $ 248,333     $ 6,533,039       0.49
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    1,344,731       26,894,824       27,420,264       819,291       265       (98     30,068 #      819,373    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    15,043,298       170,563,792       173,281,559       12,325,531       0       0       353,216       12,325,531       0.99  
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 17,387     $ (322,499   $ 631,617     $ 19,677,943       1.48
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  29


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $811,635 of securities loaned), at value (cost $829,817,926)

  $ 1,310,288,564  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $16,947,189)

    19,677,943  

Cash

    13,538  

Receivable for investments sold

    23,456,546  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    621,172  

Receivable for dividends and interest

    3,426,696  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    334  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    497,387  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,357,982,180  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable for investments purchased

    23,445,446  

Payable for daily variation margin on open futures contracts

    260,773  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    875,355  

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    818,875  

Management fee payable

    616,443  

Administration fees payable

    206,755  

Distribution fee payable

    88,851  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,083  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    220,480  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    26,535,061  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,331,447,119  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 860,142,438  

Total distributable earnings

    471,304,681  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,331,447,119  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 834,288,684  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    23,748,400  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $35.13  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $37.27  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 144,264,086  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    6,754,289  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $21.36  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 229,390,014  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    6,528,464  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $35.14  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 123,504,335  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    3,519,376  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $35.09  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

30  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends

  $ 15,280,190  

Interest

    10,607,057  

Income from affiliated securities

    633,609  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    26,520,856  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    7,795,905  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    1,694,986  

Class C

    301,187  

Administrator Class

    280,555  

Institutional Class

    149,115  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    2,017,841  

Class C

    358,555  

Administrator Class

    538,762  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    1,075,565  

Custody and accounting fees

    99,999  

Professional fees

    51,001  

Registration fees

    106,533  

Shareholder report expenses

    119,365  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    141,004  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    14,752,025  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (392,658

Class C

    (158

Administrator Class

    (215,206

Institutional Class

    (182
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    14,143,821  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    12,377,035  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    14,769,744  

Affiliated securities

    17,387  

Futures contracts

    (1,894,119
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    12,893,012  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    45,941,777  

Affiiliated securities

    (322,499

Futures contracts

    (1,714,198
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    43,905,080  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    56,798,092  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 69,175,127  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  31


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

    

Year ended

September 30, 2019

   

Year ended

September 30, 2018

 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 12,377,035       $ 9,894,627  

Net realized gains on investments

      12,893,012         39,659,948  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      43,905,080         71,110,422  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      69,175,127         120,664,997  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

       

Class A

      (30,578,240       (11,409,252

Class C

      (4,678,185       (919,168

Administrator Class

      (8,535,707       (3,520,207

Institutional Class

      (4,671,806       (1,662,226
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (48,463,938       (17,510,853
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    1,611,898       53,557,954       868,341       29,002,760  

Class C

    1,502,173       30,141,540       1,103,845       22,374,800  

Administrator Class

    1,697,812       56,951,283       1,794,727       59,667,463  

Institutional Class

    1,028,853       34,231,892       2,309,266       76,336,619  
 

 

 

 
      174,882,669         187,381,642  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    923,477       29,806,219       335,827       11,110,101  

Class C

    218,202       4,231,633       41,176       823,476  

Administrator Class

    262,175       8,483,181       105,701       3,497,234  

Institutional Class

    94,639       3,065,617       33,425       1,106,808  
 

 

 

 
      45,586,650         16,537,619  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (2,768,227     (92,564,816     (2,943,621     (97,771,815

Class C

    (2,243,406     (45,218,687     (1,723,765     (34,885,653

Administrator Class

    (1,685,138     (56,224,079     (4,039,923     (133,486,696

Institutional Class

    (800,255     (26,710,901     (1,057,098     (35,104,912
 

 

 

 
      (220,718,483       (301,249,076
 

 

 

 

Net decrease in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      (249,164       (97,329,815
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

      20,462,025         5,824,329  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      1,310,985,094         1,305,160,765  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 1,331,447,119       $ 1,310,985,094  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

32  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $34.63       $31.99       $29.61       $28.72       $28.20  

Net investment income

    0.33       0.27       0.25       0.22       0.27  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.46       2.83       2.67       2.45       0.76  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.79       3.10       2.92       2.67       1.03  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.33     (0.27     (0.27     (0.21     (0.22

Net realized gains

    (0.96     (0.19     (0.27     (1.57     (0.29
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (1.29     (0.46     (0.54     (1.78     (0.51

Net asset value, end of period

    $35.13       $34.63       $31.99       $29.61       $28.72  

Total return1

    5.54     9.76     9.99     9.68     3.62

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.11     1.08     1.09     1.10     1.22

Net expenses

    1.08     1.07     1.09     1.10     1.15

Net investment income

    0.99     0.80     0.79     0.79     0.90

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    14     9     9     8     43

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $834,289       $830,487       $822,769       $828,421       $736,276  

 

 

 

1 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  33


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $21.07       $19.45       $17.99       $17.47       $17.20  

Net investment income

    0.05       0.01       0.01       0.01 1      0.05  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.88       1.73       1.62       1.48       0.45  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.93       1.74       1.63       1.49       0.50  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.06     (0.00 )2      (0.01     (0.02     (0.05

Net realized gains

    (0.58     (0.12     (0.16     (0.95     (0.18
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.64     (0.12     (0.17     (0.97     (0.23

Net asset value, end of period

    $21.36       $21.07       $19.45       $17.99       $17.47  

Total return3

    4.75     8.97     9.14     8.86     2.86

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.86     1.83     1.84     1.85     1.98

Net expenses

    1.83     1.82     1.84     1.85     1.90

Net investment income

    0.24     0.05     0.04     0.03     0.10

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    14     9     9     8     43

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $144,264       $153,322       $152,820       $136,881       $62,019  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Amount is less than $0.005.

 

3 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

34  |  Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $34.64       $31.99       $29.63       $28.75       $28.21  

Net investment income

    0.39       0.32       0.30       0.28       0.35  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.46       2.84       2.68       2.45       0.76  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.85       3.16       2.98       2.73       1.11  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.39     (0.32     (0.35     (0.28     (0.28

Net realized gains

    (0.96     (0.19     (0.27     (1.57     (0.29
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (1.35     (0.51     (0.62     (1.85     (0.57

Net asset value, end of period

    $35.14       $34.64       $31.99       $29.63       $28.75  

Total return

    5.73     9.94     10.20     9.91     3.89

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.03     1.00     0.99     1.02     1.09

Net expenses

    0.90     0.90     0.90     0.90     0.90

Net investment income

    1.17     0.97     0.96     0.98     1.12

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    14     9     9     8     43

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $229,390       $216,611       $268,512       $206,908       $85,380  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund  |  35


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     20171  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $34.59       $31.96       $29.27  

Net investment income

    0.44       0.39       0.35  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.46       2.81       3.03  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.90       3.20       3.38  

Distributions to shareholders from

     

Net investment income

    (0.44     (0.38     (0.42

Net realized gains

    (0.96     (0.19     (0.27
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (1.40     (0.57     (0.69

Net asset value, end of period

    $35.09       $34.59       $31.96  

Total return2

    5.89     10.11     11.70

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

     

Gross expenses

    0.78     0.75     0.74

Net expenses

    0.75     0.74     0.74

Net investment income

    1.32     1.13     1.08

Supplemental data

     

Portfolio turnover rate

    14     9     9

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $123,504       $110,566       $61,060  

 

 

 

1 

For the period from October 31, 2016 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2017

 

2 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities and futures contracts that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Futures contracts

Futures contracts are agreements between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific amount of a commodity, financial instrument or currency at a specified price and on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts in order to gain exposure to, or protect against, changes in interest rates and security values and is subject to interest rate risk and equity price risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are the imperfect correlation between changes in market values of securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts, and the possibility of an illiquid market. Futures contracts are generally entered into on a regulated futures exchange and cleared through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange. With futures contracts, there is minimal counterparty risk to the Fund since futures contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures contracts against default.

Upon entering into a futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit either cash or securities (initial margin) with the broker in an amount equal to a certain percentage of the contract value. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are paid to or from the broker each day equal to the daily changes in the contract value. Such payments are recorded as unrealized gains or losses and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (payable) in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Should the Fund fail to make requested variation margin payments, the broker can gain access to the initial margin to satisfy the Fund’s payment obligations. When the contracts are closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statement of Operations.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income quarterly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $870,064,436 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 474,432,962  

Gross unrealized losses

     (15,563,661

Net unrealized gains

   $ 458,869,301  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable inputs
(Level 3)
     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Agency securities

   $ 0      $ 41,766      $ 0      $ 41,766  

Common stocks

           

Communication services

     82,690,701        0        0        82,690,701  

Consumer discretionary

     80,689,814        0        0        80,689,814  

Consumer staples

     60,633,188        0        0        60,633,188  

Energy

     36,008,298        0        0        36,008,298  

Financials

     103,271,630        0        0        103,271,630  

Health care

     108,962,726        0        0        108,962,726  

Industrials

     74,577,518        0        0        74,577,518  

Information technology

     175,039,545        0        0        175,039,545  

Materials

     21,755,356              21,755,356  

Real estate

     25,703,838        0        0        25,703,838  

Utilities

     28,648,109        0        0        28,648,109  

Non-agency mortgage-backed securities

     0        6,973        0        6,973  

U.S. Treasury securities

     514,862,094        0        0        514,862,094  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     13,144,904        0        0        13,144,904  

U.S. Treasury securities

     3,930,047        0                 3,930,047  
     1,329,917,768        48,739        0        1,329,966,507  

Futures contracts

     366,891        0        0        366,891  

Total assets

   $ 1,330,284,659      $ 48,739      $ 0      $ 1,330,333,398  

Liabilities

           

Futures contracts

   $ 1,399,661      $ 0      $ 0      $ 1,399,661  

Total liabilities

   $ 1,399,661      $ 0      $ 0      $ 1,399,661  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

Futures contracts are reported at their cumulative unrealized gains (losses) at measurement date as reported in the table following the Portfolio of Investments. For futures contracts, the current day’s variation margin is reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. All other assets and liabilities are reported at their market value at measurement date.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee

First $500 million

   0.650%

Next $500 million

   0.600

Next $2 billion

   0.550

Next $2 billion

   0.525

Next $5 billion

   0.490

Over $10 billion

   0.480

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.61% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.15% and declining to 0.10% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.08% for Class A shares, 1.83% for Class C shares, 0.90% for Administrator Class shares and 0.75% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distributor received $53,209 from the sale of Class A shares and $130 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were as follows:

 

Purchases at cost

     Sales proceeds
U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
     U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
$115,117,268      $63,469,384      $131,144,931      $73,834,176

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty      Value of
securities on
loan
       Collateral
received1
       Net amount  

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

     $ 107,744        $ (107,744      $ 0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

       602,803          (602,803        0  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

       101,088          (101,088        0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund entered into futures contracts to manage the duration of the portfolio and to gain market exposure to certain asset classes by implementing tactical asset allocation shifts. The Fund had an average notional amount of $66,079,518 in long futures contracts and $34,813,911 in short futures contracts during the year ended September 30, 2019.

A summary of the location of derivative instruments on the financial statements by primary risk exposure is outlined following tables.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The fair value of derivative instruments as of September 30, 2019 by risk type was as follows for the Fund:

 

    

Asset derivatives

    

Liability derivatives

 
      Statement of Assets and
Liabilities location
   Fair value      Statement of Assets and
Liabilities location
   Fair value  

Equity risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts    $ 359,280    Unrealized losses on futures contracts    $ 0

Interest rate risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts      7,611    Unrealized losses on futures contracts      1,399,661
          $ 366,891           $ 1,399,661  

 

*

Amount represents cumulative unrealized gains (losses) as reported in the table following the Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day’s variation margin as of September 30, 2019 is reported separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

The effect of derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations for the year ended September 30, 2019 was as follows for the Fund:

 

        Amount of realized
losses on
derivatives
       Change in unrealized
gains (losses) on
derivatives
 

Equity risk

     $ (303,323      $ 228,311  

Interest rate risk

       (1,590,796        (1,942,509
       $ (1,894,119      $ (1,714,198

8. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

9. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 16,601,787      $ 12,497,380  

Long-term capital gain

     31,862,151        5,013,473  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary
income
   Undistributed
long-term
gain
   Unrealized
gains
$1,827,431    $13,210,979    $458,869,301

10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

11. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 98.92% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $31,862,151 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $16,601,787 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $5,158,895 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $4,106,372 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, 96.85% of the ordinary income distributed was derived from interest on U.S. government securities.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr. (Born 1952)   Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson (Born 1949)   Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker (Born 1950)   Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny (Born 1951)   Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson (Born 1959)   Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund   |  47


Table of Contents

Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen (Born 1960)   President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Treasurer, since 2012   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)   Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.
David Berardi (Born 1975)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

 

1 

Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

Wells Fargo Index Asset Allocation Fund   |  49


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Index Asset Allocation Blended Index, for the one-, three- and five-year periods under review, but higher than its benchmark for the ten-year period under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were lower than or equal to the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were lower than or in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406807 11-19

A227/AR227 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for

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of prospectuses

and shareholder

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The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo International Bond Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com, or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

4  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of income and capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited

Portfolio managers

Michael Lee

Alex Perrin

Lauren van Biljon, CFA®

Peter Wilson

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 20191

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios2 (%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net3  
                   
Class A (ESIYX)   9-30-2003     2.96       -1.11       0.64       7.84       -0.20       1.10       1.08       1.03  
                   
Class C (ESIVX)   9-30-2003     6.08       -0.95       0.34       7.08       -0.95       0.34       1.83       1.78  
                   
Class R6 (ESIRX)4   11-30-2012                       8.32       0.18       1.47       0.70       0.65  
                   
Administrator Class (ESIDX)5   7-30-2010                       8.00       -0.04       1.27       1.02       0.85  
                   
Institutional Class (ESICX)   12-15-1993                       8.24       0.12       1.43       0.75       0.70  
                   
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index6                         5.34       0.87       1.27              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 4.50%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. Foreign investments are especially volatile and can rise or fall dramatically due to differences in the political and economic conditions of the host country. These risks are generally intensified in emerging markets. The use of derivatives may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Securities issued by U.S. government agencies or government-sponsored entities may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to high-yield securities risk and geographic risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20197

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Historical performance prior to July 12, 2010, is based on the performance of the Fund’s predecessor, Evergreen International Bond Fund.

 

2 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

3 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

4 

Historical performance shown for Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

5 

Historical performance shown for Administrator Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares and has been adjusted to reflect the higher expenses applicable to Administrator Class shares.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment grade fixed income markets excluding the U.S. dollar denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 4.50%.

 

8 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

9 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Country positioning was the main value-add over the reporting period, led by an underweight to the Japanese interest rate environment and an overweight to Italy and the United States. Underweights to the euro and U.K. pound were positives. Duration positioning was a net contributor to performance.

 

 

Currency hedge costs detracted from performance, as did exposure to smaller currencies, including the Colombian peso, Norwegian krone, and Romanian leu. Underweights to the Spanish and U.K. bond markets weighed on relative results.

What a difference a year can make.

The past 12 months spanned a pivotal time for the global economy, marking the move from cautious recovery to modest deterioration. This is reflected by the shift in U.S. monetary policy. The Federal Reserve (Fed) raised interest rates by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) at its December 2018 meeting, and a scant seven months later, it moved to an easing bias. Concerns about global trade and supply chains have worked to keep investment spending low, and central bankers the world over are flagging downside economic risks. Manufacturing data has weakened, although services and household consumption has held up well. Bond yields have trended materially lower over the reporting period, which has worked to deliver strong returns. Core currencies have traded in tight ranges, with the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar the best performers. For the most part, emerging market currencies have struggled.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20198  
   

Italy Buoni Poliennali del Tesoro, 0.35%, 2-1-2025

     7.14  
   

Italy Buoni Poliennali del Tesoro, 3.00%, 8-1-2029

     5.80  
   

Japan, 0.10%, 6-20-2029

     5.41  
   

Poland, 2.50%, 1-25-2023

     4.84  
   

Mexico, 8.50%, 5-31-2029

     4.70  
   

Norway, 2.00%, 4-26-2028

     4.56  
   

Realkredit Danmark AS, 1.50%, 10-1-2050

     4.32  
   

Nykredit Realkredit AS, 1.50%, 10-1-2050

     3.64  
   

U.S. Treasury Note, 1.38%, 8-31-2023

     3.61  
   

Hungary, 1.50%, 8-24-2022

     2.82  

The Fund pared risk at a time of stress.

Global bond markets have traded with a remarkable degree of cohesion, with the general trend for lower yields boosting returns. Early in the reporting period, the Fund moved to overweight Italian government bonds. Positions in the domestic bonds of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand were trimmed after a period of strong gains in the second quarter of 2019. Exposure to Russia was added in the third quarter, while positions in Colombia, Malaysia, and India were reduced to zero. Toward period-end, a position in Japanese government bonds was funded by reducing core European exposure. The degree of active currency risk the Fund is running was reduced over the period. An underweight to the euro was used to fund exposure to a number of smaller currencies, but this was taken to neutral in the third quarter in response to a period of intense market stress.

 

 

Portfolio composition as of September 30, 20199
LOGO

Country positioning was the key contributor to Fund performance. The Fund’s underweight to Japan and overweight to Italy and the U.S. added the most value, but exposure to Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and India were also good performers. Underweights to the euro and the U.K. pound were value-adds. Overweights to the New Zealand dollar, Brazilian real, and Indian rupee also added to performance. At the sector level, exposure to Danish mortgages, high-yield corporate bonds, and emerging market sovereigns all added value. Duration was a net positive, with positioning in the 3- to 10-year area of the curve adding the most value.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

The most obvious drag on performance over the reporting period came from currency hedge costs. Underweights to the bond markets of Spain and the U.K. were modest negatives. Exposure to a number of smaller currencies was a negative, with positions in the Colombian peso, Norwegian krone, Romanian leu, and Mexican peso weighing on performance. At the sector level, positioning in investment-grade corporate bonds detracted. Positioning at the very long end of the curve—15 years and over—was also a modest negative.

Slowing growth and tepid inflation supports global fixed income.

Themes of slowing growth and tepid inflation remain firmly entrenched at the macro level, and this backdrop has proved highly beneficial for global fixed income. This is despite the lack of resolution to trade tensions between the U.S. and its trading partners, as well as the generally higher level of geopolitical risk. Increased accommodation from central banks has played a key role in the strong gains we’ve seen in fixed income and could continue to offer support in the quarters to come. Currency volatility could be on the verge of ticking higher, which suggests that higher hedge ratios could be valuable until the picture clears. The Fund benefited from its underweight to the bond markets of Japan and core Europe (particularly Germany and France) and overweight to higher-yielding developed and emerging markets. This tilt could continue to add value.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,035.68      $ 5.27        1.03

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.89      $ 5.23        1.03
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,032.06      $ 9.09        1.78

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,016.12      $ 9.02        1.78
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,037.90      $ 3.33        0.65

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.80      $ 3.30        0.65
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,036.42      $ 4.35        0.85

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.80      $ 4.31        0.85
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,038.05      $ 3.58        0.70

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.55      $ 3.55        0.70

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Corporate Bonds and Notes: 6.98%

         
United States: 6.98%                          

Amazon.com Incorporated (Consumer Discretionary, Internet & Direct Marketing Retail)

    3.15     8-22-2027      $ 500,000      $ 531,398  

Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide Incorporated (Consumer Staples, Beverages) %%

    4.15       1-23-2025        400,000        437,016  

Apple Incorporated (Information Technology, Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals)

    2.90       9-12-2027        500,000        521,084  

AT&T Incorporated (Communication Services, Diversified Telecommunication Services)

    4.35       3-1-2029        250,000        276,283  

Bank of America Corporation (3 Month LIBOR +1.21%) (Financials, Banks) ±

    3.97       2-7-2030        500,000        547,377  

BP Capital Markets America Incorporated (Energy, Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels)

    3.22       4-14-2024        425,000        442,643  

Broadcom Incorporated (Information Technology, Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment) 144A

    4.25       4-15-2026        300,000        309,935  

Campbell Soup Company (Consumer Staples, Food Products)

    3.65       3-15-2023        250,000        260,088  

Comcast Corporation (Communication Services, Media)

    3.70       4-15-2024        400,000        426,488  

CVS Health Corporation (Health Care, Health Care Providers & Services)

    4.10       3-25-2025        600,000        640,677  

Discovery Communications LLC (Communication Services, Media)

    3.95       3-20-2028        300,000        312,628  

Global Payments Incorporated (Information Technology, IT Services)

    3.20       8-15-2029        350,000        354,507  

IBM Corporation (Information Technology, IT Services)

    3.30       5-15-2026        400,000        422,126  

JPMorgan Chase & Company (Financials, Banks)

    3.30       4-1-2026        500,000        523,764  

Mastercard Incorporated (Information Technology, IT Services)

    2.95       6-1-2029        400,000        419,725  

Microsoft Corporation (Information Technology, Software)

    2.40       8-8-2026        500,000        510,071  

Morgan Stanley (Financials, Capital Markets)

    3.88       4-29-2024        450,000        478,773  

Verizon Communications Incorporated (Communication Services, Diversified Telecommunication Services)

    4.33       9-21-2028        250,000        283,579  

Walmart Incorporated (Consumer Staples, Food & Staples Retailing)

    3.70       6-26-2028        500,000        554,649  

Total Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $7,860,348)

            8,252,811  
         

 

 

 

Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes: 12.20%

         
Denmark: 9.82%                          

Nordea Kredit Realkredit AS (Financials, Thrifts & Mortgage Finance)

    1.50       10-1-2050      DKK 14,704,303        2,200,295  

Nykredit Realkredit AS (Financials, Thrifts & Mortgage Finance)

    1.50       10-1-2050      DKK 28,786,127        4,307,445  

Realkredit Danmark AS (Financials, Thrifts & Mortgage Finance) 144A

    1.50       10-1-2050      DKK 34,111,690        5,104,341  
            11,612,081  
         

 

 

 
Luxembourg: 0.26%                          

LSF10 Wolverine Investment SCA (Financials, Diversified Financial Services)

    5.00       3-15-2024      EUR 275,000        307,158  
         

 

 

 
Netherlands: 0.56%                          

Selecta Group BV (Consumer Discretionary, Internet & Direct Marketing Retail)

    5.88       2-1-2024      EUR 300,000        339,299  

Sigma Holdco BV (Consumer Staples, Food Products)

    5.75       5-15-2026      EUR 300,000        323,257  
            662,556  
         

 

 

 
United Kingdom: 1.56%                          

CPUK Finance Limited (Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Finance)

    4.25       2-28-2047      GBP 250,000        310,915  

Galaxy Bidco Limited (Financials, Insurance) 144A

    6.50       7-31-2026      GBP 200,000        246,362  

Ocado Group plc (Consumer Discretionary, Internet & Direct Marketing Retail)

    4.00       6-15-2024      GBP 270,000        343,116  

Pinewood Finance Company Limited (Financials, Diversified Financial Services) 144A

    3.25       9-30-2025      GBP 100,000        125,568  

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
United Kingdom (continued)                          

Pinnacle Bidco plc (Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Finance)

    6.38 %       2-15-2025      GBP 200,000      $ 261,574  

RAC Bond Company plc (Consumer Discretionary, Automobiles)

    5.00       11-6-2022      GBP 400,000        442,962  

Victoria plc (Consumer Discretionary, Household Durables)

    5.25       7-15-2024      EUR 100,000        111,982  
            1,842,479  
         

 

 

 

Total Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $14,692,897)

            14,424,274  
         

 

 

 
Foreign Government Bonds: 70.74%                          

Brazil

    10.00       1-1-2021      BRL 7,775,000        1,977,806  

Brazil

    10.00       1-1-2023      BRL 2,675,000        715,924  

Brazil

    10.00       1-1-2025      BRL 3,685,000        1,016,551  

Canada

    1.50       3-1-2020      CAD 3,285,000        2,477,443  

Canada 144A##

    2.65       12-15-2028      CAD 3,300,000        2,675,594  

Colombia

    6.00       4-28-2028      COP 4,535,000,000        1,318,742  

Czech Republic

    0.95       5-15-2030      CZK 77,400,000        3,119,753  

Hungary ††

    1.50       8-24-2022      HUF 995,000,000        3,336,446  

Indonesia

    7.50       8-15-2032      IDR 37,200,000,000        2,594,566  

Indonesia %%

    8.25       5-15-2029      IDR 11,000,000,000        827,096  

Indonesia

    8.38       9-15-2026      IDR 13,550,000,000        1,022,641  

Italy Buoni Poliennali del Tesoro %%

    0.35       2-1-2025      EUR 7,725,000        8,443,307  

Italy Buoni Poliennali del Tesoro

    3.00       8-1-2029      EUR 5,225,000        6,863,716  

Japan

    0.10       6-20-2029      JPY 670,000,000        6,394,759  

Korea Treasury Bond

    2.00       3-10-2020      KRW 1,635,000,000        1,371,267  

Korea Treasury Bond

    2.38       3-10-2023      KRW 1,600,000,000        1,382,027  

Malaysia

    3.90       11-30-2026      MYR 1,100,000        269,486  

Malaysia

    3.96       9-15-2025      MYR 2,250,000        554,813  

Mexico

    5.75       3-5-2026      MXN 7,850,000        376,497  

Mexico

    8.00       11-7-2047      MXN 14,300,000        779,783  

Mexico

    8.50       5-31-2029      MXN 98,480,000        5,555,332  

New South Wales

    5.00       8-20-2024      AUD 750,000        601,203  

Norway Government Bond Series 480 144A

    2.00       4-26-2028      NOK 46,200,000        5,392,273  

Poland

    2.50       1-25-2023      PLN 22,350,000        5,728,110  

Queensland Treasury Corporation 144A

    4.75       7-21-2025      AUD 2,650,000        2,147,498  

Republic of Peru

    5.70       8-12-2024      PEN 850,000        280,969  

Republic of South Africa

    8.75       2-28-2048      ZAR 500,000        29,202  

Republic of South Africa

    8.75       2-28-2048      ZAR 37,800,000        2,207,642  

Republic of South Africa

    10.50       12-21-2026      ZAR 27,700,000        2,040,783  

Romania

    3.40       3-8-2022      RON 1,200,000        275,129  

Romania

    3.25       4-29-2024      RON 3,350,000        750,130  

Romania

    4.85       4-22-2026      RON 3,800,000        911,766  

Romania

    5.00       2-12-2029      RON 5,725,000        1,397,058  

Russia

    6.50       2-28-2024      RUB 56,800,000        870,904  

Russia

    6.90       5-23-2029      RUB 166,000,000        2,559,582  

Russia

    7.00       12-15-2021      RUB 26,000,000        404,627  

Singapore

    2.63       5-1-2028      SGD 2,350,000        1,822,668  

Singapore

    2.00       2-1-2024      SGD 2,065,000        1,514,816  

Turkey

    8.50       9-14-2022      TRY 1,800,000        282,973  

Turkey

    13.00       11-13-2019      TRY 2,000,000        353,816  

Turkey

    10.70       2-17-2021      TRY 2,000,000        342,660  

Turkey

    11.00       2-24-2027      TRY 900,000        143,041  

United Kingdom Gilt Bonds

    1.25       7-22-2027      GBP 410,000        539,958  

Total Foreign Government Bonds (Cost $84,392,635)

            83,670,357  
         

 

 

 
U.S. Treasury Securities: 5.69%                          

U.S. Treasury Note ##

    1.38       8-31-2023      $ 4,300,000        4,269,094  

U.S. Treasury Note ##

    2.63       2-15-2029        2,275,000        2,462,865  

Total U.S. Treasury Securities (Cost $6,591,480)

            6,731,959  
         

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes: 3.53%

         
Cayman Islands: 0.35%                          

UPCB Finance IV Limited (Financials, Diversified Financial Services)

    5.38     1-15-2025      $ 400,000      $ 411,000  
         

 

 

 
China: 0.43%                          

Tencent Holdings Limited (Communication Services, Interactive Media & Services) 144A

    3.28       4-11-2024        500,000        513,564  
         

 

 

 
France: 0.90%                          

Danone SA (Consumer Staples, Food Products)

    2.95       11-2-2026        500,000        511,855  

Electricite de France SA (Utilities, Electric Utilities)

    4.50       9-21-2028        500,000        558,039  
            1,069,894  
         

 

 

 
Ireland: 0.26%                          

Ardagh Packaging Finance plc (Financials, Diversified Financial Services)

    4.63       5-15-2023        300,000        307,125  
         

 

 

 
Spain: 0.25%                          

Telefonica Emisiones SAU (Communication Services, Diversified Telecommunication Services)

    4.10       3-8-2027        275,000        300,218  
         

 

 

 
United Kingdom: 1.34%                          

International Game Technology plc (Consumer Discretionary, Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure)

    6.25       2-15-2022        300,000        316,580  

Jaguar Land Rover Automobiles plc (Consumer Discretionary, Automobiles)

    3.50       3-15-2020        400,000        398,125  

State Grid Overseas Investment Limited (Utilities, Multi-Utilities)

    3.50       5-4-2027        275,000        290,070  

Vodafone Group plc (Communication Services, Wireless Telecommunication Services)

    4.38       5-30-2028        525,000        579,948  
            1,584,723  
         

 

 

 

Total Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $3,980,678)

            4,186,524  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield            Shares         
Short-Term Investments: 0.38%                          
Investment Companies: 0.38%                          

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)##

    1.88          446,052        446,052  
         

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $446,052)

            446,052  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $117,964,090)     99.52        117,711,977  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    0.48          562,529  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 118,274,506  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

±

Variable rate investment. The rate shown is the rate in effect at period end.

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

##

All or a portion of this security is segregated for when-issued securities.

††

On the last interest date, partial interest was paid.

%%

The security is purchased on a when-issued basis.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Abbreviations:

 

AUD

Australian dollar

 

BRL

Brazilian real

 

CAD

Canadian dollar

 

COP

Colombian peso

 

CZK

Czech koruna

 

DKK

Danish krone

 

EUR

Euro

 

GBP

Great British pound

 

HUF

Hungarian forint

 

IDR

Indonesian rupiah

 

JPY

Japanese yen

 

KRW

Republic of Korea won

 

LIBOR

London Interbank Offered Rate

 

MXN

Mexican peso

 

MYR

Malaysian ringgit

 

NOK

Norwegian krone

 

PEN

Peruvian sol

 

PLN

Polish zloty

 

RON

Romanian lei

 

SGD

Singapore dollar

 

TRY

Turkish lira

 

ZAR

South African rand

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
13,035,000 ZAR      876,724 USD      State Street Bank      10-7-2019      $ 0        $ (16,611
900,000 ZAR      60,566 USD      State Street Bank      10-7-2019        0          (1,180
1,265,000 ZAR      81,396 USD      State Street Bank      10-7-2019        2,075          0  
950,495 USD      14,300,000 ZAR      State Street Bank      10-7-2019        6,911          0  
2,632,139 USD      39,600,000 ZAR      State Street Bank      10-7-2019        19,138          0  
4,352,249 GBP      4,850,000 EUR      State Street Bank      10-9-2019        63,801          0  
2,273,334 USD      1,850,000 GBP      State Street Bank      10-9-2019        0          (1,999
1,900,000 PLN      499,417 USD      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        0          (25,462
675,000 PLN      175,779 USD      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        0          (7,400
625,000 PLN      159,595 USD      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        0          (3,689
5,678,810 USD      21,665,000 PLN      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        274,474          0  
2,872,894 USD      843,275,000 HUF      State Street Bank      11-6-2019        122,605          0  
900,000 EUR      1,013,067 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (29,466
2,700,000 EUR      3,027,704 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (76,901
230,000,000 INR      3,199,332 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        34,011          0  
28,950,000 INR      402,699 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        4,281          0  
2,915,000 EUR      3,275,180 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (89,405
2,350,000 EUR      2,648,640 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (80,348
4,275,000 EUR      4,809,422 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (137,316
1,900,000 EUR      2,137,823 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (61,331
5,685,000 MXN      288,857 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (2,486
2,185,000 MXN      111,612 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (1,547
350,000 EUR      393,246 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (10,735
640,000 EUR      721,332 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (21,882

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts (continued)

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
1,000,000 EUR      1,124,761 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019      $ 0        $ (31,871
2,400,000 EUR      2,699,426 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (76,490
1,100,000 EUR      1,240,935 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (38,756
2,375,000 EUR      2,679,292 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (83,678
975,000 EUR      1,098,728 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (33,160
405,065 USD      28,950,000 INR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (1,914
3,218,133 USD      230,000,000 INR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (15,210
664,838 USD      600,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        9,104          0  
277,577 USD      250,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        4,354          0  
408,517 USD      370,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        4,148          0  
159,801 USD      3,250,000 MXN      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (3,911
4,692,528 USD      93,325,000 MXN      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (8,538
1,850,264 USD      1,650,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        46,995          0  
3,010,962 USD      2,670,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        92,945          0  
221,537 USD      200,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        2,959          0  
249,536 USD      225,000 EUR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        3,636          0  
160,000,000 COP      46,270 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (366
4,375,000,000 IDR      302,999 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        4,009          0  
9,100,000,000 COP      2,701,098 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (90,324
3,330,000,000 KRW      2,819,644 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (32,967
620,000,000 KRW      512,905 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        5,936          0  
715,656 USD      2,500,000,000 COP      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (1,590
2,604,987 USD      9,100,000,000 COP      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (5,787
2,609,621 USD      38,000,000,000 IDR      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (56,965
1,206,950 USD      17,575,000,000 IDR      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (26,346
3,260,690 USD      3,950,000,000 KRW      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (44,828
4,100,000 AUD      302,213,050 JPY      State Street Bank      11-12-2019        0          (31,358
2,796,221 USD      4,100,000 AUD      State Street Bank      11-12-2019        25,083          0  
11,871,193 USD      79,525,000 DKK      State Street Bank      11-18-2019        218,691          0  
3,378,108 USD      4,650,000 SGD      State Street Bank      11-26-2019        11,643          0  
410,000,000 JPY      3,902,142 USD      State Street Bank      11-29-2019        0          (95,950
2,652,747 USD      285,000,000 JPY      State Street Bank      11-29-2019        6,979          0  
373,874 USD      40,000,000 JPY      State Street Bank      11-29-2019        2,539          0  
1,986,739 USD      8,330,000 BRL      State Street Bank      12-3-2019        0          (10,304
229,109 USD      950,000 BRL      State Street Bank      12-6-2019        1,390          0  
639,000,000 JPY      6,038,356 USD      State Street Bank      12-9-2019        0          (101,263
635,924 USD      575,000 EUR      State Street Bank      12-17-2019        5,530          0  
329,884 USD      300,000 EUR      State Street Bank      12-17-2019        983          0  
12,080,000 EUR      13,486,027 USD      State Street Bank      12-17-2019        0          (242,275
325,462 USD      35,000,000 JPY      State Street Bank      12-19-2019        0          (33
214,008 USD      23,000,000 JPY      State Street Bank      12-19-2019        111          0  
2,750,000,000 JPY      25,656,814 USD      State Street Bank      12-19-2019        0          (82,187
3,721,616 USD      400,000,000 JPY      State Street Bank      12-19-2019        1,670          0  
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 
                    $ 976,001        $ (1,683,829
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 

Short-Term Investments

                 

Investment Companies

                 

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    1,592,910       119,738,718       120,885,576       446,052     $ 0     $ 0     $ 44,933     $ 446,052       0.38

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities, at value (cost $117,518,038)

  $ 117,265,925  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $446,052)

    446,052  

Receivable for investments sold

    9,844,271  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    267,668  

Receivable for interest

    1,008,364  

Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts

    976,001  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    220,979  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    130,029,260  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable for investments purchased

    9,730,900  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    254,130  

Unrealized losses on forward foreign currency contracts

    1,683,829  

Due to custodian bank, foreign currency, at value (cost $1,745)

    1,741  

Management fee payable

    15,234  

Distribution fee payable

    638  

Administration fees payable

    8,815  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,259  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    57,208  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    11,754,754  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 118,274,506  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 134,702,721  

Total distributable loss

    (16,428,215
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 118,274,506  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 12,328,522  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    1,179,860  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $10.45  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $10.94  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 1,026,584  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    102,889  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $9.98  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 8,979,486  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    841,093  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $10.68  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 18,213,308  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    1,729,400  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $10.53  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 77,726,606  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    7,306,998  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $10.64  

 

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/95.50 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Interest (net of foreign interest withholding taxes of $101,467)

  $ 9,104,158  

Income from affiliated securities

    44,933  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    9,149,091  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    1,276,492  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    25,388  

Class C

    2,635  

Class R6

    6,506  

Administrator Class

    20,684  

Institutional Class

    122,292  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    39,668  

Class C

    4,117  

Administrator Class

    51,494  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    12,351  

Custody and accounting fees

    259,001  

Professional fees

    56,605  

Registration fees

    117,519  

Shareholder report expenses

    96,782  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    23,384  

Interest expense

    5,081  

Other fees and expenses

    16,841  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    2,136,840  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (517,736

Class A

    (3,571

Class C

    (187

Administrator Class

    (30,944

Institutional Class

    (97
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    1,584,305  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    7,564,786  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized losses on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    (14,456,906

Forward foreign currency contracts

    (3,170,864
 

 

 

 

Net realized losses on investments

    (17,627,770
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    20,251,138  

Forward foreign currency contracts

    5,600,356  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    25,851,494  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    8,223,724  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 15,788,510  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

 

 

Net investment income

    $ 7,564,786       $ 14,884,133  

Net realized gains (losses) on investments

      (17,627,770       1,924,156  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      25,851,494         (41,587,049
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      15,788,510         (24,778,760
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares       Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

 

Class A

    382,864       3,845,786       1,692,946       17,128,341  

Class C

    4,716       45,352       23,686       231,626  

Class R6

    240,845       2,428,431       4,470,576       47,127,812  

Administrator Class

    326,113       3,274,172       1,854,064       19,444,887  

Institutional Class

    1,734,775       17,401,980       7,578,500       78,408,711  
 

 

 

 
      26,995,721         162,341,377  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

 

Class A

    (3,796,911     (36,769,127     (3,876,760     (38,897,182

Class C

    (186,284     (1,790,879     (88,726     (868,829

Class R6

    (4,444,880     (44,590,677     (2,380,029     (24,249,955

Administrator Class

    (1,459,494     (14,446,041     (2,955,066     (30,390,707

Institutional Class

    (19,409,739     (197,377,886     (25,163,647     (261,878,241
 

 

 

 
      (294,974,610       (356,284,914
 

 

 

 

Net decrease in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      (267,978,889       (193,943,537
 

 

 

 

Total decrease in net assets

      (252,190,379       (218,722,297
 

 

 

 

Net assets

   

Beginning of period

      370,464,885         589,187,182  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 118,274,506       $ 370,464,885  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31   
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     20161         2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $9.69       $10.31       $10.77       $9.74       $10.84       $11.32  

Net investment income

    0.32 2      0.27 2      0.26 2      0.24 2      0.31 2      0.37 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.44       (0.89     (0.57     0.85       (1.33     (0.34
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.76       (0.62     (0.31     1.09       (1.02     0.03  

Distributions to shareholders from

           

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.05     (0.12

Net realized gains

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.39
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.08     (0.51

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.45       $9.69       $10.31       $10.77       $9.74       $10.84  

Total return3

    7.84     (6.01 )%      (2.78 )%      11.24     (9.50 )%      0.26

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

           

Gross expenses

    1.30     1.08     1.03     1.08     1.06     1.05

Net expenses

    1.03     1.03     1.03     1.03     1.03     1.03

Net investment income

    3.21     2.75     2.61     2.64     3.07     3.29

Supplemental data

           

Portfolio turnover rate

    129     99     68     96     136     103

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $12,329       $44,519       $69,885       $54,399       $79,727       $102,624  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31   
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     20161         2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $9.32       $10.00       $10.52       $9.58       $10.70       $11.19  

Net investment income

    0.24 2      0.19 2      0.18 2      0.17 2      0.23 2      0.28 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.42       (0.87     (0.55     0.83       (1.32     (0.34
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.66       (0.68     (0.37     1.00       (1.09     (0.06

Distributions to shareholders from

           

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.04

Net realized gains

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.39
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.43

Net asset value, end of period

    $9.98       $9.32       $10.00       $10.52       $9.58       $10.70  

Total return3

    7.08     (6.80 )%      (3.43 )%      10.49     (10.21 )%      (0.52 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

           

Gross expenses

    2.04     1.83     1.78     1.83     1.81     1.80

Net expenses

    1.78     1.78     1.78     1.78     1.78     1.78

Net investment income

    2.51     2.00     1.88     1.86     2.33     2.54

Supplemental data

           

Portfolio turnover rate

    129     99     68     96     136     103

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $1,027       $2,652       $3,493       $5,520       $6,895       $11,597  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31   
CLASS R6   2019     2018     2017     20161         2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $9.86       $10.45       $10.88       $9.80       $10.88       $11.36  

Net investment income

    0.37 2      0.31 2      0.30 2      0.28 2      0.35 2      0.42 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.45       (0.90     (0.58     0.86       (1.34     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.82       (0.59     (0.28     1.14       (0.99     0.07  

Distributions to shareholders from

           

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.06     (0.16

Net realized gains

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.39
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.09     (0.55

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.68       $9.86       $10.45       $10.88       $9.80       $10.88  

Total return3

    8.32     (5.65 )%      (2.48 )%      11.69     (9.18 )%      0.60

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

           

Gross expenses

    0.90     0.72     0.65     0.70     0.68     0.67

Net expenses

    0.65     0.65     0.65     0.65     0.65     0.65

Net investment income

    3.68     3.18     3.01     3.00     3.46     3.64

Supplemental data

           

Portfolio turnover rate

    129     99     68     96     136     103

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $8,979       $49,749       $30,876       $12,501       $13,152       $5,729  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31   
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     20161         2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $9.75       $10.36       $10.80       $9.75       $10.84       $11.32  

Net investment income

    0.34 2      0.29 2      0.28 2      0.26 2      0.33 2      0.39 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.44       (0.90     (0.57     0.85       (1.34     (0.34
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.78       (0.61     (0.29     1.11       (1.01     0.05  

Distributions to shareholders from

           

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.05     (0.14

Net realized gains

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.39
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.08     (0.53

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.53       $9.75       $10.36       $10.80       $9.75       $10.84  

Total return3

    8.00     (5.89 )%      (2.59 )%      11.44     (9.36 )%      0.43

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

           

Gross expenses

    1.24     1.01     0.97     1.02     0.99     0.99

Net expenses

    0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85

Net investment income

    3.37     2.93     2.80     2.85     3.26     3.47

Supplemental data

           

Portfolio turnover rate

    129     99     68     96     136     103

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $18,213       $27,911       $41,045       $50,825       $266,849       $359,383  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  23


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31   
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     20161         2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $9.83       $10.43       $10.86       $9.79       $10.87       $11.35  

Net investment income

    0.37 2      0.31 2      0.29 2      0.27 2      0.35 2      0.41 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.44       (0.91     (0.57     0.86       (1.34     (0.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.81       (0.60     (0.28     1.13       (0.99     0.06  

Distributions to shareholders from

           

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.06     (0.15

Net realized gains

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.03     (0.39
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    0.00       0.00       (0.15     (0.06     (0.09     (0.54

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.64       $9.83       $10.43       $10.86       $9.79       $10.87  

Total return3

    8.24     (5.75 )%      (2.48 )%      11.60     (9.20 )%      0.55

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

           

Gross expenses

    0.95     0.74     0.70     0.75     0.73     0.72

Net expenses

    0.70     0.70     0.70     0.70     0.70     0.70

Net investment income

    3.61     3.06     2.96     2.95     3.41     3.62

Supplemental data

           

Portfolio turnover rate

    129     99     68     96     136     103

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $77,727       $245,633       $443,888       $553,208       $689,964       $832,072  

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

24  |  Wells Fargo International Bond Fund


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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo International Bond Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).

The values of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

Forward foreign currency contracts

A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. The Fund enters into forward foreign currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign-denominated securities and to attempt to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between currencies. Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate and marked-to-market daily. When the contracts are closed, realized gains and losses arising from such transactions are recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency contracts. The Fund is subject to foreign currency risk and may be exposed to risks if the

 

 

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund  |  25


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. The Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gains on the contracts. This risk may be mitigated if there is a master netting arrangement between the Fund and the counterparty.

When-issued transactions

The Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. The Fund records a when-issued transaction on the trade date and will segregate assets in an amount at least equal in value to the Fund’s commitment to purchase when-issued securities. Securities purchased on a when-issued basis are marked-to-market daily and the Fund begins earning interest on the settlement date. Losses may arise due to changes in the market value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Income from foreign securities is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income quarterly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $117,128,739 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 3,069,871  

Gross unrealized losses

     (3,194,461

Net unrealized losses

   $ (124,590

Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under federal income tax regulations. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. At September 30, 2019, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, the following reclassification adjustments were made on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:

 

Paid-in capital    Total distributable loss
$(4,029)    $4,029

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had capital loss carryforwards which consist of $2,154,566 in short-term capital losses and $2,816,693 in long-term capital losses.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had current year net deferred post-October capital losses consisting of $1,296,764 in long-term losses which will be recognized on the first day of the following fiscal year.

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had a qualified late-year ordinary loss of $10,000,814 which will be recognized on the first day of the following fiscal year.

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Corporate bonds and notes

   $ 0      $ 8,252,811      $ 0      $ 8,252,811  

Foreign corporate bonds and notes

     0        14,424,274        0        14,424,274  

Foreign government bonds

     0        83,670,357        0        83,670,357  

U.S. Treasury securities

     6,731,959        0        0        6,731,959  

Yankee corporate bonds and notes

     0        4,186,524        0        4,186,524  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     446,052        0        0        446,052  
     7,178,011        110,533,966        0        117,711,977  

Forward foreign currency contracts

     0        976,001        0        976,001  

Total assets

   $ 7,178,011      $ 111,509,967      $ 0      $ 118,687,978  

Liabilities

           

Forward foreign currency contracts

   $ 0      $ 1,683,829      $ 0      $ 1,683,829  

Total liabilities

   $ 0      $ 1,683,829      $ 0      $ 1,683,829  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

Forward foreign currency contracts are reported at their cumulative unrealized gains (losses) at measurement date as reported in the table following the Portfolio of Investments. All other assets and liabilities are reported at their market value at measurement date.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.600

Next $500 million

     0.575  

Next $2 billion

     0.550  

Next $2 billion

     0.525  

Next $5 billion

     0.490  

Over $10 billion

     0.480  

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited, an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.35% and declining to 0.20% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase. Prior to August 1, 2019, Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC was the subadviser for the Fund. Effective August 1, 2019, Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC merged with Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited and Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited became the subadviser to the Fund. This transaction did not result in any changes to the services provided to the Fund or to the strategies or fees and expenses.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C

     0.16

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class

     0.10  

Institutional Class

     0.08  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.03% for Class A shares, 1.78% for Class C shares, 0.65% for Class R6 shares, 0.85% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.70% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $179 from the sale of Class A shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A and Class C shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were as follows:

 

Purchases at cost

     Sales proceeds
U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
     U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
$58,948,726      $210,539,776      $76,724,082      $455,753,013

6. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund entered into forward foreign currency contracts for hedging purposes. The Fund had average contract amounts of $162,591,337 and $124,792,769 in forward foreign currency contracts to buy and forward foreign currency contracts to sell, respectively, during the year ended September 30, 2019.

The fair value, realized gains or losses and change in unrealized gains or losses, if any, on derivative instruments are reflected in the corresponding financial statement captions.

For certain types of derivative transactions, the Fund has entered into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. master agreements (“ISDA Master Agreements”) or similar agreements with approved counterparties. The ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements may have requirements to deliver/deposit securities or cash to/with an exchange or broker-dealer as collateral and allows the Fund to offset, with each counterparty, certain derivative financial instrument’s assets and/or liabilities with collateral held or pledged. Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral or margin requirements are set by the broker or exchange clearinghouse for exchange traded derivatives while collateral terms are contract specific for over-the-counter traded derivatives. Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Fund under ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements, if any, are reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Securities pledged as collateral, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. With respect to balance sheet offsetting, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are not offset across transactions between the Fund and the applicable counterparty. A reconciliation of the gross amounts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities to the net amounts by counterparty, including any collateral exposure, for OTC derivatives is as follows:

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of assets in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
received
       Net amount
of assets
 

State Street Bank

     $976,001      $(976,001)      $ 0        $ 0  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of liabilities in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
pledged
       Net amount
of liabilities
 

State Street Bank

     $1,683,829      $(976,001)      $ 0        $ 707,828  

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund had average borrowings outstanding of $137,324 at an average rate of 3.70% and paid interest in the amount of $5,081.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

For the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, the Fund did not have any distributions paid to shareholders.

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Unrealized
losses
   Late-year
ordinary losses
deferred
   Post-October
capital losses
deferred
   Capital loss
carryforward
$(145,413)    $(10,000,814)    $(1,296,764)    $(4,971,259)

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo International Bond Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended September 30, 2019, for the period ended September 30, 2016, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended October 31, 2015. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended September 30, 2019, for the period ended September 30, 2016, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended October 31, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr. (Born 1952)   Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson (Born 1949)   Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker (Born 1950)   Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny (Born 1951)   Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson (Born 1959)   Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen (Born 1960)   President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Nancy Wiser1 (Born 1967)   Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)   Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

 

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo International Bond Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo International Bond Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Class A) was lower than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index, for the one-, three- and five-year periods under review, but in range of its benchmark for the ten-year period under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to the Universe and benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment decisions that affected the Fund’s investment performance.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were equal to or lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were equal to, in range of, or lower than the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406808 11-19

A235/AR235 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

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The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com, or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

4  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of a high level of current income and capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadvisers

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited

Portfolio managers

Niklas Nordenfelt, CFA®

Alex Perrin

Scott M. Smith, CFA®

Lauren van Biljon, CFA®

Noah Wise, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios1 (%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     Since
inception
    1 year     5 year     Since
inception
    Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (WSIAX)   1-31-2013     0.51       1.71       1.49       4.66       2.54       2.12       1.47       0.92  
                   
Class C (WSICX)   1-31-2013     3.00       1.80       1.38       4.00       1.80       1.38       2.22       1.67  
                   
Administrator Class (WSIDX)   1-31-2013                       4.83       2.67       2.25       1.41       0.77  
                   
Institutional Class (WSINX)   1-31-2013                       5.00       2.87       2.44       1.14       0.62  
                   
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index3                         10.07       3.62       3.21            
                   
ICE BofAML 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index4                         2.64       1.24       0.99            
*

Return is based on Fund’s inception date.

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 4.00%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Administrator Class and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. High-yield securities have a greater risk of default and tend to be more volatile than higher-rated debt securities. Loans are subject to risks similar to those associated with other below investment- grade bond investments, such as credit risk (for example, risk of issuer default), below-investment-grade bond risk (for example, risk of greater volatility in value), and risk that the loan may become illiquid or difficult to price. Foreign investments are especially volatile and can rise or fall dramatically due to differences in the political and economic conditions of the host country. These risks are generally intensified in emerging markets. The use of derivatives may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to mortgage- and asset-backed securities risk, regulatory risk, and geographic risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20195

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses, which include the impact of 0.02% in acquired fund fees and expenses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at 0.90% for Class A, 1.65% for Class C, 0.75% for Administrator Class, and 0.60% for Institutional Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index is an unmanaged market-value-weighted performance benchmark for the U.S. dollar–denominated bond market, which includes investment-grade, high-yield, and emerging markets debt securities with maturities of one year or more. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4 

The ICE BofAML 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index is based on the assumed purchase of a synthetic instrument having 3 months to maturity and with a coupon equal to the closing quote for 3-Month LIBOR. That issue is sold the following day (priced at a yield equal to the current day closing 3-Month LIBOR rate) and is rolled into a new 3-month instrument. The index, therefore, will always have a constant maturity equal to exactly 3 months. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

5 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares since inception with the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index and the ICE BofAML 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 4.00%.

 

6 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

8 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund underperformed its index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index and outperformed the ICE BofAML 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

The Fund’s shorter duration posture compared with the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index detracted from performance, while the longer duration position relative to the ICE BofAML 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index contributed to performance.

 

 

The Fund’s holdings in European investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, asset-backed securities (ABS), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), and emerging market bonds contributed to performance. U.S. high yield tended to underperform similar-duration Treasuries during the period and, while posting positive returns, was a detractor relative to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index.

Economic growth moderated and policy accommodation began.

Over the past four quarters, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew by roughly 2% in real terms, which was in the range of the post-financial-crisis average, but has been trending slightly lower. Consumer spending was a contributor to growth over the period, topping business investment and government spending. Business investment, while being a contributor the prior year, started to wane and was a small detractor. Inventories and trade were also a net detractor from GDP growth, driven in part by the ongoing trade wars between the U.S. and China, among other countries.

While U.S. labor market job growth slowed toward period-end, it remains firm. Nonfarm payrolls expanded by an average of 179,000 jobs per month over the period, slightly lower than the prior period. The unemployment rate declined to 3.5% at the end of September 2019 from 3.7% a year earlier. Also encouraging was the increase in the employment/population ratio during the reporting period, reflecting both the fall in unemployment and a modest increase in the labor force participation rate. Wage gains of about 2.9% over the past 12 months were sufficient to support consumption growth without sparking fears of rising inflation. The CPI6 rose 1.7% over the past year, partially due to lower commodity prices from the prior year.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20197  
   

SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF

     2.92  
   

iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF

     1.82  
   

Verus Securitization Trust Series 2019-3 Class A2, 2.94%, 7-25-2059

     1.25  
   

Mexico, 6.50%, 6-9-2022

     1.24  
   

Russia, 6.90%, 5-23-2029

     1.24  
   

Indonesia, 7.00%, 5-15-2022

     1.19  
   

Bonos y Obligaciones del Estado, 0.25%, 7-30-2024

     1.12  
   

Longtrain Leasing III LLC Series 2015-1A Class A2, 4.06%, 1-15-2045

     1.07  
   

GS Mortgage Security Trust Series 2018-LUAU Class B, 3.43%, 11-15-2032

     1.03  
   

Hertz Fleet Lease Funding LP Series 2019-1 Class E, 4.62%, 1-10-2033

     1.00  

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) rate-setting committee, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), raised the federal funds rate once and cut the rate twice over the past 12 months, resulting in a net reduction in the range of 0.25%. The FOMC pivoted from normalization to accommodation at the end of 2018 following a slowdown in growth across Europe and other developed economies that resulted in weaker economic readings in the U.S. In addition, an inversion of the U.S. Treasury yield curve following more and more bonds having negative yields across Europe also led the Fed to react and cut rates in accordance with market sentiment beginning in the third quarter of 2019.

Interest rates were materially lower over the past 12 months across the yield curve. Yields on 2-year Treasuries fell by 118 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) during the period, while 10-year Treasuries were lower by 137 bps. Investment-grade credit spreads widened rapidly toward the end of 2018, as concerns of weakening global growth stoked recession fears in the U.S., but moderated as the 12-month period ended, finishing slightly wider than where they started.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

The Fund increased allocations to securitized sectors while decreasing exposures to U.S. credit.

During the period, the Fund reduced its positions in U.S. credit and leveraged loans while adding securitized and U.S. high-yield bonds. The decreased U.S. credit allocation has been a methodical decrease as spreads on most credit sectors continue to tighten in 2019 and remain inside of their five-year averages. Credit valuations continue to be less attractive than they were earlier in the year. In response, we have been adding to higher-quality securitized positions as the credit cycle continues to extend, where we’ve found more relative value and can move up in quality. As a result, our exposure to higher-quality collateralized mortgage obligations, ABS, CLOs, and commercial mortgage-backed securities increased over the period. European investment-grade and high-yield exposure was mostly unchanged during the period.

 

Portfolio composition as of September 30, 20198
LOGO

The Fund’s duration remained steady at around 2.0 years during the period.

While we continue to expect a moderately supportive macroeconomic environment, the credit cycle is closer to the end than the beginning and the risk of a recession has been rising. In addition, while the Fed has pivoted to an accommodative stance in 2019 and the market expects more rate cuts as the year closes, it’s not clear how trade wars and economic growth outside the U.S. will affect future decisions by the Fed.

Market volatility has ticked up and dispersion within sectors is increasing. Higher volatility and more dispersion creates opportunities to generate alpha through superior security selection, which we expect to be a key contributor to performance going forward. We remain cautious within lower-quality tiers of credit and have methodically moved the portfolio’s quality up to reflect our views as we look for opportunities.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,027.26      $ 4.58        0.90

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.55      $ 4.57        0.90
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,023.57      $ 8.39        1.65

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,016.78      $ 8.36        1.65
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,028.22      $ 3.82        0.75

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.30      $ 3.81        0.75
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,028.85      $ 3.06        0.60

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,022.05      $ 3.05        0.60

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Asset-Backed Securities: 8.07%  

AmeriCredit Automobile Receivables Trust Series 2015-4 Class D

    3.72     12-8-2021      $ 300,000      $ 302,505  

AmeriCredit Automobile Receivables Trust Series 2018-3 Class D

    4.04       11-18-2024        1,100,000        1,151,463  

Avis Budget Rental Car Funding LLC Series 2016-1A Class A 144A

    2.99       6-20-2022        230,000        232,495  

Avis Budget Rental Car Funding LLC Series 2017-1A Class C 144A

    4.15       9-20-2023        650,000        667,188  

Bank of the West Auto Trust Series 2018-1 Class C 144A

    3.98       5-15-2024        1,100,000        1,139,316  

Capital Auto Receivables Trust Series 2018-2 Class C 144A

    3.69       12-20-2023        1,200,000        1,217,838  

Chesapeake Funding II LLC Series 2017-3A Class C 144A

    2.78       8-15-2029        800,000        804,780  

Chesapeake Funding II LLC Series 2017-3A Class D 144A

    3.38       8-15-2029        120,000        121,278  

Chesapeake Funding II LLC Series 2017-4A Class D 144A

    3.26       11-15-2029        400,000        402,838  

Coinstar Funding LLC Series 2017-1A Class A2 144A

    5.22       4-25-2047        1,089,913        1,122,462  

Dell Equipment Finance Trust Series 2017-2 Class D 144A

    3.27       10-23-2023        400,000        401,634  

DRB Prime Student Loan Trust Series 2017-C Class C 144A

    3.29       11-25-2042        416,263        416,915  

Hertz Fleet Lease Funding LP Series 2019-1 Class E 144A

    4.62       1-10-2033        1,550,000        1,561,363  

Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC Series 2015-1A Class B 144A

    3.52       3-25-2021        1,100,000        1,104,111  

SMB Private Education Loan Trust Series 2015-C Class C 144A

    4.50       9-17-2046        290,000        307,687  

Tesla Auto Lease Trust Series 2018-A Class E 144A

    4.94       3-22-2021        350,000        353,099  

Tesla Auto Lease Trust Series 2018-B Class D 144A

    5.29       11-22-2021        1,200,000        1,237,138  

Total Asset-Backed Securities (Cost $12,291,297)

 

     12,544,110  
         

 

 

 

Corporate Bonds and Notes: 19.33%

 

Communication Services: 2.19%

 

Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.22%  

AT&T Incorporated

    3.80       2-15-2027        265,000        280,800  

Level 3 Financing Incorporated

    5.38       1-15-2024        60,000        61,191  
            341,991  
         

 

 

 
Entertainment: 0.10%  

Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated 144A

    4.88       11-1-2024        150,000        155,406  
         

 

 

 
Media: 1.63%  

CCO Holdings LLC 144A

    5.38       5-1-2025        150,000        155,625  

Charter Communications Operating LLC

    4.91       7-23-2025        700,000        769,284  

Cinemark USA Incorporated

    5.13       12-15-2022        75,000        75,938  

Cox Communications Incorporated 144A

    3.50       8-15-2027        200,000        209,664  

CSC Holdings LLC 144A

    5.50       5-15-2026        400,000        420,960  

Gray Television Incorporated 144A

    5.13       10-15-2024        100,000        103,625  

Gray Television Incorporated 144A

    5.88       7-15-2026        150,000        156,000  

Lamar Media Corporation

    5.00       5-1-2023        50,000        50,938  

National CineMedia LLC

    6.00       4-15-2022        175,000        176,750  

Nexstar Escrow Incorporated 144A

    5.63       7-15-2027        10,000        10,475  

Nielsen Finance LLC 144A

    5.00       4-15-2022        75,000        75,210  

Outfront Media Capital Corporation

    5.88       3-15-2025        100,000        103,125  

Salem Media Group Incorporated 144A

    6.75       6-1-2024        50,000        43,250  

Scripps Escrow Incorporated 144A

    5.88       7-15-2027        25,000        25,375  

The E.W. Scripps Company 144A

    5.13       5-15-2025        150,000        150,375  
            2,526,594  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.24%  

Sprint Communications Incorporated 144A

    7.00       3-1-2020        150,000        152,438  

Sprint Spectrum Company 144A

    5.15       9-20-2029        65,000        70,525  

T-Mobile USA Incorporated

    4.75       2-1-2028        25,000        26,163  

T-Mobile USA Incorporated

    6.38       3-1-2025        120,000        124,315  
            373,441  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Consumer Discretionary: 1.87%

 

Auto Components: 0.42%  

Adient Global Holdings 144A

    3.50 %       8-15-2024      $ 515,000      $ 475,947  

Allison Transmission Incorporated 144A

    4.75       10-1-2027        50,000        51,500  

Allison Transmission Incorporated 144A

    5.00       10-1-2024        50,000        51,094  

Allison Transmission Incorporated 144A

    5.88       6-1-2029        25,000        27,125  

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

    8.00       12-15-2019        50,000        50,438  
            656,104  
         

 

 

 
Automobiles: 0.06%  

Ford Motor Company

    7.45       7-16-2031        80,000        91,783  
         

 

 

 
Distributors: 0.26%  

IAA Spinco Incorporated 144A

    5.50       6-15-2027        100,000        105,500  

LKQ Corporation

    4.75       5-15-2023        300,000        303,750  
            409,250  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services: 0.15%  

Carriage Services Incorporated 144A

    6.63       6-1-2026        75,000        76,838  

Service Corporation International

    4.63       12-15-2027        150,000        156,000  
            232,838  
         

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.17%  

KFC Holding Company 144A

    5.00       6-1-2024        250,000        259,375  
         

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 0.62%  

Asbury Automotive Group Incorporated

    6.00       12-15-2024        175,000        181,125  

Group 1 Automotive Incorporated

    5.00       6-1-2022        50,000        50,500  

Group 1 Automotive Incorporated 144A

    5.25       12-15-2023        100,000        102,750  

Lithia Motors Incorporated 144A

    5.25       8-1-2025        175,000        182,438  

Penske Auto Group Incorporated

    3.75       8-15-2020        70,000        70,266  

Penske Auto Group Incorporated

    5.38       12-1-2024        150,000        154,313  

Penske Auto Group Incorporated

    5.75       10-1-2022        50,000        50,669  

Sonic Automotive Incorporated

    5.00       5-15-2023        175,000        177,188  
            969,249  
         

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 0.19%  

Levi Strauss & Company

    5.00       5-1-2025        200,000        207,712  

The William Carter Company 144A

    5.63       3-15-2027        75,000        80,250  
            287,962  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 0.02%

 

Food Products: 0.02%  

Darling Ingredients Incorporated 144A

    5.25       4-15-2027        25,000        26,250  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 2.46%

 

Energy Equipment & Services: 0.41%  

Diamond Offshore Drilling Incorporated

    4.88       11-1-2043        125,000        57,813  

Era Group Incorporated

    7.75       12-15-2022        40,000        40,600  

Hilcorp Energy Company 144A

    5.75       10-1-2025        175,000        162,750  

NGPL PipeCo LLC 144A

    7.77       12-15-2037        100,000        129,586  

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Energy Equipment & Services (continued)  

Oceaneering International Incorporated

    6.00 %       2-1-2028      $ 150,000      $ 143,625  

USA Compression Partners LP

    6.88       4-1-2026        100,000        103,750  
            638,124  
         

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 2.05%  

Antero Midstream Partners LP 144A

    5.75       1-15-2028        50,000        41,500  

Archrock Partners LP 144A

    6.88       4-1-2027        100,000        106,121  

Carrizo Oil & Gas Incorporated

    8.25       7-15-2025        100,000        97,960  

Cheniere Energy Partners LP 144A

    4.50       10-1-2029        25,000        25,609  

Cheniere Energy Partners LP

    5.25       10-1-2025        100,000        104,025  

Cheniere Energy Partners LP

    5.63       10-1-2026        100,000        106,115  

Denbury Resources Incorporated 144A

    9.00       5-15-2021        75,000        69,563  

Denbury Resources Incorporated 144A

    9.25       3-31-2022        100,000        87,500  

EnLink Midstream Partners LP

    4.40       4-1-2024        50,000        48,153  

EnLink Midstream Partners LP

    4.85       7-15-2026        225,000        213,750  

Gulfport Energy Corporation

    6.00       10-15-2024        150,000        108,503  

Indigo Natural Resources LLC 144A

    6.88       2-15-2026        125,000        112,656  

Murphy Oil Corporation

    5.75       8-15-2025        155,000        157,325  

Murphy Oil Corporation

    6.88       8-15-2024        50,000        52,250  

Nabors Industries Incorporated

    5.75       2-1-2025        150,000        111,000  

Rockies Express Pipeline LLC 144A

    5.63       4-15-2020        150,000        152,063  

Rockies Express Pipeline LLC 144A

    6.88       4-15-2040        75,000        81,623  

Rose Rock Midstream LP

    5.63       11-15-2023        100,000        102,375  

SemGroup Corporation

    7.25       3-15-2026        125,000        135,313  

Southern Star Central Corporation 144A

    5.13       7-15-2022        200,000        201,500  

Sunoco Logistics Partner LP

    5.40       10-1-2047        750,000        818,217  

Tallgrass Energy Partners LP 144A

    5.50       9-15-2024        250,000        248,750  

Ultra Resources Incorporated 144A

    7.13       4-15-2025        75,000        6,000  
            3,187,871  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 5.18%

 

Banks: 0.95%  

Bank of America Corporation (3 Month LIBOR +4.55%) ±

    6.30       12-29-2049        265,000        298,125  

Deutsche Bank AG

    4.88       12-1-2032        500,000        452,690  

JPMorgan Chase & Company (3 Month LIBOR +3.25%) ±

    5.15       12-29-2049        350,000        360,063  

JPMorgan Chase & Company (3 Month LIBOR +3.30%) ±

    6.00       12-31-2049        100,000        106,857  

PNC Financial Services (3 Month LIBOR +3.30%) ±

    5.00       12-29-2049        250,000        259,375  
            1,477,110  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 0.27%  

Blackstone Holdings Finance Company LLC 144A

    3.15       10-2-2027        100,000        103,203  

Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated

    4.25       10-21-2025        300,000        321,597  
            424,800  
         

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 1.89%  

FirstCash Incorporated 144A

    5.38       6-1-2024        175,000        180,250  

Ford Motor Credit Company LLC

    3.20       1-15-2021        1,500,000        1,501,968  

General Motors Financial Company Incorporated

    5.65       1-17-2029        170,000        187,461  

Springleaf Finance Corporation

    6.63       1-15-2028        100,000        107,530  

Springleaf Finance Corporation

    7.13       3-15-2026        25,000        27,733  

Springleaf Finance Corporation

    7.75       10-1-2021        150,000        163,125  

Synchrony Financial

    3.95       12-1-2027        750,000        768,988  
            2,937,055  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Diversified Financial Services: 0.17%  

LPL Holdings Incorporated 144A

    5.75 %       9-15-2025      $ 250,000      $ 260,000  
         

 

 

 
Insurance: 1.90%  

American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company

    5.00       6-15-2027        100,000        105,112  

Brighthouse Financial Incorporated

    4.70       6-22-2047        745,000        665,017  

Guardian Life Insurance Company 144A

    4.85       1-24-2077        200,000        253,255  

HUB International Limited 144A

    7.00       5-1-2026        175,000        180,031  

Lincoln National Corporation

    7.00       6-15-2040        855,000        1,219,405  

MetLife Incorporated

    6.40       12-15-2066        200,000        237,181  

PartnerRe Finance LLC

    3.70       7-2-2029        180,000        187,605  

USI Incorporated 144A

    6.88       5-1-2025        100,000        101,498  
            2,949,104  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 1.84%

 

Health Care Providers & Services: 1.73%  

CHS Incorporated «

    5.13       8-1-2021        175,000        174,563  

CVS Health Corporation

    5.05       3-25-2048        730,000        830,180  

Davita Incorporated

    5.00       5-1-2025        150,000        149,438  

Highmark Incorporated 144A

    6.13       5-15-2041        850,000        1,044,666  

MPH Acquisition Holdings LLC 144A

    7.13       6-1-2024        25,000        23,031  

MPT Operating Partnership LP

    5.25       8-1-2026        200,000        209,550  

Select Medical Corporation 144A

    6.25       8-15-2026        125,000        130,625  

Tenet Healthcare Corporation

    5.13       5-1-2025        125,000        126,725  
            2,688,778  
         

 

 

 
Health Care Technology: 0.11%  

Change Healthcare Holdings Incorporated 144A

    5.75       3-1-2025        175,000        177,625  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 1.23%

 

Aerospace & Defense: 0.07%  

RBS Global & Rexnord LLC 144A

    4.88       12-15-2025        100,000        102,740  
         

 

 

 
Airlines: 0.10%  

United Airlines

    4.15       2-25-2033        150,000        163,763  
         

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.32%  

Advanced Disposal Services Incorporated 144A

    5.63       11-15-2024        50,000        52,188  

Covanta Holding Corporation

    5.88       3-1-2024        75,000        77,250  

Covanta Holding Corporation

    6.00       1-1-2027        75,000        78,938  

KAR Auction Services Incorporated 144A

    5.13       6-1-2025        275,000        284,625  
            493,001  
         

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 0.10%  

Resideo Funding Incorporated 144A

    6.13       11-1-2026        150,000        158,250  
         

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.26%  

General Electric Company (3 Month LIBOR +3.33%) ±

    5.00       12-29-2049        430,000        407,963  
         

 

 

 
Machinery: 0.17%  

Stevens Holding Company Incorporated 144A

    6.13       10-1-2026        150,000        159,563  

Trimas Corporation 144A

    4.88       10-15-2025        100,000        101,750  
            261,313  
         

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 0.12%  

Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC 144A

    6.50       10-1-2025        175,000        179,813  
         

 

 

 

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Transportation Infrastructure: 0.09%  

Toll Road Investors Partnership II LP 144A¤

    0.00 %       2-15-2027      $ 200,000      $ 138,708  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 1.95%

 

Communications Equipment: 0.54%  

CommScope Technologies Finance LLC 144A

    6.00       6-15-2025        50,000        45,125  

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

    5.50       9-1-2044        750,000        799,691  
            844,816  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 0.37%  

Cardtronics Incorporated 144A

    5.50       5-1-2025        150,000        152,250  

Gartner Incorporated 144A

    5.13       4-1-2025        325,000        340,031  

Zayo Group LLC

    6.38       5-15-2025        75,000        77,235  
            569,516  
         

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 0.45%  

Broadcom Corporation

    3.88       1-15-2027        695,000        698,593  
         

 

 

 
Software: 0.43%  

Citrix Systems Incorporated

    4.50       12-1-2027        250,000        270,321  

Fair Isaac Corporation 144A

    5.25       5-15-2026        200,000        213,500  

SS&C Technologies Incorporated 144A

    5.50       9-30-2027        25,000        26,126  

Symantec Corporation 144A

    5.00       4-15-2025        150,000        151,661  
            661,608  
         

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 0.16%  

NCR Corporation

    5.00       7-15-2022        50,000        50,563  

NCR Corporation

    5.88       12-15-2021        100,000        100,750  

NCR Corporation

    6.38       12-15-2023        100,000        102,750  
            254,063  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 0.60%

 

Containers & Packaging: 0.53%  

Flex Acquisition Company Incorporated 144A

    6.88       1-15-2025        100,000        91,210  

Flex Acquisition Company Incorporated 144A

    7.88       7-15-2026        50,000        45,875  

Owens-Illinois Incorporated 144A

    6.38       8-15-2025        125,000        132,500  

Silgan Holdings Incorporated

    3.25       3-15-2025        500,000        557,918  
            827,503  
         

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 0.07%  

Novelis Corporation 144A

    5.88       9-30-2026        75,000        78,656  

Novelis Corporation 144A

    6.25       8-15-2024        25,000        26,125  
            104,781  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 1.24%

 

Equity REITs: 0.99%  

CoreCivic Incorporated

    4.63       5-1-2023        100,000        96,889  

ESH Hospitality Incorporated 144A

    4.63       10-1-2027        25,000        25,063  

ESH Hospitality Incorporated 144A

    5.25       5-1-2025        200,000        206,750  

Sabra Health Care LP

    5.38       6-1-2023        250,000        254,725  

SBA Tower Trust 144A

    2.84       1-15-2025        500,000        500,665  

Tanger Properties LP

    3.75       12-1-2024        400,000        408,801  

The Geo Group Incorporated

    5.88       10-15-2024        50,000        43,000  
            1,535,893  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Real Estate Management & Development: 0.25%                          

Washington Prime Group Incorporated

    3.85 %       4-1-2020      $ 400,000      $ 397,696  
         

 

 

 

Utilities: 0.75%

         
Electric Utilities: 0.27%                          

Oglethorpe Power Corporation

    4.25       4-1-2046        400,000        415,252  
         

 

 

 
Gas Utilities: 0.01%                          

Suburban Propane Partners LP

    5.88       3-1-2027        25,000        25,551  
         

 

 

 
Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers: 0.47%                          

NSG Holdings LLC 144A

    7.75       12-15-2025        79,851        85,640  

Pattern Energy Group Incorporated 144A

    5.88       2-1-2024        325,000        332,719  

TerraForm Global Operating LLC 144A

    6.13       3-1-2026        25,000        25,688  

TerraForm Power Operating LLC 144A

    5.00       1-31-2028        275,000        286,000  
            730,047  
         

 

 

 

Total Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $28,553,122)

            30,041,580  
         

 

 

 
         
                 Shares         
Exchange-Traded Funds: 4.74%                          

iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF

         25,000        2,833,750  

SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF

         41,666        4,530,761  

Total Exchange-Traded Funds (Cost $7,300,522)

            7,364,511  
         

 

 

 
         
                 Principal         
Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes: 7.98%                          

Communication Services: 0.38%

         
Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.30%                          

Global Switch Holdings Limited

    2.25       5-31-2027      EUR 400,000        474,742  
         

 

 

 
Media: 0.08%                          

Altice (Luxembourg) SA

    7.25       5-15-2022      EUR 64,337        71,538  

Altice (Luxembourg) SA 144A

    7.25       5-15-2022      EUR 42,892        47,692  
            119,230  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 1.26%

         
Auto Components: 0.29%                          

HP Pelzer Holding Gmbh 144A

    4.13       4-1-2024      EUR 450,000        456,144  
         

 

 

 
Automobiles: 0.38%                          

Peugeot SA Company

    2.00       3-20-2025      EUR 500,000        586,349  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services: 0.30%                          

Intertrust Group BV 144A

    3.38       11-15-2025      EUR 400,000        458,324  
         

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.29%                          

Accor SA

    1.25       1-25-2024      EUR 400,000        451,265  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 1.47%

 

Food & Staples Retailing: 0.54%  

Casino Guichard Perracho SA

    3.58       2-7-2025      EUR 400,000        382,386  

Tasty Bondco 1 SA 144A

    6.25       5-15-2026      EUR 400,000        457,788  
            840,174  
         

 

 

 

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Food Products: 0.63%  

Danone SA

    1.75 %       12-31-2099      EUR 400,000      $ 445,247  

Sigma Holdings Company BV 144A

    5.75       5-15-2026      EUR 500,000        538,762  
            984,009  
         

 

 

 
Household Products: 0.30%  

Energizer Gamma Acquisition BV 144A

    4.63       7-15-2026      EUR 400,000        460,177  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 0.67%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 0.67%  

Eni SpA

    1.13       9-19-2028      EUR 800,000        927,026  

Total SA

    3.88       12-29-2049      EUR 100,000        118,668  
            1,045,694  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 2.31%

 

Banks: 1.08%  

Bankia SA

    6.00       12-31-2099      EUR 600,000        675,188  

Caixa Geral de Depositos SA

    5.75       6-28-2028      EUR 400,000        488,123  

Caixa Geral de Depositos SA

    10.75       12-31-2099      EUR 400,000        506,291  
            1,669,602  
         

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 0.29%                          

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Bank SpA

    1.00       11-15-2021      EUR 400,000        444,477  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 0.66%  

JAB Holdings BV

    1.75       6-25-2026      EUR 400,000        465,400  

LKQ European Holdings BV Company 144A

    3.63       4-1-2026      EUR 500,000        570,940  
            1,036,340  
         

 

 

 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance: 0.28%  

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG

    2.88       6-28-2027      EUR 400,000        439,535  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 0.95%

 

Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.59%  

Paprec Holding SA 144A

    4.00       3-31-2025      EUR 450,000        458,322  

Prosegur Cash SA

    1.38       2-4-2026      EUR 400,000        447,446  
            905,768  
         

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 0.36%  

Europcar Groupe SA 144A

    4.13       11-15-2024      EUR 500,000        560,044  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 0.29%

 

IT Services: 0.29%  

Capgemini SE

    1.00       10-18-2024      EUR 400,000        453,636  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 0.36%

 

Equity REITs: 0.29%  

Unibail Rodamco SE

    2.13       12-31-2099      EUR 400,000        446,499  
         

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development: 0.07%  

ATF Netherlands BV

    1.50       7-15-2024      EUR 100,000        114,119  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Utilities: 0.29%

 

Multi-Utilities: 0.29%  

EP Infrastructure AS

    1.66 %       4-26-2024      EUR 400,000      $ 447,986  
         

 

 

 

Total Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $12,553,879)

 

     12,394,114  
  

 

 

 
Foreign Government Bonds: 12.67%  

Argentina ¤

    0.00       5-28-2020      ARS 32,500,000        293,398  

Bonos y Obligaciones del Estado 144A

    0.25       7-30-2024      EUR 1,550,000        1,734,328  

Bonos y Obligaciones del Estado

    0.75       7-30-2021      EUR 770,000        858,565  

Brazil

    10.00       1-1-2021      BRL 2,440,000        620,688  

Brazil

    10.00       1-1-2027      BRL 2,615,000        738,027  

Colombia

    7.00       5-4-2022      COP 4,500,000,000        1,360,452  

Indonesia

    7.00       5-15-2022      IDR 26,000,000,000        1,856,211  

Italy Buoni Poliennali del Tesoro

    0.05       4-15-2021      EUR 750,000        821,328  

Malaysia

    3.88       3-10-2022      MYR 6,000,000        1,458,471  

Mexico

    6.50       6-9-2022      MXN 38,260,000        1,928,530  

Republic of Peru

    5.70       8-12-2024      PEN 4,465,000        1,475,916  

Republic of South Africa

    6.75       3-31-2021      ZAR 20,325,000        1,342,966  

Republic of South Africa

    8.75       2-28-2048      ZAR 7,975,000        465,766  

Romania

    3.40       3-8-2022      RON 4,000,000        917,098  

Russia

    6.90       5-23-2029      RUB 125,000,000        1,927,396  

Turkey

    8.50       9-14-2022      TRY 6,000,000        943,244  

Turkey

    13.00       11-13-2019      TRY 5,400,000        955,304  

Total Foreign Government Bonds (Cost $20,487,847)

 

     19,697,688  
  

 

 

 

Loans: 2.56%

 

Communication Services: 0.56%

 

Media: 0.40%  

Ancestry.com Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +4.25%) ±

    6.30       8-27-2026      $ 198,480        193,766  

Gray Television Incorporated (3 Month LIBOR +2.50%) ±

    4.83       1-2-2026        99,250        99,512  

Mission Broadcasting Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.25%) ±

    4.35       1-17-2024        21,436        21,447  

Nexstar Broadcasting Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.25%) ±

    4.29       1-17-2024        107,609        107,660  

Nielsen Finance LLC (1 Month LIBOR +2.00%) ±

    4.04       10-4-2023        198,477        198,328  
            620,713  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.16%  

Sprint Communications Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.50%) ±

    4.56       2-2-2024        247,462        245,529  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 0.56%

 

Auto Components: 0.09%  

Allison Transmission Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.00%) ±

    4.05       3-29-2026        140,734        141,731  
         

 

 

 
Distributors: 0.19%  

Spin Holdco Incorporated (3 Month LIBOR +3.25%) ±

    5.57       11-14-2022        299,471        294,230  
         

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.28%  

CCM Merger Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.25%) ±

    4.29       8-8-2021        241,214        241,289  

Four Seasons Holdings Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.00%) ±

    4.04       11-30-2023        197,964        198,818  
            440,107  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 0.16%

 

Capital Markets: 0.07%  

Tortoise Borrower LLC (1 Month LIBOR +3.50%) ±‡%%<

    5.54       1-31-2025        99,747        98,749  
         

 

 

 

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Diversified Financial Services: 0.09%  

Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA (1 Month LIBOR +3.75%) ±

    5.80     11-27-2023      $ 140,332      $ 140,639  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 0.20%

 

Pharmaceuticals: 0.20%  

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +3.00%) ±

    5.04       6-2-2025        313,994        315,140  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 0.44%

 

Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.02%  

KAR Auction Services Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +2.25%) ±

    4.31       9-19-2026        22,771        22,856  
         

 

 

 
Communications Equipment: 0.32%  

Charter Communications Operating LLC (3 Month LIBOR +2.00%) ±

    4.05       4-30-2025        494,962        497,684  
         

 

 

 
Machinery: 0.10%  

Columbus McKinnon Corporation (3 Month LIBOR +2.50%) ±

    4.60       1-31-2024        160,053        160,453  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 0.41%

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 0.38%  

Dell International LLC (1 Month LIBOR +2.00%) ±

    4.05       9-19-2025        586,140        588,708  
         

 

 

 
Software: 0.03%  

Emerald Topco Incorporated (1 Month LIBOR +3.50%) ±

    5.54       7-24-2026        50,000        49,834  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 0.13%

 

Containers & Packaging: 0.13%  

RING Container Technologies (1 Month LIBOR +2.75%) ±%%<

    4.79       10-31-2024        199,488        197,555  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 0.10%

 

Real Estate Management & Development: 0.10%  

Capital Automotive LP (1 Month LIBOR +2.50%) ±

    4.55       3-24-2024        159,526        159,476  
         

 

 

 

Total Loans (Cost $3,983,241)

 

     3,973,404  
  

 

 

 

Municipal Obligations: 0.85%

 

Illinois: 0.72%

 

GO Revenue: 0.63%  

Chicago IL Refunding Bonds Taxable Project Series E

    6.05       1-1-2029        155,000        165,228  

Illinois Taxable Pension «

    5.10       6-1-2033        750,000        812,355  
            977,583  
         

 

 

 
Tax Revenue: 0.09%  

Chicago IL Transit Authority Taxable Pension Funding Series A

    6.90       12-1-2040        100,000        139,980  
         

 

 

 
            1,117,563  
         

 

 

 

Maryland: 0.07%

 

Education Revenue: 0.07%  

Maryland Health & HEFAR Green Street Academy Series B 144A

    6.75       7-1-2023        100,000        100,434  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Pennsylvania: 0.06%

 

Health Revenue: 0.06%  

Quakertown PA General Authority USDA Loan Anticipation Notes Series 2017-B

    3.80     7-1-2021      $ 100,000      $ 100,013  
         

 

 

 

Total Municipal Obligations (Cost $1,198,754)

 

     1,318,010  
         

 

 

 
Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities: 31.42%  

321 Henderson Receivables LLC Series 2013-2A Class A 144A

    4.21       3-15-2062        1,006,082        1,123,283  

321 Henderson Receivables LLC Series 2015-2A Class A 144A

    3.87       3-15-2058        381,884        424,569  

AFN LLC Series 2019-1A Class A2 144A‡

    4.46       5-20-2049        700,000        729,632  

ALM Loan Funding Series 2016-18A Class A2R (3 Month LIBOR +1.65%) 144A±

    3.95       1-15-2028        600,000        598,610  

Aqua Finance Trust Series 2019-A Class A 144A

    3.14       7-16-2040        550,000        550,712  

Arroyo Mortgage Trust Series 2019-1 Class A1 144A±±

    3.81       1-25-2049        701,063        716,641  

Arroyo Mortgage Trust Series 2019-2 Class A2 144A±±

    3.50       4-25-2049        1,401,092        1,422,905  

Avant Loans Funding Trust Series 2019-A Class A 144A

    3.48       7-15-2022        695,137        697,707  

Avery Point CLO Limited Series 2015-6A Class AR (3 Month LIBOR +1.05%) 144A±

    3.34       8-5-2027        750,000        750,482  

BB-UBS Trust Series 2012-TFT Class C 144A±±

    3.58       6-5-2030        150,000        148,647  

BCC Funding Corporation Series 2016-1 Class B 144A

    2.73       4-20-2022        262,093        262,160  

BlueMountain CLO Limited Series 2012-2A Class AR2 (3 Month LIBOR +1.05%) 144A±

    3.19       11-20-2028        1,500,000        1,500,693  

BlueMountain CLO Limited Series 2015-3A Class A1R (3 Month LIBOR +1.00%) 144A±

    3.28       4-20-2031        700,000        695,694  

Bowman Park CLO Limited Series 2014-1A Class AR (3 Month LIBOR +1.18 %) 144A±

    3.33       11-23-2025        1,260,791        1,262,164  

CIFC Funding Limited Series 2018-1A Class B (3 Month LIBOR +1.40%) 144A±

    4.18       4-18-2031        1,000,000        977,662  

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust Series 2018-C6 Class AS ±±

    4.64       11-10-2051        1,000,000        1,151,640  

CLI Funding LLC Series 2019-1A Class A 144A

    3.71       5-18-2044        1,445,360        1,473,406  

CLI Funding LLC Series 2019-1A Class B 144A

    4.64       5-18-2044        578,152        590,878  

Cole Park CLO Limited Series 2015-1A Class BR (3 Month LIBOR +1.60%) 144A±

    3.88       10-20-2028        1,000,000        997,672  

CommonBond Student Loan Trust Series 2018-CGS Class C 144A

    4.35       2-25-2046        1,377,624        1,388,752  

Consumer Lending Receivables LLC Series 2019-A Class A 144A

    3.52       4-15-2026        805,900        810,085  

Consumer Loan Underlying Bond Credit Trust Series 2018-P2 Class B 144A

    4.10       10-15-2025        500,000        509,292  

Consumer Loan Underlying Bond Credit Trust Series 2018-P3 Class A 144A

    3.82       1-15-2026        628,664        634,321  

Driven Brands Funding LLC Series 2019-2A Class A2 144A

    3.98       10-20-2049        350,000        351,647  

Foundation Finance Trust Series 2019-1A Class A 144A

    3.86       11-15-2034        836,660        847,465  

FREMF Mortgage Trust Series 2017-K724 Class B 144A±±

    3.60       11-25-2023        400,000        410,192  

GS Mortgage Security Trust Series 2014-GC22 Class AS

    4.11       6-10-2047        1,450,000        1,538,225  

GS Mortgage Security Trust Series 2018-LUAU Class B (1 Month LIBOR +1.40%) 144A±

    3.43       11-15-2032        1,600,000        1,597,990  

Harley Marine Financing LLC Barge Series 2018-1A Class A2 144A

    5.68       5-15-2043        668,131        589,192  

Longtrain Leasing III LLC Series 2015-1A Class A2 144A

    4.06       1-15-2045        1,600,000        1,657,231  

Marlette Funding Trust Series 2018-3A Class A 144A

    3.20       9-15-2028        203,088        203,610  

Marlette Funding Trust Series 2018-4A Class B 144A

    4.21       12-15-2028        1,100,000        1,130,086  

Marlette Funding Trust Series 2019-1A Class A 144A

    3.44       4-16-2029        786,013        791,669  

MidOcean Credit CLO Limited Series 2016-5A Class B1R (3 Month LIBOR +1.60%) 144A±

    3.90       7-19-2028        500,000        496,308  

MP CLO VIII Limited Series 2015-2A Class AR (3 Month LIBOR +0.91%) 144A±

    3.17       10-28-2027        600,000        599,929  

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (continued)  

Navistar Financial Dealer Note Series 2018-1 Class D (1 Month LIBOR +1.55%) 144A±

    3.57 %       9-25-2023      $ 600,000      $ 600,702  

New Residential Mortgage Loan Trust Series 2019-NQM2 Class A1 144A±±

    3.60       4-25-2049        873,021        884,297  

Onemain Financial Issuance Trust Series 2019-1A Class D 144A

    4.22       2-14-2031        1,100,000        1,145,932  

Oxford Finance Funding Trust Series 2019-1A Class A2 144A

    4.46       2-15-2027        800,000        820,288  

SoFi Consumer Loan Program Trust Series 2016-3 Class A 144A

    3.05       12-26-2025        95,561        95,928  

SoFi Consumer Loan Program Trust Series 2017-2 Class A 144A

    3.28       2-25-2026        593,419        598,001  

SoFi Consumer Loan Program Trust Series 2018-1 Class C 144A

    3.97       2-25-2027        700,000        716,441  

SoFi Consumer Loan Program Trust Series 2018-4 Class D 144A

    4.76       11-26-2027        300,000        311,043  

SoFi Professional Loan Program LLC Series 2016-A Class A2 144A

    2.76       12-26-2036        147,388        148,305  

SoFi Professional Loan Program LLC Series 2017-E Class B 144A

    3.49       11-26-2040        300,000        308,375  

Store Master Funding LLC Series 2014-1A Class A2 144A

    5.00       4-20-2044        97,333        102,397  

Store Master Funding LLC Series 2015-1A Class A1 144A

    3.75       4-20-2045        1,349,525        1,377,182  

Taco Bell Funding LLC Series 2018-1A Class A21 144A

    4.32       11-25-2048        992,500        1,027,992  

TCI Symphony CLO Limited Series 2016-1A Class BR (3 Month LIBOR +1.65%) 144A±

    3.95       10-13-2029        1,500,000        1,492,232  

Textainer Marine Containers Limited Series 2017-1A Class B 144A

    4.85       5-20-2042        132,761        134,920  

Textainer Marine Containers Limited Series 2017-2A Class B 144A

    4.75       6-20-2042        81,851        83,174  

Venture CDO Limited Series 2016-23A Class AR (3 Month LIBOR +1.07%) 144A±

    3.37       7-19-2028        700,000        698,258  

Venture CDO Limited Series 2017-28A Class A2 (3 Month LIBOR +1.11%) 144A±

    3.39       7-20-2030        1,180,000        1,171,667  

Venture CDO Limited Series 2018-35A Class AS (3 Month LIBOR +1.15%) 144A±

    3.43       10-22-2031        1,300,000        1,299,645  

Verus Securitization Trust Series 2019-1 Class A1 144A±±

    3.84       2-25-2059        815,625        824,610  

Verus Securitization Trust Series 2019-2 Class A1 144A±±

    3.21       4-25-2059        894,586        899,489  

Verus Securitization Trust Series 2019-3 Class A2 144A

    2.94       7-25-2059        1,946,426        1,946,852  

Voya CLO Limited Series 2015-1A Class A1R (3 Month LIBOR +0.90%) 144A±

    3.20       1-18-2029        1,500,000        1,498,211  

Voya CLO Limited Series 2019-1A Class A (3 Month LIBOR +1.17%) 144A±

    3.81       4-15-2029        1,000,000        999,991  

Total Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities (Cost $48,104,698)

 

     48,817,083  
         

 

 

 
         
      Expiration
date
     Shares         
Rights: 0.00%  

Utilities: 0.00%

 

Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers: 0.00%  

Vistra Energy Corporation †

 

    12-31-2046        6,516        5,539  
         

 

 

 

Total Rights (Cost $6,785)

 

     5,539  
         

 

 

 
         
                 Principal         
U.S. Treasury Securities: 0.66%  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.25       8-15-2049      $ 245,000        252,226  

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       5-15-2049        180,000        210,108  

U.S. Treasury Note

    2.38       5-15-2029        535,000        568,291  

Total U.S. Treasury Securities (Cost $996,622)

 

     1,030,625  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes: 5.73%

 

Communication Services: 0.69%

 

Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.69%  

British Telecommunication

    5.13 %       12-4-2028      $ 800,000      $ 915,180  

Connect Finco SARL 144A%%

    6.75       10-1-2026        150,000        152,813  
            1,067,993  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 0.95%

 

Energy Equipment & Services: 0.05%  

Valaris plc

    5.75       10-1-2044        175,000        74,375  
         

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 0.90%  

Baytex Energy Corporation 144A

    5.63       6-1-2024        150,000        138,000  

Comision Federal de Electricidad 144A

    4.75       2-23-2027        250,000        262,503  

Petroleos Mexicanos Company 144A

    6.84       1-23-2030        120,000        124,104  

Woodside Finance Limited 144A

    3.70       3-15-2028        850,000        872,719  
            1,397,326  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 3.11%

 

Banks: 1.59%  

ABN AMRO Bank NV 144A

    4.75       7-28-2025        200,000        215,197  

Banco Internacional del Peru 144A«%%

    3.25       10-4-2026        525,000        524,213  

BPCE SA 144A

    5.15       7-21-2024        305,000        334,012  

Credit Agricole SA 144A

    8.13       12-29-2049        265,000        311,706  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA 144A

    5.71       1-15-2026        635,000        673,914  

Perrigo Finance Unlimited Company

    4.38       3-15-2026        400,000        413,511  
            2,472,553  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 0.17%  

Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited 144A

    4.13       2-1-2029        240,000        269,157  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 0.20%  

Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA

    5.50       8-1-2023        300,000        279,870  

Trivium Packaging Finance BV 144A

    5.50       8-15-2026        25,000        26,280  
            306,150  
         

 

 

 
Insurance: 0.99%  

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings Limited

    4.35       10-29-2025        810,000        841,432  

Swiss Re Finance (Luxembourg) SA (5 Year Treasury Constant Maturity +3.58 %) 144A±

    5.00       4-2-2049        400,000        441,500  

Validus Holdings Limited

    8.88       1-26-2040        160,000        262,866  
            1,545,798  
         

 

 

 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance: 0.16%  

Nationwide Building Society 144A

    4.13       10-18-2032        250,000        249,192  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 0.60%

 

Pharmaceuticals: 0.60%  

Bausch Health Companies Incorporated 144A

    5.50       3-1-2023        11,000        11,138  

Bausch Health Companies Incorporated 144A

    5.50       11-1-2025        50,000        52,318  

Bausch Health Companies Incorporated 144A

    6.13       4-15-2025        225,000        233,438  

Bausch Health Companies Incorporated 144A

    7.00       3-15-2024        25,000        26,274  

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Pharmaceuticals (continued)  

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance BV

    2.20 %       7-21-2021      $ 200,000      $ 182,750  

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance BV

    4.10       10-1-2046        50,000        31,375  

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance Netherlands II BV

    4.50       3-1-2025        400,000        368,912  

Teva Pharmaceutical Finance Netherlands III BV

    6.75       3-1-2028        25,000        20,500  
            926,705  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 0.38%

 

Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.13%  

Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers Incorporated 144A

    5.38       1-15-2025        200,000        208,750  
         

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 0.14%  

Sensata Technologies BV 144A

    6.25       2-15-2026        200,000        213,000  
         

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure: 0.11%  

Asciano Finance Limited 144A

    4.63       9-23-2020        170,000        173,278  
         

 

 

 

Total Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $8,506,010)

 

     8,904,277  
         

 

 

 
Yankee Government Bonds: 1.27%  

Commonwealth of Bahamas

    6.00       11-21-2028        200,000        211,752  

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

    6.63       12-11-2024        200,000        208,104  

Mongolia Government

    5.63       5-1-2023        200,000        201,998  

Oman Government International Bond

    5.63       1-17-2028        400,000        393,574  

Province of Cordoba 144A

    7.13       8-1-2027        550,000        308,000  

Province of Santa Fe

    7.00       3-23-2023        350,000        231,875  

Republic of Rwanda

    6.63       5-2-2023        200,000        215,792  

Republic of Sri Lanka

    5.75       1-18-2022        200,000        200,596  

Total Yankee Government Bonds (Cost $2,260,005)

 

     1,971,691  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield            Shares         
Short-Term Investments: 4.50%                          
Investment Companies: 4.50%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11          1,264,839        1,264,965  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)##

    1.88          5,727,766        5,727,766  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $6,992,731)

            6,992,731  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $153,235,513)     99.78        155,055,363  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    0.22          347,947  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 155,403,310  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

±

Variable rate investment. The rate shown is the rate in effect at period end.

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

¤

The security is issued in zero coupon form with no periodic interest payments.

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs.

±±

The coupon of the security is adjusted based on the principal and interest payments received from the underlying pool of mortgages as well as the credit quality and the actual prepayment speed of the underlying mortgages.

<

All or a portion of the position represents an unfunded loan commitment.

Non-income-earning security

%%

The security is purchased on a when-issued basis.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

##

All or a portion of this security is segregated for when-issued securities and/or unfunded loans.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  23


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Abbreviations:

 

ARS

Argentine peso

 

BRL

Brazilian real

 

CDO

Collateralized debt obligation

 

CLO

Collateralized loan obligation

 

COP

Colombian peso

 

EUR

Euro

 

GBP

Great British pound

 

GO

General obligation

 

HEFAR

Higher Education Facilities Authority Revenue

 

IDR

Indonesian rupiah

 

INR

Indian rupee

 

LIBOR

London Interbank Offered Rate

 

MXN

Mexican peso

 

MYR

Malaysian ringgit

 

PEN

Peruvian sol

 

PLN

Polish zloty

 

REIT

Real estate investment trust

 

RON

Romanian leu

 

RUB

Russian ruble

 

TRY

Turkish lira

 

ZAR

South African rand

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
contracts
     Expiration
date
     Notional
cost
     Notional
value
     Unrealized
gains
     Unrealized
losses
 

Long

                 

Euro-Bund Futures

     8        12-6-2019      $ 1,517,921      $ 1,519,391      $ 1,470      $ 0  

U.S. Long Bond

     20        12-19-2019        3,269,566        3,246,250        0        (23,316

2-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     24        12-31-2019        5,182,538        5,172,000        0        (10,538

Short

                 

Euro-BOBL Futures

     (57)        12-6-2019        (8,464,282      (8,427,550      36,732        0  

Euro-Schatz Futures

     (161)        12-6-2019        (19,749,436      (19,711,893      37,543        0  

10-Year Ultra Futures

     (31)        12-19-2019        (4,497,850      (4,414,593      83,257        0  

10-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     (119)        12-19-2019        (15,699,798      (15,507,188      192,610        0  

U.S. Ultra Bond

     (21)        12-19-2019        (4,197,805      (4,030,032      167,773        0  

5-Year U.S. Treasury Notes

     (60)        12-31-2019        (7,207,762      (7,148,907      58,855        0  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 
               $ 578,240      $ (33,854
              

 

 

    

 

 

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
1,881,049 USD      28,300,000 ZAR      State Street Bank      10-7-2019      $ 13,677        $ 0  
10,000 PLN      2,616 USD      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        0          (121
2,026,180 USD      7,730,000 PLN      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        97,931          0  
7,720,000 PLN      2,019,740 USD      State Street Bank      10-28-2019        0           (93,985
1,952,183 USD      124,725,000 RUB      State Street Bank      10-29-2019          35,478          0  
37,875,000 INR      529,424 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        3,023          0  
38,900,000 INR      544,277 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        2,580          0  

 

 

24  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts (continued)

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
47,800,000 INR      668,952 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019      $ 3,021        $ 0  
14,150,000 INR      198,179 USD      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        742          0  
1,941,024 USD      13,725,000 INR      State Street Bank      11-7-2019        0          (9,174
1,982,969 USD      28,875,000,000 IDR      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        0          (43,286
2,025,000,000 IDR      140,041 USD      State Street Bank      11-8-2019        2,060          0  
885,000 EUR      822,906 GBP      State Street Bank      11-13-2019        0          (45,879
105,000,000 JPY      823,361 GBP      State Street Bank      11-14-2019        0          (40,276
1,431,933 USD      4,850,000,000 COP      State Street Bank      11-25-2019        41,735          0  
19,891,109 USD      17,837,000 EUR      Citibank      12-31-2019        310,257          0  
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 
                    $ 510,504        $ (232,721
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 

Centrally Cleared Credit Default Swaps

 

Reference index   Fixed rate
received
    Payment
frequency
    Maturity
date
    Notional
amount
    Value     Premium
paid
    Unrealized
gains
    Unrealized
losses
 

Sell protection

               

Markit CDX North America Investment Grade Index

    5.00     Quarterly       12-20-2023       1,455,000 USD     $ 112,404     $ 40,249     $ 72,155     $ 0  

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 

Short-Term Investments

                 

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    0       59,057,571       57,792,732       1,264,839     $ 0     $ 0     $ 40,867 #    $ 1,264,965    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    5,204,420       241,719,829       241,196,483       5,727,766       0       0       233,512       5,727,766    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 0     $ 0     $ 274,379     $ 6,992,731       4.50
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  25


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $1,239,357 of securities loaned, at value (cost $146,242,782)

  $ 148,062,632  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $6,992,731)

    6,992,731  

Cash at broker segregated for futures contracts

    668,477  

Cash at broker segregated for centrally cleared swaps

    133,852  

Foreign currency, at value (cost $80,926)

    79,801  

Receivable for investments sold

    914,983  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    59,588  

Receivable for interest

    1,212,727  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    1,243  

Receivable for daily variation margin on centrally cleared swaps

    3,395  

Receivable for daily variation margin on open futures contracts

    6,412  

Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts

    510,504  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    24,429  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    158,670,774  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    1,264,618  

Payable for investments purchased

    973,486  

Unrealized losses on forward foreign currency contracts

    232,721  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    139,407  

Management fee payable

    49,026  

Administration fees payable

    10,385  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,240  

Distribution fee payable

    346  

Overdraft due to custodian bank

    441,666  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    153,569  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    3,267,464  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 155,403,310  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 154,439,256  

Total distributable earnings

    964,054  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 155,403,310  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 1,394,195  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    146,683  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $9.50  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $9.90  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 520,294  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    54,849  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $9.49  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 74,905  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    7,837  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $9.56  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 153,413,916  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    16,157,346  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $9.49  

 

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/96 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

26  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Interest (net of foreign interest withholding taxes of $23,415)

  $ 6,220,310  

Dividends

    374,366  

Income from affiliated securities

    246,762  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    6,841,438  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    785,926  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    2,044  

Class C

    798  

Administrator Class

    996  

Institutional Class

    117,542  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    3,193  

Class C

    1,247  

Administrator Class

    2,491  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    3,735  

Custody and accounting fees

    39,160  

Professional fees

    55,710  

Registration fees

    58,604  

Shareholder report expenses

    29,260  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    6,518  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    1,128,876  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (217,848

Class A

    (544

Class C

    (205

Administrator Class

    (1,860
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    908,419  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    5,933,019  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    1,358,959  

Futures contracts

    (3,638,829

Forward foreign currency contracts

    835,315  

Credit default swap contracts

    334,927  
 

 

 

 

Net realized losses on investments

    (1,109,628
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    2,799,250  

Futures contracts

    366,632  

Forward foreign currency contracts

    354,713  

Credit default swap contracts

    71,491  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    3,592,086  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2,482,458  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 8,415,477  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  27


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 5,933,019       $ 1,753,605  

Net realized gains (losses) on investments

      (1,109,628       867,473  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      3,592,086         (1,713,628
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      8,415,477         907,450  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

       

Class A

      (49,220       (40,704

Class C

      (15,657       (12,934

Administrator Class

      (32,865       (108,162

Institutional Class

      (5,853,845       (1,581,265
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (5,951,587       (1,743,065
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    348,536       3,298,070       215,486       2,047,731  

Class C

    31,806       297,418       37,056       354,156  

Administrator Class

    7,156       67,124       533,993       5,101,091  

Institutional Class

    18,145,872       169,524,726       2,003,885       19,068,416  
 

 

 

 
      173,187,338         26,571,394  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    5,230       49,054       4,259       40,371  

Class C

    1,676       15,657       1,362       12,886  

Administrator Class

    3,474       32,494       11,373       107,817  

Institutional Class

    596,321       5,581,802       166,687       1,581,265  
 

 

 

 
      5,679,007         1,742,339  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (341,311     (3,228,609     (179,015     (1,698,518

Class C

    (33,529     (314,988     (25,570     (242,124

Administrator Class

    (581,301     (5,483,073     (25,370     (241,452

Institutional Class

    (7,379,074     (69,328,595     (2,163,121     (20,590,368
 

 

 

 
      (78,355,265       (22,772,462
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      100,511,080         5,541,271  
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

      102,974,970         4,705,656  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      52,428,340         47,722,684  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 155,403,310       $ 52,428,340  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

28  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

     Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31  
CLASS A    2019      2018      2017      20161          2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

     $9.43        $9.59        $9.25        $9.13        $9.72       $9.66  

Net investment income

     0.34 2       0.31 2       0.33 2       0.31        0.34       0.37  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

     0.09        (0.16      0.22        (0.01      (0.69     (0.05
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.43        0.15        0.55        0.30        (0.35     0.32  

Distributions to shareholders from

                

Net investment income

     (0.36      (0.31      (0.21      (0.13      (0.22     (0.26

Tax basis return of capital

     0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.05      (0.02     0.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

     (0.36      (0.31      (0.21      (0.18      (0.24     (0.26

Net asset value, end of period

     $9.50        $9.43        $9.59        $9.25        $9.13       $9.72  

Total return3

     4.66      1.59      6.05      3.34      (3.64 )%      3.36

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

                

Gross expenses

     1.09      1.45      1.78      1.80      1.63     1.51

Net expenses

     0.90      0.90      0.90      0.90      0.90     0.90

Net investment income

     3.65      3.26      3.47      3.85      3.77     4.02

Supplemental data

                

Portfolio turnover rate

     116      50      65      52      53     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

     $1,394        $1,266        $896        $1,047        $928       $714  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  29


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

     Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31  
CLASS C    2019      2018      2017      20161          2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

     $9.41        $9.57        $9.22        $9.10        $9.71       $9.65  

Net investment income

     0.27        0.23        0.29        0.25        0.28       0.31  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

     0.10        (0.15      0.18        (0.02      (0.68     (0.06
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.37        0.08        0.47        0.23        (0.40     0.25  

Distributions to shareholders from

                

Net investment income

     (0.29      (0.24      (0.12      (0.08      (0.19     (0.19

Tax basis return of capital

     0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.03      (0.02     0.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

     (0.29      (0.24      (0.12      (0.11      (0.21     (0.19

Net asset value, end of period

     $9.49        $9.41        $9.57        $9.22        $9.10       $9.71  

Total return2

     4.00      0.88      5.20      2.67      (4.35 )%      2.61

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

                

Gross expenses

     1.84      2.20      2.59      2.54      2.37     2.25

Net expenses

     1.65      1.65      1.65      1.65      1.65     1.65

Net investment income

     2.92      2.52      2.80      3.10      3.02     3.25

Supplemental data

                

Portfolio turnover rate

     116      50      65      52      53     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

     $520        $517        $403        $766        $711       $835  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

30  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

     Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS    2019      2018      2017      20161          2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

     $9.46        $9.61        $9.29        $9.16        $9.74       $9.66  

Net investment income

     0.36 2       0.33 2       0.34 2       0.33 2       0.37       0.39  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

     0.09        (0.16      0.20        (0.01      (0.70     (0.05
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.45        0.17        0.54        0.32        (0.33     0.34  

Distributions to shareholders from

                

Net investment income

     (0.35      (0.32      (0.22      (0.14      (0.22     (0.26

Tax basis return of capital

     0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.05      (0.03     0.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

     (0.35      (0.32      (0.22      (0.19      (0.25     (0.26

Net asset value, end of period

     $9.56        $9.46        $9.61        $9.29        $9.16       $9.74  

Total return3

     4.83      1.81      5.91      3.52      (3.51 )%      3.63

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

                

Gross expenses

     1.08      1.38      1.72      1.74      1.56     1.46

Net expenses

     0.75      0.75      0.75      0.75      0.75     0.75

Net investment income

     3.80      3.48      3.64      4.00      3.92     4.18

Supplemental data

                

Portfolio turnover rate

     116      50      65      52      53     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

     $75        $5,471        $562        $597        $496       $554  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  31


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

     Year ended September 30      Year ended October 31  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS    2019      2018      2017      20161          2015             2014      

Net asset value, beginning of period

     $9.42        $9.58        $9.24        $9.14        $9.71       $9.66  

Net investment income

     0.37 2       0.34        0.35 2       0.34        0.40       0.41 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

     0.09        (0.16      0.24        (0.02      (0.71     (0.07
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

     0.46        0.18        0.59        0.32        (0.31     0.34  

Distributions to shareholders from

                

Net investment income

     (0.39      (0.34      (0.25      (0.16      (0.23     (0.29

Tax basis return of capital

     0.00        0.00        0.00        (0.06      (0.03     0.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

     (0.39      (0.34      (0.25      (0.22      (0.26     (0.29

Net asset value, end of period

     $9.49        $9.42        $9.58        $9.24        $9.14       $9.71  

Total return3

     5.00      1.93      6.43      3.55      (3.28 )%      3.60

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

                

Gross expenses

     0.75      1.12      1.40      1.46      1.19     1.14

Net expenses

     0.60      0.60      0.60      0.60      0.60     0.60

Net investment income

     3.97      3.54      3.71      4.16      4.04     4.25

Supplemental data

                

Portfolio turnover rate

     116      50      65      52      53     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

     $153,414        $45,175        $45,862        $23,190        $17,564       $38,664  

 

 

 

 

1 

For the eleven months ended September 30, 2016. The Fund changed its fiscal year end from October 31 to September 30, effective September 30, 2016.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

32  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Equity securities and futures contracts that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Swap contracts are valued at the evaluated price provided by an independent pricing service or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).

The values of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  33


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

Forward foreign currency contracts

A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. The Fund enters into forward foreign currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign-denominated securities and to attempt to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between currencies. Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate and marked-to-market daily. When the contracts are closed, realized gains and losses arising from such transactions are recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency contracts. The Fund is subject to foreign currency risk and may be exposed to risks if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. The Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gains on the contracts. This risk may be mitigated if there is a master netting arrangement between the Fund and the counterparty.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

When-issued transactions

The Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. The Fund records a when-issued transaction on the trade date and will segregate assets in an amount at least equal in value to the Fund’s commitment to purchase when-issued securities. Securities purchased on a when-issued basis are marked-to-market daily and the Fund begins earning interest on the settlement date. Losses may arise due to changes in the market value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Loans

The Fund may invest in direct debt instruments which are interests in amounts owed to lenders by corporate or other borrowers. The loans pay interest at rates which are periodically reset by reference to a base lending rate plus a spread. Investments in loans may be in the form of participations in loans or assignments of all or a portion of loans from third parties. When the Fund purchases participations, it generally has no rights to enforce compliance with the terms of the loan agreement with the borrower. As a result, the Fund assumes the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. When the Fund purchases assignments from lenders, it acquires direct rights against the borrower on the loan and may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement. Loans may include fully funded term loans or unfunded loan commitments, which are contractual obligations for future funding.

Futures contracts

Futures contracts are agreements between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific amount of a commodity, financial instrument or currency at a specified price and on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts in order to gain exposure to, or protect against, changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates and is subject to interest rate risk and/or foreign currency risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are the imperfect correlation between changes in market values of securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts, and the possibility of an illiquid market. Futures contracts are generally entered into on a regulated futures exchange and cleared through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange. With futures contracts, there is minimal counterparty risk to the Fund since futures contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures contracts against default.

 

 

34  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

Upon entering into a futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit either cash or securities (initial margin) with the broker in an amount equal to a certain percentage of the contract value. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are paid to or from the broker each day equal to the daily changes in the contract value. Such payments are recorded as unrealized gains or losses and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (payable) in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Should the Fund fail to make requested variation margin payments, the broker can gain access to the initial margin to satisfy the Fund’s payment obligations. When the contracts are closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statement of Operations.

Swap contracts

Swap contracts are agreements between the Fund and a counterparty to exchange a series of cash flows over a specified period. Swap agreements are privately negotiated contracts between the Fund that are entered into as bilateral contracts in the OTC market (“OTC swaps”) or centrally cleared (“centrally cleared swaps”) with a central clearinghouse.

The Fund entered into centrally cleared swaps. In a centrally cleared swap, immediately following execution of the swap contract, the swap contract is novated to a central counterparty (the “CCP”) and the Fund’s counterparty on the swap agreement becomes the CCP. Upon entering into a centrally cleared swap, the Fund is required to deposit an initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities. Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Portfolio of Investments and cash deposited is shown as cash segregated for centrally cleared swaps in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). The variation margin is recorded as an unrealized gain (or loss) and shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on centrally cleared swaps in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Payments received from (paid to) the counterparty, including at termination, are recorded as realized gains (losses) in the Statement of Operations.

Credit default swaps

The Fund may enter into credit default swaps for hedging or speculative purposes to provide or receive a measure of protection against default on a referenced entity, obligation or index or a basket of single-name issuers or traded indexes. An index credit default swap references all the names in the index, and if a credit event is triggered, the credit event is settled based on that name’s weight in the index. Credit default swaps are agreements in which the protection buyer pays fixed periodic payments to the protection seller in consideration for a promise from the protection seller to make a specific payment should a negative credit event take place with respect to the referenced entity (e.g., bankruptcy, failure to pay, obligation acceleration, repudiation, moratorium or restructuring).

The Fund may enter into credit default swaps as either the seller of protection or the buyer of protection. If the Fund is the buyer of protection and a credit event occurs, the Fund will either receive from the seller an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap and deliver the referenced security or underlying securities comprising the index, or receive a net settlement of cash equal to the notional amount of the swap less the recovery value of the security or underlying securities comprising the index. If the Fund is the seller of protection and a credit event occurs, the Fund will either pay the buyer an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap and take delivery of the referenced security or underlying securities comprising the index or pay a net settlement of cash equal to the notional amount of the swap less the recovery value of the security or underlying securities comprising the index.

As the seller of protection, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap and has assumed the risk of default of the underlying security or index. As the buyer of protection, the Fund could be exposed to risks if the seller of the protection defaults on its obligation to perform, or if there are unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates.

By entering into credit default swap contracts, the Fund is exposed to credit risk. In addition, certain credit default swap contracts entered into by the Fund provide for conditions that result in events of default or termination that enable the counterparty to the agreement to cause an early termination of the transactions under those agreements.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Income from foreign securities is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  35


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

Income dividends and capital gain distributions from investment companies are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Capital gain distributions from investment companies are treated as realized gains.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income monthly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $152,697,840 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 5,759,019  

Gross unrealized losses

     (2,507,172

Net unrealized gains

   $ 3,251,847  

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had capital loss carryforwards which consist of $178,628 in short-term capital losses and $2,228,956 in long-term capital losses.

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

36  |  Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Asset-backed securities

   $ 0      $ 12,544,110      $ 0      $ 12,544,110  

Corporate bonds and notes

     0        30,041,580        0        30,041,580  

Exchange-traded funds

     7,364,511        0        0        7,364,511  

Foreign corporate bonds and notes

     0        12,394,114        0        12,394,114  

Foreign government bonds

     0        19,697,688        0        19,697,688  

Loans

     0        3,497,580        475,824        3,973,404  

Municipal obligations

     0        1,318,010        0        1,318,010  

Non-agency mortgage-backed securities

     0        48,087,451        729,632        48,817,083  

Rights

           

Utilities

     0        5,539        0        5,539  

U.S. Treasury securities

     1,030,625        0        0        1,030,625  

Yankee corporate bonds and notes

     0        8,904,277        0        8,904,277  

Yankee government bonds and notes

     0        1,971,691        0        1,971,691  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     6,992,731        0        0        6,992,731  
     15,387,867        138,462,040        1,205,456        155,055,363  

Futures contracts

     578,240        0        0        578,240  

Forward foreign currency contracts

     0        510,504        0        510,504  

Credit default swap contracts

     0        72,155        0        72,155  

Total assets

   $ 15,966,107      $ 139,044,699      $ 1,205,456      $ 156,216,262  

Liabilities

           

Futures contracts

   $ 33,854      $ 0      $ 0      $ 33,854  

Forward foreign currency contracts

     0        232,721        0        232,721  

Total liabilities

   $ 33,854      $ 232,721      $ 0      $ 266,575  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

Futures contracts, forward foreign currency contracts and swap contracts are reported at their cumulative unrealized gains (losses) at measurement date as reported in the tables following the Portfolio of Investments. For futures contracts and centrally cleared swaps, the current day’s variation margin is reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. All other assets and liabilities are reported at their market value at measurement date.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadvisers and providing fund-level administrative services in connection

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee

First $500 million

   0.525%

Next $500 million

   0.500

Next $2 billion

   0.475

Next $2 billion

   0.450

Next $5 billion

   0.415

Over $10 billion

   0.405

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.525% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of certain subadvisers to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”) is a subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.30% and declining to 0.15% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase. Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited, an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is also a subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.35% and declining to 0.20% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase. Prior to August 1, 2019, Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC was the subadviser for the Fund. Effective August 1, 2019, Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC merged with Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited and Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited became the subadviser to the Fund. This transaction did not result in any changes to the services provided to the Fund or to the strategies or fees and expenses.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee

Class A, Class C

   0.16%

Administrator Class

   0.10

Institutional Class

   0.08

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 0.90% for Class A shares, 1.65% for Class C shares, 0.75% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.60% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

 

 

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In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $308 from the sale of Class A. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A and Class C shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were as follows:

 

Purchases at cost

     Sales proceeds
U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
     U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
$81,530,236      $186,239,775      $80,732,441      $79,447,185

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had unfunded term loan commitments of $297,614.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty    Value of
securities on
loan
     Collateral
received1
     Net amount  

Barclays Capital Inc.

   $ 1,072,354      $ (1,072,354    $ 0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

     167,003        (167,003      0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund entered into futures contracts and forward foreign currency contracts for economic hedging purposes and credit default swap contracts as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying security or index to potentially enhance the Fund’s total return.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The volume of the Fund’s derivative activity during the year ended September 30, 2019 was as follows:

 

Futures contracts

  

Average notional balance on long futures

   $ 2,380,240  

Average notional balance on short futures

     56,029,843  

Forward foreign currency contracts

  

Average contract amounts to buy

   $ 8,253,400  

Average contract amounts to sell

     31,773,924  

Credit default swap contracts

  

Average notional balance

   $ 8,887,994  

The Fund’s credit default swap may contain provisions for early termination in the event the net assets of the Fund declines below specific levels identified by the counterparty. If these levels are triggered, the counterparty may terminate the transaction and seek payment or request full collateralization of the derivative transactions in net liability positions.

A summary of the location of derivative instruments on the financial statements by risk is outlined in the following tables.

The fair value of derivative instruments as of September 30, 2019 by risk type was as follows for the Fund:

 

    

Asset derivatives

    

Liability derivatives

 
      Statement of Assets and
Liabilities location
   Fair value      Statement of Assets and
Liabilities location
   Fair value  

Interest rate risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts    $ 502,495    Unrealized losses on futures contracts    $ 33,854

Foreign currency risk

   Unrealized gains on futures contracts      75,745    Unrealized losses on futures contracts      0
   Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts      510,504      Unrealized losses on forward foreign currency contracts      232,721  

Credit risk

   Net unrealized gains on swap contracts      72,155    Net unrealized losses on swap contracts      0
          $ 1,160,899           $ 266,575  

 

*

Amount represents cumulative unrealized gains (losses) as reported in the tables following the Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day’s variation margin as of September 30, 2019 is reported separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

The effect of derivative instruments on the Statement of Operations for the year ended September 30, 2019 was as follows for the Fund:

 

       Amount of realized gains(losses) on derivatives  
        Futures
contracts
       Forward
foreign
currency
contracts
       Swap
contracts
       Total  

Interest rate risk

     $ (3,655,326      $ 0        $ 0        $ (3,655,326

Foreign currency risk

       16,497          835,315          0          851,812  

Credit risk

       0          0          334,927          334,927  
       $ (3,638,829      $ 835,315        $ 334,927        $ (2,468,587
       Change in unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives  
       Futures
contracts
       Forward
foreign
currency
contracts
       Swap
contracts
       Total  

Interest rate risk

     $ 345,208        $ 0        $ 0        $      345,208  

Foreign currency risk

       21,424          354,713          0          376,137  

Credit risk

       0          0          71,491          71,491  
       $ 366,632        $ 354,713        $ 71,491        $ 792,836  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

For certain types of derivative transactions, the Fund has entered into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. master agreements (“ISDA Master Agreements”) or similar agreements with approved counterparties. The ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements may have requirements to deliver/deposit securities or cash to/with an exchange or broker-dealer as collateral and allows the Fund to offset, with each counterparty, certain derivative financial instrument’s assets and/or liabilities with collateral held or pledged. Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral or margin requirements are set by the broker or exchange clearinghouse for exchange traded derivatives while collateral terms are contract specific for over-the-counter traded derivatives. Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Fund under ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements, if any, are reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Securities pledged as collateral, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. With respect to balance sheet offsetting, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are not offset across transactions between the Fund and the applicable counterparty. A reconciliation of the gross amounts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities to the net amounts by counterparty, including any collateral exposure, for OTC derivatives is as follows:

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of assets in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
received
       Net amount
of assets
 

State Street

     $200,247      $(200,247)      $ 0        $ 0  

Citibank

     310,257      0        0          310,257  
Counterparty      Gross amounts
of liabilities in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
pledged
       Net amount
of liabilities
 

State Street

     $232,721      $(200,247)      $ 0        $ 32,474  

8. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

9. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid was $5,951,587 and $1,743,065 of ordinary income for the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, respectively.

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary
income
   Unrealized
gains
   Capital loss
carryforward
$122,119    $3,251,847    $(2,407,584)

 

 

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10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

11. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended September 30, 2019, for the period ended September 30, 2016, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended October 31, 2015. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the three-year period ended September 30, 2019, for the period ended September 30, 2016, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended October 31, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $3,062,673 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, 1.68% of the ordinary income distributed was derived from interest on U.S. government securities.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr. (Born 1952)   Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson (Born 1949)   Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker
(Born 1950)
  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell
(Born 1953)
  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny
(Born 1951)
  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson
(Born 1959)
  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen (Born 1960)   President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Nancy Wiser1 (Born 1967)   Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)   Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.
David Berardi (Born 1975)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  47


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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for the Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management; and (iii) an investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC (“WFAM International”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The sub-advisory agreements with WellsCap and WFAM International (the “Sub-Advisers”) are collectively referred to as the Sub-Advisory Agreements, and the Management Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Advisers’ business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was higher than or in range of the average investment performance of the Universe for the one- and three-year periods under review, and lower than the average investment performance of the Universe for the five-year period under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Universal Bond Index, for the one- and five-year periods under review, but higher than its benchmark for the three-year period under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Advisers for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were lower than or in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Advisers for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Advisers, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Advisers under the Sub-Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Advisers’ profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Strategic Income Fund  |  49


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that the Fund’s fee and expense arrangements, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Advisers, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Advisers’ businesses as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Advisers, fees earned by Funds Management and WellsCap from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Advisers, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406809 11-19

A263/AR263 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks maximum long-term return (current income and capital appreciation), consistent with minimizing risk to principal.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Cooke and Bieler, L.P.

Portfolio managers

Andrew B. Armstrong, CFA®

Wesley Lim, CFA®*

Steve Lyons, CFA®

Michael M. Meyer, CFA®

Edward W. O’Connor, CFA®

R. James O’Neil, CFA®

Mehul Trivedi, CFA®

William Weber, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios(%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (CBMAX)   7-26-2004     -1.12       8.29       11.60       4.91       9.58       12.26       1.30       1.26  
                   
Class C (CBMCX)   7-26-2004     3.14       8.77       11.42       4.14       8.77       11.42       2.05       2.01  
                   
Class R6 (CBMYX)3   7-31-2018                       5.39       9.98       12.64       0.87       0.81  
                   
Administrator Class (CBMIX)   7-26-2004                       5.03       9.68       12.34       1.22       1.16  
                   
Institutional Class (CBMSX)   7-26-2004                       5.29       9.96       12.63       0.97       0.91  
                   
Russell Midcap® Value Index4                         1.60       7.55       12.29              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20195

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

*

Mr. Lim became a portfolio manager of the Fund on August 1, 2019.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses, which include the impact of 0.01% in acquired fund fees and expenses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at 1.25% for Class A, 2.00% for Class C, 0.80% for Class R6, 1.15% for Administrator Class, and 0.90% for Institutional Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for the Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Institutional Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

4 

The Russell Midcap® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price/book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000® Value Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell Midcap® Value Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

6 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

7 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  7


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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell Midcap® Value Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Stock selection accounted for most of the Fund’s outperformance. Top contributors to performance were Crown Holdings, Incorporated; Arch Capital Group Limited; and Hexcel Corporation. The Fund’s underweight to energy was also a significant contributor.

 

 

MEDNAX, Incorporated; Alliance Data Systems Corporation; and PRA Group, Incorporated, were the largest detractors from performance. The Fund’s underweights to the high-yielding utilities and real estate sectors also caused a significant drag on returns.

Overview

The past year has been a bumpy ride for markets, though general sentiment seemed more tempestuous than its point-to-point return would indicate. Continuous geopolitical events including prolonged trade wars, a disrupted global oil supply, renewed and amplified appeals for U.S. presidential impeachment, and multiple U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts caused short-term market disruptions despite underlying fundamentals remaining mostly positive. This choppiness was punctuated by September’s significant rotation toward value and away from growth and momentum. We are confident that our long-term approach and disciplined focus on fundamentals, balance sheets, and valuations are well suited to profit both from the opportunities created by short-term volatility as well as the long-term compounding ability of high-quality businesses.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20196       
   

Helen of Troy Limited

     3.23  
   

Arrow Electronics Incorporated

     3.21  
   

Fidelity National Financial Incorporated

     3.04  
   

American Eagle Outfitters Incorporated

     3.01  
   

Colfax Corporation

     3.01  
   

AerCap Holdings NV

     2.90  
   

TCF Financial Corporation

     2.86  
   

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Company

     2.68  
   

State Street Corporation

     2.66  
   

Syneos Health Incorporated

     2.52  

Fund updates

We continue to find compelling opportunities for the Fund as market disruptions create pockets of valuation weakness despite strong fundamentals. We initiated positions across multiple industries, including video game developer Activision Blizzard, Incorporated; young-adult retailer American Eagle Outfitters, Incorporated; four industrial companies—Acuity Brands, Incorporated; BWX Technologies, Incorporated; Gates Industrial Corporation plc; and Hexcel Corporation—hospital bed provider Hill-Rom Holdings, Incorporated; and three information technology (IT) companies—Leidos Holdings, Incorporated; Applied Materials, Incorporated; and MKS Instruments, Incorporated.

 

 

In order to make room for these holdings, we eliminated three financial companies—Markel Corporation; PRA Group, Incorporated; and RenaissanceRe Holdings Limited—two IT companies—Analog Devices, Incorporated, and Genpact Limited—materials company Ball Corporation; health care firm Cardinal Health, Incorporated; industrials company Quanex Building Products Corporation; consumer staples firm United Natural Foods, Incorporated; and energy company World Fuel Services Corporation.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20197
LOGO

The five largest contributors to the Fund’s return were balanced across four sectors, led by manufacturer Crown Holdings.

Crown Holdings, the leading manufacturer of beverage, food, and aerosol cans, recovered from weak results in 2018 by reporting strong free cash flow generation in the beginning of 2019, bolstering positive investor sentiment, and contributing the most to the Fund. Insurer Arch Capital has seen improved investor sentiment, which has led to a re-rating over the past year, and industrials company Hexcel has benefited from solid earnings and growing end markets. Consumer discretionary companies Whirlpool Corporation and Gildan Activewear Incorporated were the fourth- and

 

fifth-largest contributors, respectively. From a positioning standpoint, the Fund benefited significantly from its underweight to energy, which had a staggering -36.99% return for the trailing 12 months, and gained from overweights to industrials and IT.

The Fund’s five largest detractors were also from four sectors, with health care company MEDNAX having the most negative impact.

MEDNAX, operator of neonatology, anesthesiology, and radiology physician practices, was the largest detractor over the trailing 12 months. The company has continued to face wages and benefits inflation that has outpaced its revenue growth. MEDNAX management’s increasingly comprehensive approach to stabilizing profitability will take time to play out. Marketing solutions company Alliance Data Systems disappointed investors with its inability to properly monetize the sale of its Epsilon business unit. Financials company PRA Group struggled to leverage its additional investments in collections capabilities and was ultimately eliminated from the Fund. State Street Corporation and Gates Industrial Corporation were the fourth- and fifth-largest detractors, respectively. From a positioning standpoint, the Fund’s underweights to utilities and real estate were significant headwinds.

Outlook

The stock market entered the fourth quarter with major indices up double digits for the year but facing a clearly slowing economy and a well-known, though concerning, list of geopolitical risks. The Fed has signaled its intent to cushion any shocks, but low global interest rates and years of quantitative easing raise questions as to how helpful it can be. With valuations less supportive than they were entering the year, conditions seem likely to get bumpy, although we would not underestimate the market’s ability to climb the wall of worry. Regardless of the exact path the markets take, we have learned we can rely on them to be more volatile than their underlying fundamentals—a backdrop conducive to idea generation. As always, our focus is on identifying businesses at compelling valuations that generate attractive fundamental returns for our shareholders, often by taking advantage of others’ impatience.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,088.04      $ 6.56        1.25

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,018.79      $ 6.34        1.25
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,084.14      $ 10.47        2.00

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.02      $ 10.12        2.00
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,090.66      $ 4.20        0.80

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.05      $ 4.06        0.80
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,088.69      $ 6.04        1.15

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.29      $ 5.84        1.15
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,090.12      $ 4.73        0.90

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.54      $ 4.57        0.90

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

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Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  

Common Stocks: 95.87%

          

Communication Services: 4.30%

          
Entertainment: 1.95%                           

Activision Blizzard Incorporated

          146,900      $ 7,773,948  
          

 

 

 
Media: 2.35%                           

Omnicom Group Incorporated

          119,100        9,325,530  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 14.57%

          
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 0.71%                           

Extended Stay America Incorporated

          191,100        2,797,704  
          

 

 

 
Household Durables: 5.03%                           

Helen of Troy Limited †

          81,300        12,817,757  

Whirlpool Corporation

          45,300        7,173,708  
     19,991,465  
          

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 4.70%                           

American Eagle Outfitters Incorporated

          738,670        11,981,227  

Williams-Sonoma Incorporated «

          98,600        6,702,828  
     18,684,055  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 4.13%                           

Gildan Activewear Incorporated

          271,100        9,624,050  

HanesBrands Incorporated

          443,500        6,794,420  
     16,418,470  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 19.26%

          
Banks: 4.77%                           

Commerce Bancshares Incorporated

          125,605        7,617,943  

TCF Financial Corporation

          298,313        11,356,776  
     18,974,719  
          

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 2.66%                           

State Street Corporation

          178,500        10,565,415  
          

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 3.76%                           

FirstCash Financial Services Incorporated

          56,140        5,146,354  

Synchrony Financial

          287,000        9,783,830  
     14,930,184  
          

 

 

 
Insurance: 8.07%                           

Arch Capital Group Limited †

          194,300        8,156,714  

Fidelity National Financial Incorporated

          272,400        12,097,284  

Globe Life Incorporated

          87,200        8,350,272  

The Progressive Corporation

          44,600        3,445,350  
     32,049,620  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 9.95%

          
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 1.60%                           

Hill-Rom Holdings Incorporated

          60,400        6,355,892  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Health Care Providers & Services: 3.80%                           

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings †

          55,100      $ 9,256,800  

MEDNAX Incorporated †

          257,800        5,831,436  
     15,088,236  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 2.52%                           

Syneos Health Incorporated †

          188,200        10,014,122  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 2.03%                           

Perrigo Company plc

          144,700        8,087,283  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 25.08%

          
Aerospace & Defense: 3.98%                           

BWX Technologies Incorporated

          139,500        7,980,795  

Hexcel Corporation

          95,400        7,835,202  
     15,815,997  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 1.25%                           

Johnson Controls International plc

          113,300        4,972,737  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 1.83%                           

Steelcase Incorporated Class A

          396,200        7,290,080  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 5.33%                           

Acuity Brands Incorporated

          30,450        4,104,356  

AMETEK Incorporated

          87,600        8,043,432  

Eaton Corporation plc

          108,400        9,013,460  
     21,161,248  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 9.79%                           

Colfax Corporation †

          411,300        11,952,378  

Donaldson Company Incorporated

          127,900        6,661,032  

Gates Industrial Corporation plc †

          538,300        5,420,681  

Snap-on Incorporated

          52,500        8,218,350  

Woodward Governor Company

          61,700        6,653,111  
     38,905,552  
          

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 2.90%                           

AerCap Holdings NV †

          210,600        11,530,350  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 12.09%

          
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 5.18%                           

Arrow Electronics Incorporated †

          170,800        12,738,264  

TE Connectivity Limited

          84,400        7,864,392  
     20,602,656  
          

 

 

 
IT Services: 4.22%                           

Alliance Data Systems Corporation

          25,100        3,216,063  

Amdocs Limited

          147,900        9,777,669  

Leidos Holdings Incorporated

          44,000        3,778,720  
     16,772,452  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.69%                           

Applied Materials Incorporated

          74,800        3,732,520  

MKS Instruments Incorporated

 

     75,200        6,939,456  
     10,671,976  
          

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                    Shares      Value  

Materials: 8.70%

         
Chemicals: 1.55%                          

Axalta Coating Systems Limited †

 

     204,400      $ 6,162,660  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 2.45%                          

Crown Holdings Incorporated †

 

     147,700        9,757,062  
         

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 2.68%                          

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Company

 

     106,800        10,643,688  
         

 

 

 
Paper & Forest Products: 2.02%                          

Schweitzer-Mauduit International Incorporated

 

     214,415        8,027,698  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 1.92%

         
Real Estate Management & Development: 1.92%                          

CBRE Group Incorporated Class A †

 

     143,800        7,622,838  
         

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $322,873,286)

 

     380,993,637  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield                      

Short-Term Investments: 5.83%

         
Investment Companies: 5.83%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11                                 5,733,177        5,733,750  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          17,446,499        17,446,499  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $23,180,249)

 

     23,180,249        
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $346,053,535)     101.70        404,173,886  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (1.70        (6,756,750
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 397,417,136  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    14,621,190       65,880,768       74,768,781       5,733,177     $ 588     $ (239   $ 119,161 #    $ 5,733,750    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    21,485,564       138,029,964       142,069,029       17,446,499       0       0       353,976       17,446,499    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 588     $ (239   $ 473,137     $ 23,180,249       5.83
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $5,608,350 of securities loaned), at value (cost $322,873,286)

  $ 380,993,637  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $23,180,249)

    23,180,249  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    2,413,393  

Receivable for dividends

    343,137  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    1,688  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    69,966  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    407,002,070  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    5,732,549  

Payable for investments purchased

    3,174,666  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    323,644  

Management fee payable

    226,804  

Administration fees payable

    47,650  

Distribution fee payable

    2,827  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,215  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    74,579  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    9,584,934  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 397,417,136  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 329,023,870  

Total distributable earnings

    68,393,266  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 397,417,136  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 106,975,155  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    2,696,381  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $39.67  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $42.09  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 4,591,721  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    124,179  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $36.98  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 15,112,037  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    377,253  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $40.06  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 24,036,486  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    598,786  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $40.14  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 246,701,737  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    6,161,966  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $40.04  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $20,833)

  $ 5,318,108  

Income from affiliated securities

    368,239  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    5,686,347  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    2,522,013  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    212,032  

Class C

    12,097  

Class R6

    3,308  

Administrator Class

    25,761  

Institutional Class

    258,308  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    252,419  

Class C

    14,401  

Administrator Class

    49,540  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    43,085  

Custody and accounting fees

    21,535  

Professional fees

    39,942  

Registration fees

    100,233  

Shareholder report expenses

    61,669  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    17,024  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    3,655,019  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (127,489

Class C

    (1

Class R6

    (2,083

Administrator Class

    (3,965

Institutional Class

    (40,183
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    3,481,298  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    2,205,049  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    10,275,310  

Affiliated securities

    588  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    10,275,898  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    6,365,972  

Affiliated securities

    (239
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    6,365,733  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    16,641,631  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 18,846,680  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 2,205,049       $ 972,703  

Net realized gains on investments

      10,275,898         15,512,927  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      6,365,733         7,326,810  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      18,846,680         23,812,440  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

 

     

Class A

      (159,086       (10,376

Class R6

      (76,727       0 1 

Administrator Class

      (60,977       (21,699

Institutional Class

      (1,010,122       (345,183
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (1,306,912       (377,258
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    316,284       11,568,529       304,664       11,072,438  

Class C

    28,128       897,999       35,196       1,207,072  

Class R6

    475,263       17,075,950       669 1      25,000 1 

Administrator Class

    200,859       7,561,359       398,153       14,622,451  

Institutional Class

    3,096,014       113,109,321       4,171,649       152,624,942  
 

 

 

 
      150,213,158         179,551,903  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    4,720       154,816       278       10,143  

Class R6

    995       32,841       0 1      0 1 

Administrator Class

    1,590       52,718       473       17,442  

Institutional Class

    30,350       1,001,844       8,408       308,732  
 

 

 

 
      1,242,219         336,317  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (564,439     (20,529,618     (651,887     (23,945,939

Class C

    (139,702     (4,695,256     (58,143     (2,005,684

Class R6

    (99,674     (3,641,646     0 1      0 1 

Administrator Class

    (150,211     (5,462,836     (450,885     (16,245,676

Institutional Class

    (2,201,065     (78,294,383     (1,924,282     (70,722,538
 

 

 

 
      (112,623,739       (112,919,837
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      38,831,638         66,968,383  
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

      56,371,406         90,403,565  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      341,045,730         250,642,165  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 397,417,136       $ 341,045,730  
 

 

 

 

 

1 

For the period from July 31, 2018 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2018

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $37.88       $35.07       $29.27       $25.12       $25.26  

Net investment income (loss)

    0.16       0.06       (0.00 )1,2      0.07 1      0.05 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.69       2.75       5.82       4.13       (0.14
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.85       2.81       5.82       4.20       (0.09

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.06     (0.00 )3      (0.02     (0.05     (0.05

Net asset value, end of period

    $39.67       $37.88       $35.07       $29.27       $25.12  

Total return4

    4.91     8.02     19.89     16.73     (0.36 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.29     1.29     1.30     1.33     1.35

Net expenses

    1.25     1.25     1.25     1.24     1.20

Net investment income (loss)

    0.43     0.16     (0.00 )%      0.27     0.18

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    42     39     54     35     41

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $106,975       $111,354       $115,258       $120,020       $19,862  

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Amount is more than $(0.005).

 

3 

Amount is less than $0.005.

 

4 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $35.51       $33.12       $27.83       $24.02       $24.29  

Net investment loss

    (0.12 )1      (0.20 )1      (0.26     (0.14 )1      (0.15 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.59       2.59       5.55       3.95       (0.12
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.47       2.39       5.29       3.81       (0.27

Net asset value, end of period

    $36.98       $35.51       $33.12       $27.83       $24.02  

Total return2

    4.14     7.22     19.01     15.86     (1.11 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    2.04     2.04     2.05     2.08     2.10

Net expenses

    2.00     2.00     2.00     1.98     1.95

Net investment loss

    (0.36 )%      (0.59 )%      (0.74 )%      (0.55 )%      (0.57 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    42     39     54     35     41

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $4,592       $8,371       $8,567       $7,314       $6,737  

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

        Year ended September 30      
CLASS R6   2019     20181  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.27       $37.39  

Net investment income

    0.35 2      0.08 2 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.67       0.80  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.02       0.88  

Distributions to shareholders from

   

Net investment income

    (0.23     0.00  

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.06       $38.27  

Total return3

    5.39     2.35

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

   

Gross expenses

    0.86     0.86

Net expenses

    0.80     0.80

Net investment income

    0.95     1.24

Supplemental data

   

Portfolio turnover rate

    42     39

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $15,112       $26  

 

 

1 

For the period from July 31, 2018 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2018

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.35       $35.52       $29.63       $25.42       $25.54  

Net investment income

    0.20 1      0.10 1      0.04 1      0.08 1      0.06 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.70       2.78       5.89       4.19       (0.13
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.90       2.88       5.93       4.27       (0.07

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.11     (0.05     (0.04     (0.06     (0.05

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.14       $38.35       $35.52       $29.63       $25.42  

Total return

    5.03     8.13     20.02     16.82     (0.30 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.21     1.21     1.22     1.25     1.21

Net expenses

    1.15     1.15     1.15     1.15     1.15

Net investment income

    0.53     0.26     0.12     0.28     0.22

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    42     39     54     35     41

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $24,036       $20,960       $21,267       $8,302       $9,725  

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.26       $35.41       $29.53       $25.34       $25.49  

Net investment income

    0.28       0.19       0.16       0.16       0.10  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.70       2.78       5.82       4.17       (0.12
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.98       2.97       5.98       4.33       (0.02

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.20     (0.12     (0.10     (0.14     (0.13

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.04       $38.26       $35.41       $29.53       $25.34  

Total return

    5.29     8.41     20.30     17.11     (0.09 )%1 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.96     0.96     0.97     1.00     0.94

Net expenses

    0.90     0.90     0.90     0.90     0.90

Net investment income

    0.79     0.56     0.37     0.54     0.47

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    42     39     54     35     41

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $246,702       $200,335       $105,550       $38,161       $18,229  

 

1 

Total return reflects adjustments to conform with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Dividend income is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $348,545,266 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 69,092,602  

Gross unrealized losses

     (13,463,982

Net unrealized gains

   $ 55,628,620  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

     

Quoted prices

(Level 1)

    

Other significant

observable inputs

(Level 2)

    

Significant

unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 17,099,478      $ 0      $ 0      $ 17,099,478  

Consumer discretionary

     57,891,694        0        0        57,891,694  

Financials

     76,519,938        0        0        76,519,938  

Health care

     39,545,533        0        0        39,545,533  

Industrials

     99,675,964        0        0        99,675,964  

Information Technology

     48,047,084        0        0        48,047,084  

Materials

     34,591,108        0        0        34,591,108  

Real estate

     7,622,838        0        0        7,622,838  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     23,180,249        0        0        23,180,249  

Total assets

   $ 404,173,886      $ 0      $ 0      $ 404,173,886  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES AND OTHER EXPENSES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Next $2 billion

     0.630  

Next $4 billion

     0.620  

Over $16 billion

     0.610  

 

 

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund  |  25


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Notes to financial statements

 

Prior to February 1, 2019, Funds Management received a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Over $10 billion

     0.630  

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Cooke & Bieler, L.P., which is not an affiliate of Funds Management, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.35% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

     

Class-level

administration fee

 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.25% for Class A shares, 2.00% for Class C shares, 0.80% for Class R6 shares, 1.15% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.90% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $4,380 from the sale of Class A shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A and Class C shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $179,827,379 and $136,042,449, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty      Value of
securities
on loan
     Collateral
received1
     Net amount  

Bank of America Securities Inc.

     $5,608,350      $(5,608,350)      $ 0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid was $1,306,912 and $377,258 of ordinary income for the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, respectively.

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed

ordinary

income

  

Undistributed

long-term

gain

  

Unrealized

gains

$4,579,110    $8,185,536    $55,628,620

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

9. CONCENTRATION RISK

Concentration risks result from exposure to a limited number of sectors. As of the end of the period, the Fund invests a concentration of its portfolio in the industrials sector. A fund that invests a substantial portion of its assets in any sector may be more affected by changes in that sector than would be a fund whose investments are not heavily weighted in any sector.

10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

11. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 92.62% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $1,304,509 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $72,187 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

 

Position held and

length of service*

  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A

Jane A. Freeman

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A

Isaiah Harris, Jr.

(Born 1952)

  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation

Judith M. Johnson

(Born 1949)

  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

 

Position held and

length of service*

  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

David F. Larcker

(Born 1950)

  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A

Olivia S. Mitchell

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A

Timothy J. Penny

(Born 1951)

  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A

James G. Polisson

(Born 1959)

  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.

Nancy Wiser1

(Born 1967)

  Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.

Catherine Kennedy4

(Born 1969)

  Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.

Michael H. Whitaker

(Born 1967)

  Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo C&B Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Cooke & Bieler, L.P. (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management is a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was lower than the average performance of the Universe for the one-year period under review, but higher than the average performance of the Universe for the three-, five- and ten-year periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Russell Midcap® Value Index, for the one-, five- and ten-year periods under review, but higher than its benchmark index for the three-year period under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were equal to, lower than, or in range of, the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the other funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were lower than or equal to the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. The Board considered this amount in comparison to the median amount retained by advisers to funds in a sub-advised expense universe that was determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. The Board also considered that the sub-advisory fees paid to the Sub-Adviser had been negotiated by Funds Management on an arm’s length basis.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. The Board did not consider profitability with respect to the Sub-Adviser, as the sub-advisory fees paid to the Sub-Adviser had been negotiated by Funds Management on an arm’s-length basis.

Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management, the Sub-Adviser, and their affiliates as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and its affiliate from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management, the Sub-Adviser, and their affiliates were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406812 11-19

A228/AR228 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  1


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Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Ann M. Miletti

Christopher G. Miller, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios(%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (SCSAX)   11-30-2000     -4.90       6.74       10.62       0.91       8.01       11.28       1.26       1.26  
                   
Class C (STSAX)   11-30-2000     -0.83       7.20       10.44       0.17       7.20       10.44       2.01       2.01  
                   
Class R6 (SCSRX)3   6-28-2013                       1.31       8.47       11.70       0.83       0.83  
                   
Administrator Class (SCSDX)4   7-30-2010                       1.03       8.17       11.43       1.18       1.11  
                   
Institutional Class (SCNSX)5   7-30-2010                       1.31       8.45       11.68       0.93       0.86  
                   
Russell 2500TM Index6                         -4.04       8.57       12.22              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20197

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses, which include the impact of 0.01% in acquired fund fees and expenses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at 1.26% for Class A, 2.01% for Class C, 0.85% for Class R6, 1.10% for Administrator Class, and 0.85% for Institutional Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, the returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

4 

Historical performance shown for Administrator Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Class A shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Class A shares. If these expenses had not been included, the returns for Administrator Class shares would be higher.

 

5 

Historical performance shown for Institutional Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Class A shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Class A shares. If these expenses had not been included, the returns for Institutional Class shares would be higher.

 

6 

The Russell 2500TM Index measures the performance of the 2,500 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which represents approximately 16% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell 2500TM Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

8 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

9 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 2500TM Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Favorable stock selection in the information technology (IT), real estate, and industrials sectors drove performance.

 

 

A lack of exposure to utilities, and holdings in the energy and health care sectors detracted from performance.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, the U.S. stock market suffered a sharp decline but steadily recovered over the next three quarters. However, the Fund’s benchmark did not fully recover, declining 4.04% for the period. Utilities, real estate, and IT were the best-performing sectors in the benchmark, while energy, health care, and materials declined the most. Large-cap stocks generally outperformed small-cap stocks.

A number of factors have been influencing the U.S. stock market. Going into the period, lower corporate taxes, less regulation, and other pro-growth government policies had fueled optimism in U.S. businesses. The U.S. equity markets also benefited from the repatriation of cash held overseas, a significant ramp-up in share buybacks, increased capital spending, and high-profile merger and acquisition activity. By period-end, U.S. gross domestic product had increased for the 21st quarter in a row, the longest expansion in history. However, the period began with an equity market decline, exacerbated by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) raising rates. After its December 2018 rate increase, the Fed shifted to a more dovish posture and reduced rates twice to the range of 1.75% to 2.00% by September 2019. An unprecedented level of negative-yielding bonds globally and the potential impact of U.S. trade negotiations are key market concerns. Slowing U.S. corporate earnings growth also weighed on investor sentiment. However, consumer confidence remains positive with low unemployment and rising household net worth.

Through the reporting period, we continued to seek companies with solid business models, strong management teams, and healthy cash flow prospects.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20198  
   

LivaNova plc

     2.43  
   

E*TRADE Financial Corporation

     2.17  
   

Raymond James Financial Incorporated

     1.86  
   

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

     1.74  
   

Carlisle Companies Incorporated

     1.70  
   

Stericycle Incorporated

     1.70  
   

Hologic Incorporated

     1.69  
   

Sun Communities Incorporated

     1.67  
   

Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated

     1.63  
   

Reinsurance Group of America Incorporated

     1.58  

Stock selection in IT, real estate, and industrials were the largest contributors.

The Fund was overweight in IT, and our holdings outperformed the benchmark. IT services, software, and semiconductor holdings provided most of the outperformance. The real estate sector benefited from lower interest rates, and our holdings outperformed their peers. Among industrials, holdings in road and rail, electrical equipment, and industrial conglomerates were the biggest positives. The largest individual contributor was Royal Gold, Incorporated (RGLD), a precious-metals company focused on gold and silver. RGLD’s diversified royalty streaming business brought more stability and lower risk than many gold companies. RGLD rose almost 62% for the period,

 

gaining from the attractiveness of gold as a commodity. SBA Communications Corporation (SBAC) and Sun Communities Incorporated (SUI), U.S. real estate investment trusts, also contributed. SBAC, which rose just over 50%, owns and operates wireless communications infrastructure and towers in the Americas. Its cell towers are in great demand, with the growth of mobile data traffic. SUI rose almost 50%. It provides real estate management services and manufactured housing for U.S. recreational vehicle communities. It had strong financial results, and its manufactured housing portfolio has continued to demonstrate strong pricing power and organic cash flow growth.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20199
LOGO

Utilities, energy, and health care detracted from performance.

Utilities were the benchmark’s best-performing sector, and a lack of exposure to it detracted from relative returns. As a defensive sector, utilities have been driven by interest rate trends and the economic cycle. Conversely, energy was the worst-performing sector. The West Texas Intermediate crude oil price declined from $75 to $55 a barrel, despite brief spikes related to supply concerns from Venezuela and Iran and the attack on Saudi oil fields. While we own higher-quality exploration and production companies, these firms remained sensitive to crude oil prices. Individual detractors included Concho Resources Incorporated and Cimarex Energy Company. The largest overall individual detractor

 

was LivaNova PLC (LIVN), a medical technology company that specializes in neuromodulation, cardiac surgery, and cardiac rhythm management. LIVN was formed through the merger of Sorin SpA and Cyberonics. The stock fell 40% for the fiscal year as investors worried about regulatory setbacks and weak financial performance.

Our focus is constant: To add value by investing in attractively priced holdings.

We seek to buy stocks at a discount to their estimated private market values (PMVs) and sell them as they reach the top of their PMV range. Our disciplined, bottom-up investment process leads us to be overweight or underweight certain sectors. This positioning changes over time based on macroeconomic and industry-specific factors. During the period, we were overweight the industrials, IT, and financials sectors and underweight utilities, consumer discretionary, and communication services. We remain keenly aware of both price and enterprise values on a company-by-company basis.

Looking ahead, global trade agreements, U.S. government policies, and interest rates may drive the overall market and the portfolio’s performance. Lower taxes and reduced regulations have already had an impact on the U.S. economy, but a divided U.S. Congress may slow down any such reform. U.S.-China trade talks are on-again off-again. Reaching an agreement could be positive for bilateral and global trade. Future rate cuts are expected by the Fed, seen as a positive for the stock market. The prospect of a potential U.S. recession is a factor in investor sentiment along with the possible impact of a slowdown in other major global economies.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,048.78      $ 6.48        1.26

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,018.74      $ 6.39        1.26
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,044.71      $ 10.32        2.01

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,014.97      $ 10.17        2.01
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,051.17      $ 4.28        0.83

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.90      $ 4.21        0.83
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,049.66      $ 5.67        1.10

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.54      $ 5.58        1.10
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,050.85      $ 4.38        0.85

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.80      $ 4.32        0.85

 

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 98.35%           

Communication Services: 0.99%

          
Media: 0.99%                           

Interpublic Group of Companies Incorporated

          494,927      $ 10,670,626  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 7.46%

          
Auto Components: 1.37%                           

Dana Incorporated

          1,025,765        14,812,047  
          

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services: 0.49%                           

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company †

          995,800        5,307,614  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.37%                           

Jack in the Box Incorporated

          161,726        14,736,473  
          

 

 

 
Household Durables: 2.03%                           

Mohawk Industries Incorporated †

          76,831        9,532,422  

Whirlpool Corporation

          78,149        12,375,676  
             21,908,098  
          

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 1.34%                           

Expedia Group Incorporated

          107,286        14,420,311  
          

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 0.86%                           

Tractor Supply Company

          101,951        9,220,448  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 1.11%

          
Household Products: 1.11%                           

Church & Dwight Company Incorporated

          158,967        11,960,677  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 2.48%

          
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 2.48%                           

Cimarex Energy Company

          186,507        8,941,146  

Concho Resources Incorporated

          91,095        6,185,351  

Targa Resources Corporation

          287,513        11,549,397  
             26,675,894  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 18.42%

          
Banks: 5.29%                           

Pinnacle Financial Partners Incorporated

          228,561        12,970,837  

Sterling Bancorp

          779,161        15,629,970  

Webster Financial Corporation

          283,014        13,264,866  

Wintrust Financial Corporation

          234,236        15,138,673  
             57,004,346  
          

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 5.32%                           

CBOE Holdings Incorporated

          121,055        13,910,430  

E*TRADE Financial Corporation

          535,858        23,411,636  

Raymond James Financial Incorporated

          242,468        19,993,911  
             57,315,977  
          

 

 

 
Insurance: 7.81%                           

Arch Capital Group Limited †

          259,014        10,873,408  

Axis Capital Holdings Limited

          147,113        9,815,379  

CNO Financial Group Incorporated

          966,069        15,292,872  

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Insurance (continued)                           

First American Financial Corporation

          198,025      $ 11,685,455  

Reinsurance Group of America Incorporated

          106,238        16,985,331  

RenaissanceRe Holdings Limited

          27,627        5,344,443  

Willis Towers Watson plc

          73,510        14,185,225  
             84,182,113  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 12.67%

 

Biotechnology: 1.65%  

Agios Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †«

          42,822        1,387,433  

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Incorporated †

          60,924        4,106,278  

Neurocrine Biosciences Incorporated †

          88,892        8,010,058  

Sage Therapeutics Incorporated †

          30,819        4,323,598  
             17,827,367  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 5.68%  

Haemonetics Corporation †

          132,742        16,744,076  

Hologic Incorporated †

          361,072        18,230,525  

LivaNova plc †

          354,870        26,185,857  
             61,160,458  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 4.04%  

Humana Incorporated

          37,591        9,610,891  

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings †

          111,625        18,753,000  

Universal Health Services Incorporated Class B

          101,560        15,107,050  
             43,470,941  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.30%  

Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated Class A †

          42,191        14,038,633  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 18.47%

 

Aerospace & Defense: 1.11%  

Hexcel Corporation

          145,935        11,985,642  
          

 

 

 
Airlines: 1.68%  

Alaska Air Group Incorporated

          154,562        10,032,619  

Spirit Airlines Incorporated †

          220,600        8,007,780  
             18,040,399  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 2.58%  

Armstrong World Industries Incorporated

          154,114        14,902,824  

Fortune Brands Home & Security Incorporated

          234,706        12,838,418  
             27,741,242  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 2.89%  

Republic Services Incorporated

          147,779        12,790,272  

Stericycle Incorporated †«

          359,627        18,315,803  
             31,106,075  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 2.60%  

AMETEK Incorporated

          153,370        14,082,433  

Sensata Technologies Holding plc †

          278,762        13,954,826  
             28,037,259  
          

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 1.70%  

Carlisle Companies Incorporated

          125,879        18,320,430  
          

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


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Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Machinery: 3.58%  

Altra Industrial Motion Corporation

          372,117      $ 10,305,780  

Gardner Denver Holdings Incorporated †

          430,163        12,169,311  

Rexnord Corporation †

          596,029        16,122,584  
             38,597,675  
          

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 1.31%  

Saia Incorporated †

          150,765        14,126,681  
          

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 1.02%  

Air Lease Corporation

          263,460        11,017,897  
          

 

 

 
Information Technology: 19.66%  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 0.99%  

Avnet Incorporated

          239,430        10,651,044  
          

 

 

 
IT Services: 6.37%  

Amdocs Limited

          253,851        16,782,090  

Black Knight Incorporated †

          225,718        13,782,341  

Genpact Limited

          401,268        15,549,135  

InterXion Holding NV †

          135,497        11,037,586  

WEX Incorporated †

          57,087        11,535,570  
             68,686,722  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 4.60%  

Brooks Automation Incorporated

          404,009        14,960,453  

Marvell Technology Group Limited

          617,884        15,428,563  

Maxim Integrated Products Incorporated

          183,187        10,608,359  

ON Semiconductor Corporation †

          445,074        8,549,872  
             49,547,247  
          

 

 

 
Software: 7.70%                           

8x8 Incorporated †

          606,651        12,569,809  

Cornerstone OnDemand Incorporated †

          264,774        14,514,911  

Nuance Communications Incorporated

          873,808        14,251,808  

Proofpoint Incorporated †

          111,980        14,451,019  

RealPage Incorporated †

          231,339        14,541,970  

Zendesk Incorporated †

          172,803        12,593,883  
             82,923,400  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 7.13%

 

Chemicals: 2.77%  

Axalta Coating Systems Limited †

          498,990        15,044,549  

Westlake Chemical Corporation

          226,534        14,842,508  
             29,887,057  
          

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 1.46%                           

Crown Holdings Incorporated †

          237,991        15,721,685  
          

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 2.90%                           

Royal Gold Incorporated

          128,147        15,788,992  

Steel Dynamics Incorporated

          516,857        15,402,339  
             31,191,331  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 9.96%

          
Equity REITs: 9.96%                           

Camden Property Trust

          131,467        14,594,152  

CoreSite Realty Corporation

          120,948        14,737,514  

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                    Shares      Value  
Equity REITs (continued)                          

Four Corners Property Trust Incorporated

         378,313      $ 10,698,692  

Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated

         525,439        17,602,203  

SBA Communications Corporation

         62,723        15,125,651  

Sun Communities Incorporated

         121,075        17,973,584  

VICI Properties Incorporated

         731,967        16,579,053  
            107,310,849  
         

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $798,521,961)

            1,059,604,658  
         

 

 

 
Exchange-Traded Funds: 0.51%                          

SPDR S&P Biotech ETF «

         72,775        5,549,094  
         

 

 

 

Total Exchange-Traded Funds (Cost $3,264,222)

            5,549,094  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield                                         
Short-Term Investments: 2.29%          
Investment Companies: 2.29%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11        9,518,064        9,519,016  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          15,119,436        15,119,436  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $24,638,216)

            24,638,452        
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $826,424,399)     101.15        1,089,792,204  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (1.15        (12,430,615
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 1,077,361,589  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

 

REIT

Real estate investment trust

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
   

Shares

sold

   

Shares,

end of
period

    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
   

Value,

end of

period

    % of
net
assets
 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    13,692,114       153,878,525       158,052,575       9,518,064     $ 366     $ (1,134   $ 202,393 #    $ 9,519,016    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    35,775,121       230,886,049       251,541,734       15,119,436       0       0       407,203       15,119,436    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 366     $ (1,134   $ 609,596     $ 24,638,452       2.29
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $9,319,372 of securities loaned), at value (cost $801,786,183)

  $ 1,065,153,752  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $24,638,216)

    24,638,452  

Receivable for investments sold

    867,632  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    290,733  

Receivable for dividends

    1,207,752  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    4,025  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,092,162,346  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    9,517,275  

Payable for investments purchased

    3,011,577  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    907,409  

Management fee payable

    675,900  

Administration fees payable

    171,051  

Distribution fee payable

    4,946  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,278  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    510,321  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    14,800,757  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,077,361,589  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 706,896,007  

Total distributable earnings

    370,465,582  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,077,361,589  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 870,369,206  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    41,305,205  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $21.07  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $22.36  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 7,924,998  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    538,453  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $14.72  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 36,069,355  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    1,610,888  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $22.39  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 3,572,456  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    165,677  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $21.56  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 159,425,574  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    7,143,121  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $22.32  

 

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends

  $ 12,823,208  

Income from affiliated securities

    446,042  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    13,269,250  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    8,303,090  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    1,836,254  

Class C

    22,618  

Class R6

    10,888  

Administrator Class

    5,250  

Institutional Class

    199,802  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    2,186,016  

Class C

    26,927  

Administrator Class

    10,096  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    80,771  

Custody and accounting fees

    68,274  

Professional fees

    51,794  

Registration fees

    78,025  

Shareholder report expenses

    68,274  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    24,623  

Other fees and expenses

    35,974  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    13,008,676  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (512

Class A

    (12,217

Class C

    (172

Administrator Class

    (3,166

Institutional Class

    (122,650
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    12,869,959  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    399,291  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    120,517,167  

Affiliated securities

    366  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    120,517,533  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    (119,777,927

Affiliated securities

    (1,134
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (119,779,061
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    738,472  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 1,137,763  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income (loss)

    $ 399,291       $ (1,480,238

Net realized gains on investments

      120,517,533         168,782,075  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      (119,779,061       (10,618,967
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      1,137,763         156,682,870  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

 

     

Class A

      (128,198,379       (97,640,556

Class C

      (2,840,840       (2,494,352

Class R6

      (4,757,555       (11,401,103

Administrator Class

      (749,896       (613,023

Institutional Class

      (20,825,630       (16,747,502
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (157,372,300       (128,896,536
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    957,344       19,146,985       651,357       15,351,401  

Class C

    120,120       1,584,422       43,484       772,480  

Class R6

    410,149       9,044,599       278,881       6,924,814  

Administrator Class

    7,616       156,460       37,039       896,077  

Institutional Class

    958,488       21,044,807       894,739       22,089,498  
 

 

 

 
      50,977,273         46,034,270  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    6,577,466       122,340,875       4,106,240       92,965,271  

Class C

    202,645       2,648,573       137,871       2,350,702  

Class R6

    240,179       4,729,116       481,095       11,397,143  

Administrator Class

    36,844       700,411       24,808       571,322  

Institutional Class

    1,038,739       20,390,438       696,871       16,460,103  
 

 

 

 
      150,809,413         123,744,541  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (5,755,346     (115,611,722     (4,413,777     (104,881,783

Class C

    (683,062     (9,629,160     (295,049     (5,313,557

Class R6

    (453,488     (10,013,010     (3,965,442     (93,857,873

Administrator Class

    (124,075     (2,358,961     (76,020     (1,845,632

Institutional Class

    (1,546,702     (33,665,647     (1,608,638     (39,681,646
 

 

 

 
      (171,278,500       (245,580,491
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      30,508,186         (75,801,680
 

 

 

 

Total decrease in net assets

      (125,726,351       (48,015,346
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      1,203,087,940         1,251,103,286  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 1,077,361,589       $ 1,203,087,940  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $24.58       $24.06       $21.50       $21.62       $24.79  

Net investment loss

    (0.01     (0.04     (0.09     (0.01 )1      (0.04 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (0.20     3.10       3.48       2.45       (0.32
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.21     3.06       3.39       2.44       (0.36

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (3.30     (2.54     (0.83     (2.56     (2.81

Net asset value, end of period

    $21.07       $24.58       $24.06       $21.50       $21.62  

Total return2

    0.91     13.62     16.10     12.43     (1.76 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.26     1.25     1.25     1.25     1.27

Net expenses

    1.26     1.25     1.25     1.25     1.26

Net investment loss

    (0.03 )%      (0.18 )%      (0.38 )%      (0.05 )%      (0.19 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     33     35     32     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $870,369       $971,731       $942,596       $924,864       $127,732  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $18.40       $18.75       $17.04       $17.77       $21.02  

Net investment loss

    (0.11 )1      (0.17 )1      (0.20 )1      (0.14 )1       (0.18

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (0.27     2.36       2.74       1.97       (0.26
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.38     2.19       2.54       1.83       (0.44

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (3.30     (2.54     (0.83     (2.56     (2.81

Net asset value, end of period

    $14.72       $18.40       $18.75       $17.04       $17.77  

Total return2

    0.17     12.74     15.29     11.52     (2.49 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    2.01     2.00     2.00     2.00     2.02

Net expenses

    2.01     2.00     2.00     2.00     2.00

Net investment loss

    (0.78 )%      (0.94 )%      (1.14 )%      (0.87 )%      (0.93 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     33     35     32     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $7,925       $16,541       $18,978       $22,902       $25,668  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R6   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $25.80       $25.03       $22.25       $22.20       $25.27  

Net investment income

    0.09 1      0.05 1      0.01       0.07 1      0.05  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (0.20     3.26       3.60       2.54       (0.31
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.11     3.31       3.61       2.61       (0.26

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (3.30     (2.54     (0.83     (2.56     (2.81

Net asset value, end of period

    $22.39       $25.80       $25.03       $22.25       $22.20  

Total return

    1.31     14.12     16.56     12.91     (1.29 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.83     0.82     0.82     0.82     0.80

Net expenses

    0.83     0.82     0.82     0.82     0.80

Net investment income

    0.40     0.20     0.05     0.32     0.28

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     33     35     32     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $36,069       $36,477       $115,641       $101,436       $95,037  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $25.04       $24.42       $21.78       $21.84       $24.98  

Net investment income (loss)

    0.03       (0.01 )1      (0.06 )1      0.02       (0.01 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (0.21     3.17       3.53       2.48       (0.32
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.18     3.16       3.47       2.50       (0.33

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (3.30     (2.54     (0.83     (2.56     (2.81

Net asset value, end of period

    $21.56       $25.04       $24.42       $21.78       $21.84  

Total return

    1.03     13.84     16.26     12.59     (1.62 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.18     1.17     1.17     1.17     1.12

Net expenses

    1.10     1.10     1.10     1.10     1.10

Net investment income (loss)

    0.14     (0.04 )%      (0.27 )%      0.03     (0.03 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     33     35     32     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $3,572       $6,141       $6,336       $16,720       $18,050  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $25.73       $24.97       $22.20       $22.16       $25.25  

Net investment income

    0.08 1      0.05 1      0.00 1,2      0.06 1      0.03  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (0.19     3.25       3.60       2.54       (0.31
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.11     3.30       3.60       2.60       (0.28

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (3.30     (2.54     (0.83     (2.56     (2.81

Net asset value, end of period

    $22.32       $25.73       $24.97       $22.20       $22.16  

Total return

    1.31     14.12     16.55     12.88     (1.38 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.93     0.92     0.92     0.92     0.86

Net expenses

    0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85

Net investment income

    0.37     0.21     0.02     0.28     0.24

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     33     35     32     51

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $159,426       $172,197       $167,552       $173,175       $226,729  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Amount is less than $0.005.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.

Income dividends and capital gain distributions from investment companies are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Capital gain distributions from investment companies are treated as realized gains.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $834,294,936 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 297,516,690  

Gross unrealized losses

     (42,019,422

Net unrealized gains

   $ 255,497,268  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

     

Quoted prices

(Level 1)

    

Other significant
observable inputs

(Level 2)

    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 10,670,626      $ 0      $ 0      $ 10,670,626  

Consumer discretionary

     80,404,991        0        0        80,404,991  

Consumer staples

     11,960,677        0        0        11,960,677  

Energy

     26,675,894        0        0        26,675,894  

Financials

     198,502,436        0        0        198,502,436  

Health care

     136,497,399        0        0        136,497,399  

Industrials

     198,973,300        0        0        198,973,300  

Information technology

     211,808,413        0        0        211,808,413  

Materials

     76,800,073        0        0        76,800,073  

Real estate

     107,310,849        0        0        107,310,849  

Exchange-traded funds

     5,549,094        0        0        5,549,094  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     24,638,452        0        0        24,638,452  

Total assets

   $ 1,089,792,204      $ 0      $ 0      $ 1,089,792,204  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.800

Next $500 million

     0.750  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Over $10 billion

     0.630  

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.77% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.30% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.26% for Class A shares, 2.01% for Class C shares, 0.85% for Class R6 shares, 1.10% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.85% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $1,557 from the sale of Class A shares and $16 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $422,715,828 and $524,955,163, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty      Value of
securities
on loan
       Collateral
received1
       Net amount  

Bank of America Securities Inc.

     $ 1,315,440        $ (1,315,440      $ 0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

       5,207,875          (5,207,875        0  

UBS Securities LLC

       2,796,057          (2,796,057        0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 16,373,230      $ 17,715,099  

Long-term capital gain

     140,999,070        111,181,437  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed

ordinary

income

  

Undistributed

long-term

gain

  

Unrealized

gains

$6,151,984    $108,820,123    $255,497,268

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 52.95% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $140,999,070 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $9,267,382 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 $16,373,230 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A

Jane A. Freeman

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A

Isaiah Harris, Jr.

(Born 1952)

  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation

Judith M. Johnson

(Born 1949)

  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

David F. Larcker

(Born 1950)

  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A

Olivia S. Mitchell

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A

Timothy J. Penny

(Born 1951)

  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A

James G. Polisson

(Born 1959)

  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  31


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.

Nancy Wiser1

(Born 1967)

  Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.

Catherine Kennedy4

(Born 1969)

  Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.

Michael H. Whitaker

(Born 1967)

  Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

32  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


Table of Contents

Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund  |  33


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Class A) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Russell 2500™ Index, for the three- and five-year periods under review, but in range of or higher than its benchmark for the one- and ten-year periods under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to the Universe and benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment decisions that affected the Fund’s investment performance.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were in range of, lower than, or equal to the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes. The Board also noted that the net operating expense ratio cap for Class R6 would be reduced.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

34  |  Wells Fargo Common Stock Fund


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406813 11-19

A229/AR229 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Discovery Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Discovery Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Michael T. Smith, CFA®

Christopher J. Warner, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios(%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (WFDAX)   7-31-2007     -2.16       10.39       14.10       3.81       11.70       14.78       1.21       1.21  
                   
Class C (WDSCX)   7-31-2007     2.01       10.87       13.92       3.01       10.87       13.92       1.96       1.96  
                   
Class R6 (WFDRX)3   6-28-2013                       4.26       12.18       15.26       0.78       0.78  
                   
Administrator Class (WFDDX)   4-8-2005                       3.88       11.80       14.91       1.13       1.13  
                   
Institutional Class (WFDSX)   8-31-2006                       4.15       12.09       15.20       0.88       0.88  
                   
Russell 2500TM Growth Index4                         -4.11       10.22       13.48              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20195

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses, which include the impact of 0.01% in acquired fund fees and expenses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at 1.22% for Class A, 1.97% for Class C, 0.84% for Class R6, 1.15% for Administrator Class, and 0.89% for Institutional Class. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, the returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

4 

The Russell 2500Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 2500 companies with higher price/book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell 2500™ Growth Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

6 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

7 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

*

This security was no longer held at the end of the reporting period.

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 2500TM Growth Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Stock selection in the consumer discretionary and information technology (IT) sectors contributed to performance.

 

 

Stock selection in the health care sector and specific names within IT hurt the Fund’s performance.

A number of macro factors influenced investor sentiment over the past 12 months. These included the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, a change in monetary policy by the U.S. Federal Reserve, tepid U.S. economic data, and increased geopolitical risks. For much of the past year, however, the U.S. equity market remained quite resilient. The market rewarded companies with the ability to grow earnings regardless of the economic backdrop—firms with disruptive technology and significant competitive advantages. We refer to these firms as being on the right side of change, and we populated the portfolio with companies meeting those criteria. Market volatility, however, was not entirely macro-driven. Corporate earnings have recently become choppier. Given the increased uncertainty, investors had little patience for fundamental disappointments, particularly for stocks carrying premium valuations. We continue to believe that taking the valuation risk associated with secular growth stocks is a superior strategy compared with building a portfolio high in cyclical exposure.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20196       
   

Waste Connections Incorporated

     2.23  
   

WEX Incorporated

     2.21  
   

Black Knight Incorporated

     2.12  
   

DexCom Incorporated

     2.03  
   

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation

     1.98  
   

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Incorporated

     1.94  
   

Insulet Corporation

     1.81  
   

Euronet Worldwide Incorporated

     1.80  
   

Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated

     1.78  
   

Burlington Stores Incorporated

     1.73  

Stock selection benefited the Fund’s relative performance, especially within consumer discretionary and IT.

Within the IT sector, the Fund’s position in Shopify Incorporated* contributed to returns. Shopify, a provider of e-commerce solutions for direct-to-consumer brands, traditionally focused on small and medium-size businesses but is currently penetrating larger businesses via its Shopify Plus offering. Shopify benefits from its customers’ growth by processing payments for smaller customers and charging a fee on each transaction for larger customers. The company’s two vectors of growth—new customers and revenue expansion of existing customers—drove higher-than-expected financial results.

 

 

Within consumer discretionary, MercadoLibre, Incorporated, was additive to returns. MercadoLibre is the dominant Latin American e-commerce provider and owns MercadoPago, the leading online payment solution in Latin America. Increased e-commerce penetration in the firm’s key markets, such as Brazil and Argentina, drove higher sales growth. Customers’ use of MercadoPago both on and off its e-commerce marketplace was a key driver of outperformance for the stock.

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20197
LOGO

Stock selection in health care and specific names within IT detracted from Fund performance.

Within IT, Pluralsight, Incorporated*, a provider of training tools for software developers via software as a service, negatively affected the Fund’s results. The company’s learning platform provides a lower-cost way for employers to train their tech workers, which has become critical due to a shortage of skilled developers. However, the company did not sufficiently invest behind its sales organization to support the rapid growth of the business. This underinvestment resulted in lower-than-expected sales growth and disappointing sales guidance.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Discovery Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Within health care, ICU Medical, Incorporated, had a negative impact on results. ICU Medical manufactures infusion pumps and the relating consumables used in hospitals to deliver intravenous (IV) drugs and therapies. An oversupply of IV solution in the marketplace caused a competitor to undertake an irrational pricing strategy. ICU Medical stopped selling the product as the prices no longer made it profitable. As a result, the company’s results missed expectations and it had to lower guidance.

Caution ahead

As we close out 2019, we believe caution is warranted. While the U.S. consumer and labor markets appear resilient, the global economic slowdown and U.S.-China trade war have clearly taken a toll on business confidence. This has generated a concerning trend of weakness in capital spending and business investment. Recent manufacturing data indicate the U.S. may be on the verge of an industrial recession. Plummeting interest rates and recent market volatility are indicators of rising uncertainty. While policymakers may respond with additional stimulus, we believe investors should brace themselves for heightened volatility and scrutinize the fundamentals embedded in their portfolios.

Despite this caution, there are still exciting opportunities to pursue. We don’t believe this is the end of the cycle; we think the market is simply experiencing increased narrowness. We intend to use that to the advantage of our shareholders. We expect that businesses with resilient fundamentals and secular growth companies will continue to be rewarded with premium valuations. Our goal is to construct a portfolio with a balance of these businesses in pursuit of a winning formula. Despite all the rising uncertainty, we feel this remains a great time to invest in businesses on the right side of change.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,059.61      $ 6.24        1.21

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.01      $ 6.11        1.21
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,055.64      $ 10.10        1.96

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.24      $ 9.90        1.96
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,062.12      $ 4.01        0.78

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.17      $ 3.93        0.78
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,059.82      $ 5.82        1.13

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.41      $ 5.71        1.13
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,061.36      $ 4.53        0.88

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.67      $ 4.44        0.88

 

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 97.78%           

Communication Services: 4.29%

          
Entertainment: 3.11%                           

Take-Two Interactive Software Incorporated †

          341,200      $ 42,766,008  

World Wrestling Entertainment Incorporated Class A «

          489,800        34,849,270  
     77,615,278  
          

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services: 1.18%                           

Match Group Incorporated «

          410,400        29,318,976  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 15.41%

          
Diversified Consumer Services: 1.94%                           

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Incorporated †

          318,040        48,501,100  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 4.84%                           

Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated †

          52,800        44,376,816  

Domino’s Pizza Incorporated

          145,200        35,514,468  

Vail Resorts Incorporated

          179,314        40,804,694  
     120,695,978  
          

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 3.42%                           

Etsy Incorporated †

          759,500        42,911,750  

MercadoLibre Incorporated †

          77,211        42,561,020  
     85,472,770  
          

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 4.16%                           

Burlington Stores Incorporated †

          215,365        43,034,234  

Carvana Corporation †«

          296,400        19,562,400  

Five Below Incorporated †

          326,200        41,133,820  
     103,730,454  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 1.05%                           

Under Armour Incorporated Class C †

          1,442,500        26,152,525  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 2.66%

          
Food & Staples Retailing: 1.32%                           

US Foods Holding Corporation †

          801,400        32,937,540  
          

 

 

 
Food Products: 1.34%                           

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          458,900        33,371,208  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 21.06%

          
Biotechnology: 5.88%                           

CRISPR Therapeutics AG †«

          253,571        10,393,875  

Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †

          255,579        8,674,351  

Exact Sciences Corporation †

          441,800        39,925,466  

Immunomedics Incorporated †

          980,700        13,004,082  

Invitae Corporation †

          704,298        13,571,822  

Mirati Therapeutics Incorporated †

          133,200        10,377,612  

Precision BioSciences Incorporated †«

          362,620        3,042,382  

Sarepta Therapeutics Incorporated †

          171,035        12,882,356  

Turning Point Therapeutics Incorporated †

          308,364        11,594,486  

Twist Bioscience Corporation †

          459,900        10,982,412  

Zai Lab Limited ADR †

          381,419        12,338,905  
     146,787,749  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 8.52%                           

DexCom Incorporated †

          339,200      $ 50,622,208  

Haemonetics Corporation †

          326,600        41,197,324  

ICU Medical Incorporated †

          157,861        25,194,616  

Insulet Corporation †

          273,695        45,140,516  

iRhythm Technologies Incorporated †

          428,300        31,741,313  

Silk Road Medical Incorporated †«

          571,344        18,585,820  
     212,481,797  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 1.44%                           

HealthEquity Incorporated †

          627,300        35,847,059  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Technology: 1.62%                           

Veeva Systems Incorporated Class A †

          265,600        40,554,464  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.40%                           

Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated Class A †

          104,800        34,871,152  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 2.20%                           

Catalent Incorporated †

          642,500        30,621,550  

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated †

          912,818        24,271,831  
     54,893,381  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 21.34%

          
Aerospace & Defense: 2.94%                           

Mercury Computer Systems Incorporated †

          440,819        35,781,278  

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated †

          116,600        37,544,034  
     73,325,312  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 0.54%                           

Trex Company Incorporated †

          147,700        13,430,361  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 9.48%                           

Casella Waste Systems Incorporated Class A †

          867,374        37,245,040  

IAA Incorporated †

          923,700        38,546,001  

MSA Safety Incorporated

          317,800        34,675,158  

Tetra Tech Incorporated

          478,100        41,479,956  

The Brink’s Company

          347,000        28,783,650  

Waste Connections Incorporated

          605,729        55,727,068  
     236,456,873  
          

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering: 1.24%                           

WillScot Corporation †

          1,985,750        30,937,985  
          

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 1.60%                           

Carlisle Companies Incorporated

          275,000        40,023,500  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 2.90%                           

The Middleby Corporation †

          280,800        32,825,520  

Woodward Governor Company

          365,800        39,444,214  
     72,269,734  
          

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 1.71%                           

Saia Incorporated †

          456,800        42,802,160  
          

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 0.93%                           

SiteOne Landscape Supply Incorporated †

          314,143        23,252,865  
          

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Discovery Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                    Shares      Value  

Information Technology: 30.39%

         
Communications Equipment: 1.11%                          

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

         162,300      $ 27,657,543  
         

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 3.95%                          

Novanta Incorporated †

         402,540        32,895,569  

Rogers Corporation †

         222,599        30,431,509  

Zebra Technologies Corporation Class A †

         170,700        35,227,359  
     98,554,437  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 16.50%                          

Black Knight Incorporated †

         866,719        52,921,862  

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation

         694,400        49,316,288  

EPAM Systems Incorporated †

         235,079        42,859,603  

Euronet Worldwide Incorporated †

         306,472        44,836,854  

InterXion Holding NV †

         499,300        40,672,978  

Okta Incorporated †

         331,300        32,619,798  

PagSeguro Digital Limited Class A †

         686,200        31,777,922  

Twilio Incorporated Class A †

         268,800        29,557,248  

WEX Incorporated †

         273,200        55,205,524  

WNS Holdings Limited ADR †

         543,400        31,924,750  
     411,692,827  
         

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 1.20%                          

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation †

         1,636,100        29,916,089  
         

 

 

 
Software: 6.56%                          

Avalara Incorporated †

         315,800        21,250,182  

Elastic NV †«

         402,500        33,141,850  

Envestnet Incorporated †

         403,025        22,851,518  

Globant SA †

         326,800        29,928,344  

Pagerduty Incorporated †«

         539,400        15,238,050  

Zendesk Incorporated †

         565,500        41,213,640  
     163,623,584  
         

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.07%                          

NCR Corporation †

         844,900        26,665,044  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 2.63%

         
Chemicals: 1.17%                          

Ingevity Corporation †

         342,900        29,091,636  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 1.46%                          

AptarGroup Incorporated

         307,500        36,423,374  
         

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $1,893,195,718)

 

     2,439,354,755  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield                                         
Short-Term Investments: 6.43%          
Investment Companies: 6.43%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

    2.11        125,444,271        125,456,815  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88          34,896,690        34,896,690  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $160,353,209)

            160,353,505  
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $2,053,548,927)     104.21        2,599,708,260  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (4.21        (105,078,320
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 2,494,629,940  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

 

ADR

American depositary receipt

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
   

Net
realized

gains
(losses)

   

Net
change in
unrealized

gains
(losses)

    Income
from
affiliated
securities
   

Value,
end of

period

    % of
net
assets
 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    224,067,768       1,149,036,854       1,247,660,351       125,444,271     $ 12,337     $ (2,692   $ 3,059,212 #    $ 125,456,815    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    32,383,204       852,087,000       849,573,514       34,896,690       0       0       953,839       34,896,690    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 12,337     $ (2,692   $ 4,013,051     $ 160,353,505       6.43
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Discovery Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $122,008,025 of securities loaned), at value (cost $1,893,195,718)

  $ 2,439,354,755  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $160,353,209)

    160,353,505  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    33,210,308  

Receivable for dividends

    129,995  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    345,164  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    2,633,393,727  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    125,458,644  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    10,672,999  

Management fee payable

    1,509,937  

Administration fees payable

    281,583  

Distribution fee payable

    19,742  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,471  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    818,411  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    138,763,787  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 2,494,629,940  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 1,719,015,571  

Total distributable earnings

    775,614,369  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 2,494,629,940  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 627,335,752  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    18,872,535  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $33.24  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $35.27  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 30,982,067  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    1,095,790  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $28.27  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 405,609,873  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    11,034,313  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $36.76  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 333,814,437  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    9,660,797  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $34.55  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 1,096,887,811  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    30,054,210  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $36.50  

 

 

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  15


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Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $77,404)

  $ 9,150,023  

Securities lending income from affiliates, net

    1,088,169  

Income from affiliated securities

    953,839  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    11,192,031  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    18,340,587  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    1,299,290  

Class C

    68,726  

Class R6

    133,885  

Administrator Class

    425,000  

Institutional Class

    1,439,485  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    1,546,774  

Class C

    81,817  

Administrator Class

    817,308  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    245,451  

Custody and accounting fees

    150,204  

Professional fees

    44,917  

Registration fees

    58,519  

Shareholder report expenses

    193,815  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    52,339  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    24,919,769  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Class A

    (1,232

Class C

    (66

Administrator Class

    (1,024
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    24,917,447  
 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

    (13,725,416
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    288,845,219  

Affiliated securities

    12,337  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    288,857,556  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    (222,173,660

Affiliated securities

    (2,692
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (222,176,352
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    66,681,204  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 52,955,788  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment loss

    $ (13,725,416     $ (12,786,673

Net realized gains on investments

      288,857,556         373,064,864  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      (222,176,352       224,747,286  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      52,955,788         585,025,477  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

 

Class A

      (88,695,435       (99,511,453

Class C

      (5,933,378       (7,025,882

Class R6

      (63,357,174       (54,328,520

Administrator Class

      (44,501,716       (51,960,260

Institutional Class

      (163,733,298       (179,090,110
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (366,221,001       (391,916,225
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    1,673,589       53,100,356       1,452,010       51,353,312  

Class C

    124,395       3,331,641       112,021       3,424,044  

Class R6

    3,358,382       119,049,338       4,113,741       158,001,613  

Administrator Class

    1,093,053       36,588,024       918,595       33,383,569  

Institutional Class

    7,459,402       263,872,998       6,492,817       245,683,308  
 

 

 

 
      475,942,357         491,845,846  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    3,194,495       86,155,536       3,004,879       96,516,712  

Class C

    234,117       5,403,420       221,675       6,302,232  

Class R6

    2,119,233       62,983,596       1,557,379       54,087,762  

Administrator Class

    1,575,742       44,136,530       1,557,195       51,621,001  

Institutional Class

    5,074,483       149,849,493       4,841,719       167,426,637  
 

 

 

 
      348,528,575         375,954,344  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (3,794,967     (119,681,413     (3,309,751     (116,123,418

Class C

    (483,874     (12,595,548     (327,097     (10,270,806

Class R6

    (7,308,955     (259,235,727     (1,827,978     (69,640,517

Administrator Class

    (1,998,197     (66,501,847     (2,456,379     (87,966,732

Institutional Class

    (15,416,303     (512,299,731     (8,225,567     (314,872,170
 

 

 

 
      (970,314,266       (598,873,643
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      (145,843,334       268,926,547  
 

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (459,108,547       462,035,799  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      2,953,738,487         2,491,702,688  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 2,494,629,940       $ 2,953,738,487  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  17


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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.03       $36.47       $29.94       $30.48       $32.35  

Net investment loss

    (0.26     (0.26     (0.23     (0.18 )1      (0.24

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.53       7.85       7.17       2.23       0.96  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.27       7.59       6.94       2.05       0.72  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.06     (6.03     (0.41     (2.59     (2.59

Net asset value, end of period

    $33.24       $38.03       $36.47       $29.94       $30.48  

Total return2

    3.81     23.86     23.42     7.33     2.09

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.21     1.20     1.21     1.20     1.23

Net expenses

    1.20     1.20     1.21     1.20     1.21

Net investment loss

    (0.77 )%      (0.69 )%      (0.70 )%      (0.64 )%      (0.64 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    71     67     73     78     87

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $627,336       $676,930       $607,318       $641,786       $294,661  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $33.46       $32.99       $27.32       $28.24       $30.37  

Net investment loss

    (0.41 )1      (0.46     (0.42 )1      (0.37 )1      (0.43 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.28       6.96       6.50       2.04       0.89  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.13     6.50       6.08       1.67       0.46  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.06     (6.03     (0.41     (2.59     (2.59

Net asset value, end of period

    $28.27       $33.46       $32.99       $27.32       $28.24  

Total return2

    3.01     22.94     22.51     6.51     1.35

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.95     1.95     1.96     1.95     1.98

Net expenses

    1.95     1.95     1.96     1.95     1.96

Net investment loss

    (1.51 )%      (1.45 )%      (1.45 )%      (1.41 )%      (1.39 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    71     67     73     78     87

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $30,982       $40,860       $40,070       $49,538       $66,772  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R6   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $41.26       $38.93       $31.80       $32.08       $33.78  

Net investment loss

    (0.12 )1      (0.10 )1      (0.08     (0.07     (0.07

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.68       8.46       7.62       2.38       0.96  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.56       8.36       7.54       2.31       0.89  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.06     (6.03     (0.41     (2.59     (2.59

Net asset value, end of period

    $36.76       $41.26       $38.93       $31.80       $32.08  

Total return

    4.26     24.39     23.98     7.77     2.53

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.77     0.78     0.78     0.77     0.76

Net expenses

    0.77     0.78     0.78     0.77     0.76

Net investment loss

    (0.33 )%      (0.26 )%      (0.27 )%      (0.22 )%      (0.21 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    71     67     73     78     87

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $405,610       $530,879       $351,268       $300,118       $273,941  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $39.27       $37.44       $30.70       $31.17       $32.99  

Net investment loss

    (0.23 )1      (0.23     (0.20 )1      (0.17 )1      (0.20

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.57       8.09       7.35       2.29       0.97  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.34       7.86       7.15       2.12       0.77  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.06     (6.03     (0.41     (2.59     (2.59

Net asset value, end of period

    $34.55       $39.27       $37.44       $30.70       $31.17  

Total return

    3.88     23.97     23.52     7.40     2.24

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.13     1.12     1.13     1.12     1.09

Net expenses

    1.13     1.12     1.13     1.12     1.09

Net investment loss

    (0.70 )%      (0.62 )%      (0.62 )%      (0.58 )%      (0.52 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    71     67     73     78     87

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $333,814       $353,042       $335,898       $400,997       $575,568  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $41.05       $38.79       $31.72       $32.04       $33.76  

Net investment loss

    (0.15 )1      (0.18     (0.13 )1      (0.10     (0.09

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.66       8.47       7.61       2.37       0.96  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.51       8.29       7.48       2.27       0.87  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.06     (6.03     (0.41     (2.59     (2.59

Net asset value, end of period

    $36.50       $41.05       $38.79       $31.72       $32.04  

Total return

    4.15     24.25     23.88     7.68     2.47

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.87     0.87     0.88     0.87     0.82

Net expenses

    0.87     0.87     0.88     0.87     0.82

Net investment loss

    (0.42 )%      (0.36 )%      (0.37 )%      (0.32 )%      (0.26 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    71     67     73     78     87

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $1,096,888       $1,352,027       $1,157,148       $1,316,107       $1,436,125  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Discovery Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund, if any, is included in securities lending income from affiliates (net of fees and rebates) on the Statement of Operations.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  23


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Notes to financial statements

 

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Dividend income is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $2,063,537,002 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 616,774,695  

Gross unrealized losses

     (80,603,437

Net unrealized gains

   $ 536,171,258  

Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under federal income tax regulations. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. The primary permanent difference causing such reclassification is due to redemptions in-kind. At September 30, 2019, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, the following reclassification adjustments were made on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:

 

Paid-in capital    Total distributable earnings
$22,515,989    $(22,515,989)

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

     

Quoted prices

(Level 1)

    

Other significant
observable inputs

(Level 2)

    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 106,934,254      $ 0      $ 0      $ 106,934,254  

Consumer discretionary

     384,552,827        0        0        384,552,827  

Consumer staples

     66,308,748        0        0        66,308,748  

Health care

     525,435,602        0        0        525,435,602  

Industrials

     532,498,790        0        0        532,498,790  

Information technology

     758,109,524        0        0        758,109,524  

Materials

     65,515,010        0        0        65,515,010  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     160,353,505        0        0        160,353,505  

Total assets

   $ 2,599,708,260      $ 0      $ 0      $ 2,599,708,260  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.800

Next $500 million

     0.750  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Over $10 billion

     0.630  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.72% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.35% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.22% for Class A shares, 1.97% for Class C shares, 0.84% for Class R6 shares, 1.15% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.89% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $13,159 from the sale of Class A shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A and Class C shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $1,774,414,656 and $2,162,216,593, respectively.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty     

Value of

securities on

loan

      

Collateral

received1

       Net amount  

Bank of America Securities Inc.

     $ 5,325,048        $ (5,325,048      $ 0  

Barclays Capital Inc.

       27,208,545          (27,208,545        0  

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

       4,169,417          (4,169,417        0  

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

       3,606,492          (3,606,492        0  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

       3,423,900          (3,423,900        0  

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

       1,716,350          (1,716,350        0  

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

       1,086,400          (1,086,400        0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

       51,885,981          (51,885,981        0  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

       21,538,442          (21,538,442        0  

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

       211,200          (211,200        0  

UBS Securities LLC

       1,836,250          (1,836,250        0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 51,161,930      $ 60,679,267  

Long-term capital gain

     315,059,071        331,236,958  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed

ordinary

income

  

Undistributed

long-term

gain

  

Unrealized

gains

$18,015,375    $221,428,125    $536,171,258

9. CONCENTRATION RISK

Concentration risks result from exposure to a limited number of sectors. As of the end of the period, the Fund invests a concentration of its portfolio in the information technology sector. A fund that invests a substantial portion of its assets in any sector may be more affected by changes in that sector than would be a fund whose investments are not heavily weighted in any sector.

10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

11. REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND

During the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund redeemed assets through in-kind redemptions for shareholders in Class R6 and Institutional Class. The realized gains (losses) recognized by the Fund are reflected on the Statement of Operations and these redemption transactions are reflected on the Statement of Changes in Net Assets. The date of each redemption transaction, value of securities issued from the redemption, cash paid, realized gains (losses), the shareholder class and the percentage of the Fund redeemed by the shareholder was as follows:

 

Date    Value of
securities issued
     Cash      Realized gains      Share class
redeemed
  

% of the

Fund

4-8-2019    $ 81,290,811      $ 1,768,678      $ 12,646,482      Institutional Class    3.19%
5-15-2019      21,382,373        184,137        3,649,046      Class R6    0.87 
6-3-2019      19,899,391        219,788        3,059,345      Institutional Class    0.84 
6-26-2019      19,541,539        726,452        3,638,613      Institutional Class    0.80 

12. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Discovery Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian and transfer agent. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $315,059,071 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 12.81% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $7,381,695 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $51,161,930 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A

Jane A. Freeman

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A

Isaiah Harris, Jr.

(Born 1952)

  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation

Judith M. Johnson

(Born 1949)

  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

David F. Larcker

(Born 1950)

  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A

Olivia S. Mitchell

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A

Timothy J. Penny

(Born 1951)

  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A

James G. Polisson

(Born 1959)

  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.

Nancy Wiser1

(Born 1967)

  Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.

Catherine Kennedy4

(Born 1969)

  Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.

Michael H. Whitaker

(Born 1967)

  Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Discovery Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for the three- and ten-year periods under review, but lower than the average investment performance of the Universe for the one- and five-year periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was higher than its benchmark index, the Russell 2500™ Growth Index, for the one-, three- and ten-year periods under review, but lower than its benchmark for the five-year period under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to the Universe and benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment strategies and market factors that affected the Fund’s investment performance.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were in range of, lower than, or equal to the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class. The Board also noted that the net operating expense ratio cap for Class R6 and the Administrator Class would be reduced.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were in range of, lower than, or equal to the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

Wells Fargo Discovery Fund  |  35


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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Table of Contents

LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406814 11-19

A230/AR230 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Michael T. Smith, CFA®

Christopher J. Warner, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios(%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (SENAX)   2-24-2000     1.79       10.04       12.71       8.00       11.35       13.37       1.25       1.18  
                   
Class C (WENCX)   3-31-2008     6.20       10.52       12.53       7.20       10.52       12.53       2.00       1.93  
                   
Class R6 (WENRX)3   10-31-2014                       8.41       11.78       13.80       0.82       0.80  
                   
Administrator Class (SEPKX)   8-30-2002                       8.06       11.47       13.50       1.17       1.10  
                   
Institutional Class (WFEIX)   6-30-2003                       8.36       11.72       13.77       0.92       0.85  
                   
Russell Midcap® Growth Index4                         5.20       11.12       14.08              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20195

LOGO

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Institutional Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had been included, returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

4 

The Russell Midcap® Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with higher price/book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000® Growth index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell Midcap® Growth Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

6 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

7 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

*

This security was no longer held at the end of the reporting period.

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell Midcap® Growth Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Stock selection within the information technology (IT) and consumer discretionary sectors contributed to performance.

 

 

Stock selection in the industrials sector negatively affected performance.

A number of macro factors influenced investor sentiment over the past 12 months. These included the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, a change in monetary policy by the U.S. Federal Reserve, tepid U.S. economic data, and increased geopolitical risks. For much of the past year, however, the U.S. equity market remained quite resilient. The market rewarded companies with the ability to grow earnings regardless of the economic backdrop—firms with disruptive technology and significant competitive advantages. We refer to these firms as being on the right side of change, and we populated the portfolio with companies meeting those criteria. Market volatility, however, was not entirely macro-driven. Corporate earnings recently have become choppier. Given the increased uncertainty, investors had little patience for fundamental disappointments, particularly for stocks carrying premium valuations. We continue to believe that taking the valuation risk associated with secular growth stocks is a superior strategy compared with building a portfolio high in cyclical exposure.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20196  
   

Fiserv Incorporated

     3.37  
   

Waste Connections Incorporated

     2.85  
   

Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated

     2.41  
   

Cintas Corporation

     2.27  
   

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

     2.23  
   

WEX Incorporated

     2.11  
   

FleetCor Technologies Incorporated

     2.02  
   

Black Knight Incorporated

     2.01  
   

Veeva Systems Incorporated Class A

     2.01  
   

Global Payments Incorporated

     1.98  

Stock selection benefited the Fund’s relative performance, especially within the IT and consumer discretionary sectors.

Within the IT sector, the Fund’s position in Shopify Incorporated contributed to returns. Shopify, a provider of e-commerce solutions for direct-to-consumer brands, traditionally focused on small and medium-size businesses but is currently penetrating larger businesses via its Shopify Plus offering. Shopify benefits from its customers’ growth by processing payments for smaller customers and charging a fee on each transaction for larger customers. The company’s two vectors of growth—new customers and revenue expansion of existing customers—drove higher-than-expected financial results.

 

 

Within the consumer discretionary sector, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Incorporated, continues to improve operations following the appointment of a new chief executive officer. Online ordering in particular has been a key driver of sales growth. The company’s loyalty program continues to grow nicely, providing an additional catalyst for sales growth. Chipotle also maintains the ability to add more restaurants throughout the U.S. These efforts have begun to gain traction as same restaurant sales grew meaningfully, beating expectations. The improved sales performance leveraged the company’s costs and drove restaurant profitability higher as well.

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20197
LOGO

Security selection in the industrials sector detracted from the Fund’s performance.

Among the Fund’s industrial holdings, Evoqua Water Technologies Corporation* detracted from performance. The water treatment and technology company saw its shares decline sharply after reporting disappointing results, reducing guidance, and announcing a restructuring plan. Evoqua unexpectedly has undertaken longer, capital-intensive projects that have affected the stable revenue stream we expected. Rising raw material costs hurt profitability as well.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Also within industrials, Univar Solutions Incorporated weighed on the Fund’s returns. Univar, a chemical distribution company, faced a combination of macro concerns and company-specific issues. Concerns over slowing global economic growth and the ongoing trade war resulted in sluggish order trends throughout the industrials sector. Specific to Univar, inclement weather in Canada affected the company’s agricultural business in that key market. Transportation costs also proved to be an unexpected headwind. Univar sells its products on a freight-delivered basis, so it must absorb higher-than-expected transportation costs.

Caution ahead

As we close out 2019, we believe caution is warranted. While the U.S. consumer and labor markets appear resilient, the global economic slowdown and U.S.-China trade war have clearly taken a toll on business confidence. This has generated a concerning trend of weakness in capital spending and business investment. Recent manufacturing data indicate the U.S. may be on the verge of an industrial recession. Plummeting interest rates and recent market volatility are indicators of rising uncertainty. While policymakers may respond with additional stimulus, we believe investors should brace themselves for heightened volatility and scrutinize the fundamentals embedded in their portfolios.

Despite this caution, there are still exciting opportunities to pursue. We don’t believe this is the end of the cycle; we think the market is simply experiencing increased narrowness. We intend to use that to the advantage of our shareholders. We expect that businesses with resilient fundamentals and secular growth companies will continue to be rewarded with premium valuations. Our goal is to construct a portfolio with a balance of these businesses in pursuit of a winning formula. Despite all the rising uncertainty, we feel this remains a great time to invest in businesses on the right side of change.

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,074.84      $ 6.15        1.18

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.14      $ 5.99        1.18
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,070.84      $ 10.05        1.93

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.37      $ 9.78        1.93
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,076.91      $ 4.18        0.80

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.05      $ 4.06        0.80
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,075.12      $ 5.72        1.10

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.55      $ 5.57        1.10
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,076.55      $ 4.44        0.85

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.80      $ 4.32        0.85

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 99.24%           

Communication Services: 5.90%

          
Entertainment: 4.51%                           

Nintendo Company Limited ADR

          220,300      $ 10,265,980  

Take-Two Interactive Software Incorporated †

          117,700        14,752,518  

World Wrestling Entertainment Incorporated Class A «

          130,800        9,306,420  
             34,324,918  
          

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services: 1.39%                           

Match Group Incorporated «

          148,000        10,573,120  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 18.37%

          
Auto Components: 1.21%                           

Aptiv plc

          105,285        9,204,015  
          

 

 

 
Automobiles: 1.34%                           

Ferrari NV

          66,000        10,169,940  
          

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services: 1.84%                           

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Incorporated †

          91,500        13,953,750  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 6.19%                           

Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated †

          21,800        18,322,246  

Domino’s Pizza Incorporated

          40,800        9,979,272  

Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited

          57,200        6,196,476  

Vail Resorts Incorporated

          55,217        12,565,181  
             47,063,175  
          

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 2.57%                           

MercadoLibre Incorporated †

          24,400        13,450,012  

Wayfair Incorporated Class A «†

          54,569        6,118,276  
             19,568,288  
          

 

 

 
Specialty Retail: 2.90%                           

Burlington Stores Incorporated †

          67,400        13,467,868  

Five Below Incorporated †

          68,100        8,587,410  
             22,055,278  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 2.32%                           

Lululemon Athletica Incorporated †

          48,100        9,260,693  

Under Armour Incorporated Class C †

          463,400        8,401,442  
             17,662,135  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 2.51%

          
Food & Staples Retailing: 1.31%                           

US Foods Holding Corporation †

          241,200        9,913,320  
          

 

 

 
Food Products: 1.20%                           

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          125,600        9,133,632  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 2.58%

          
Capital Markets: 2.58%                           

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated

          127,625        11,775,959  

Raymond James Financial Incorporated

          94,900        7,825,454  
             19,601,413  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  

Health Care: 15.36%

          
Biotechnology: 1.91%                           

Exact Sciences Corporation †

          117,100      $ 10,582,327  

Sarepta Therapeutics Incorporated †

          51,700        3,894,044  
             14,476,371  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 5.90%                           

Align Technology Incorporated †

          50,400        9,118,368  

DexCom Incorporated †

          88,600        13,222,664  

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation †

          44,900        9,873,959  

Insulet Corporation †

          76,800        12,666,624  
             44,881,615  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 1.49%                           

WellCare Health Plans Incorporated †

          43,700        11,325,729  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Technology: 3.64%                           

Cerner Corporation

          182,400        12,434,208  

Veeva Systems Incorporated Class A †

          100,000        15,269,000  
             27,703,208  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.43%                           

Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated Class A †

          32,700        10,880,598  
          

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 0.99%                           

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated †

          281,787        7,492,716  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 15.06%

          
Aerospace & Defense: 1.60%                           

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated †

          37,900        12,203,421  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 6.11%                           

Cintas Corporation

          64,500        17,292,450  

IAA Incorporated †

          180,400        7,528,092  

Waste Connections Incorporated

          235,339        21,651,188  
             46,471,730  
          

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering: 0.80%                           

Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated

          66,200        6,057,300  
          

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment: 1.42%                           

Rockwell Automation Incorporated

          65,300        10,761,440  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 2.59%                           

The Middleby Corporation †

          77,800        9,094,820  

Woodward Governor Company

          98,100        10,578,123  
             19,672,943  
          

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 1.51%                           

Saia Incorporated †

          122,500        11,478,250  
          

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors: 1.03%                           

Univar Incorporated †

          379,046        7,868,995  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 32.59%

          
Communications Equipment: 2.23%                           

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

          99,300        16,921,713  
          

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                    Shares      Value  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 1.23%                          

Zebra Technologies Corporation Class A †

         45,300      $ 9,348,561  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 21.30%                          

Adyen NV 144A†

         6,978        4,535,700  

Black Knight Incorporated †

         250,700        15,307,742  

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation

         211,200        14,999,424  

EPAM Systems Incorporated †

         70,154        12,790,477  

Fiserv Incorporated †

         247,313        25,619,154  

FleetCor Technologies Incorporated †

         53,500        15,342,730  

Global Payments Incorporated

         94,781        15,070,179  

PagSeguro Digital Limited Class A †

         224,600        10,401,226  

Shopify Incorporated Class A †

         31,900        9,941,954  

Square Incorporated Class A †

         196,000        12,142,200  

Twilio Incorporated Class A †

         89,100        9,797,436  

WEX Incorporated †

         79,400        16,044,358  
            161,992,580  
         

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 4.57%                          

Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated †

         504,000        14,610,960  

Micron Technology Incorporated †

         206,300        8,839,955  

Xilinx Incorporated

         118,000        11,316,200  
            34,767,115  
         

 

 

 
Software: 3.26%                          

Autodesk Incorporated †

         68,000        10,043,600  

ServiceNow Incorporated †

         58,150        14,761,378  
            24,804,978  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 6.87%

         
Chemicals: 3.80%                          

Air Products & Chemicals Incorporated

         42,700        9,473,422  

Ingevity Corporation †

         89,500        7,593,180  

The Sherwin-Williams Company

         21,500        11,822,205  
            28,888,807  
         

 

 

 
Construction Materials: 1.72%                          

Vulcan Materials Company

         86,800        13,127,631  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 1.35%                          

AptarGroup Incorporated

         86,600        10,257,770  
         

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $541,223,106)

            754,606,455  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield                      

Short-Term Investments: 3.71%

         
Investment Companies: 3.71%                          

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (I)(r)(u)

    2.11                                 25,578,810        25,581,368  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (I)(u)

    1.88          2,635,132        2,635,132  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $28,216,500)

 

     28,216,500        
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $569,439,606)     102.95        782,822,955  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (2.95        (22,438,107
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 760,384,848  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

 

ADR

American depositary receipt

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
   

Value,
end of

period

    % of
net
assets
 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    33,993,921       389,033,184       397,448,295       25,578,810     $ 3,171     $ 0     $ 768,862 #    $ 25,581,368    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    4,785,042       162,507,757       164,657,667       2,635,132       0       0       135,560       2,635,132    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 3,171     $ 0     $ 904,422     $ 28,216,500       3.71
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $24,689,110 of securities loaned), at value (cost $541,223,106)

  $ 754,606,455  

Investment in affiliated securities, at value (cost $28,216,500)

    28,216,500  

Receivable for investments sold

    4,425,568  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    87,939  

Receivable for dividends

    236,092  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    19,338  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    55,299  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    787,647,191  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    25,580,565  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    712,127  

Management fee payable

    434,302  

Administration fees payable

    122,177  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,007  

Distribution fee payable

    1,583  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    409,582  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    27,262,343  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 760,384,848  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 510,619,393  

Total distributable earnings

    249,765,455  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 760,384,848  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 649,105,683  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    12,988,008  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $49.98  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $53.03  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 2,512,963  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    58,543  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $42.93  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 52,782,949  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    940,110  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $56.15  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 3,687,419  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    69,437  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $53.10  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 52,295,834  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    934,435  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $55.97  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $72,944)

  $ 3,928,839  

Securities lending income from affiliates, net

    214,990  

Income from affiliated securities

    135,560  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    4,279,389  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    5,356,889  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    1,301,068  

Class C

    8,191  

Class R6

    14,509  

Administrator Class

    4,335  

Institutional Class

    60,432  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    1,548,890  

Class C

    9,752  

Administrator Class

    7,923  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    29,240  

Custody and accounting fees

    62,681  

Professional fees

    42,271  

Registration fees

    107,277  

Shareholder report expenses

    78,028  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    14,185  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    8,667,323  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (128,326

Class A

    (308,068

Class C

    (1,909

Administrator Class

    (1,351

Institutional Class

    (23,363
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    8,204,306  
 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

    (3,924,917
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    40,827,708  

Affiliated securities

    3,171  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    40,830,879  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    16,452,262  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    57,283,141  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 53,358,224  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

     

Net investment loss

    $ (3,924,917     $ (4,200,615

Net realized gains on investments

      40,830,879         90,687,674  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      16,452,262         51,811,573  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      53,358,224         138,298,632  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

 

     

Class A

      (70,134,961       (61,896,652

Class C

      (816,461       (1,047,354

Class R6

      (4,758,790       (4,095,973

Administrator Class

      (354,535       (378,790

Institutional Class

      (4,789,875       (4,654,368
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (80,854,622       (72,073,137
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    314,721       14,539,690       185,378       9,099,671  

Class C

    6,455       248,651       4,536       198,917  

Class R6

    95,098       5,042,506       178,922       9,819,356  

Administrator Class

    7,854       408,606       12,688       658,208  

Institutional Class

    329,158       17,257,242       132,493       7,163,466  
 

 

 

 
      37,496,695         26,939,618  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    1,674,293       66,553,135       1,280,198       58,530,640  

Class C

    23,541       808,616       25,557       1,037,343  

Class R6

    106,814       4,755,337       81,337       4,092,854  

Administrator Class

    8,166       344,706       7,722       371,790  

Institutional Class

    102,726       4,559,989       89,154       4,477,339  
 

 

 

 
      77,021,783         68,509,966  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (1,374,541     (63,202,802     (1,203,590     (59,203,661

Class C

    (134,665     (5,157,166     (69,340     (3,062,717

Class R6

    (88,918     (4,650,355     (108,785     (6,087,430

Administrator Class

    (12,643     (610,976     (26,820     (1,379,035

Institutional Class

    (327,960     (16,479,135     (425,040     (22,883,844
 

 

 

 
      (90,100,434       (92,616,687
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      24,418,044         2,832,897  
 

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (3,078,354       69,058,392  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

   

Beginning of period

      763,463,202         694,404,810  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 760,384,848       $ 763,463,202  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $52.96       $48.80       $41.94       $41.90       $47.93  

Net investment loss

    (0.29     (0.31     (0.25     (0.21 )1      (0.29

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    3.05       9.66       8.94       3.61       0.18  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.76       9.35       8.69       3.40       (0.11

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.74     (5.19     (1.83     (3.36     (5.92

Net asset value, end of period

    $49.98       $52.96       $48.80       $41.94       $41.90  

Total return2

    8.00     20.83     21.55     8.63     (0.67 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.25     1.25     1.26     1.26     1.29

Net expenses

    1.18     1.18     1.18     1.18     1.18

Net investment loss

    (0.59 )%      (0.61 )%      (0.55 )%      (0.52 )%      (0.60 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    50     62     75     99     101

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $649,106       $655,338       $591,002       $542,077       $370,743  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $46.74       $43.95       $38.23       $38.75       $45.07  

Net investment loss

    (0.52 )1      (0.60 )1      (0.85     (0.47 )1      (0.59 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.45       8.58       8.40       3.31       0.19  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.93       7.98       7.55       2.84       (0.40

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.74     (5.19     (1.83     (3.36     (5.92

Net asset value, end of period

    $42.93       $46.74       $43.95       $38.23       $38.75  

Total return2

    7.20     19.93     20.66     7.80     (1.41 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    2.00     2.00     2.01     2.01     2.04

Net expenses

    1.93     1.93     1.93     1.93     1.93

Net investment loss

    (1.29 )%      (1.37 )%      (1.13 )%      (1.28 )%      (1.36 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    50     62     75     99     101

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $2,513       $7,629       $8,898       $9,181       $9,399  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R6   2019     2018     2017     2016     20151  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $58.47       $53.17       $45.37       $44.89       $52.65  

Net investment loss

    (0.11 )2      (0.13 )2      (0.08     (0.06 )2      (0.08

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    3.53       10.62       9.71       3.90       (1.76
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.42       10.49       9.63       3.84       (1.84

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.74     (5.19     (1.83     (3.36     (5.92

Net asset value, end of period

    $56.15       $58.47       $53.17       $45.37       $44.89  

Total return3

    8.41     21.30     22.01     9.06     (3.84 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.82     0.82     0.82     0.83     0.81

Net expenses

    0.80     0.80     0.80     0.80     0.80

Net investment loss

    (0.21 )%      (0.23 )%      (0.17 )%      (0.14 )%      (0.19 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    50     62     75     99     101

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $52,783       $48,363       $35,923       $29,861       $24  

 

 

 

1 

For the period from October 31, 2014 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2015

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $55.82       $51.12       $43.81       $43.58       $49.54  

Net investment loss

    (0.25 )1      (0.28 )1      (0.20 )1      (0.18 )1      (0.23 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    3.27       10.17       9.34       3.77       0.19  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.02       9.89       9.14       3.59       (0.04

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.74     (5.19     (1.83     (3.36     (5.92

Net asset value, end of period

    $53.10       $55.82       $51.12       $43.81       $43.58  

Total return

    8.06     20.95     21.66     8.74     (0.46 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.16     1.16     1.18     1.15     1.09

Net expenses

    1.10     1.10     1.10     1.07     1.07

Net investment loss

    (0.51 )%      (0.53 )%      (0.44 )%      (0.41 )%      (0.47 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    50     62     75     99     101

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $3,687       $3,687       $3,705       $4,693       $3,542  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $58.33       $53.08       $45.32       $44.87       $50.77  

Net investment loss

    (0.14 )1      (0.15 )1      (0.09 )1      (0.09 )1      (0.13 )1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    3.52       10.59       9.68       3.90       0.15  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.38       10.44       9.59       3.81       0.02  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net realized gains

    (5.74     (5.19     (1.83     (3.36     (5.92

Net asset value, end of period

    $55.97       $58.33       $53.08       $45.32       $44.87  

Total return

    8.36     21.24     21.97     8.97     (0.32 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.92     0.92     0.93     0.93     0.88

Net expenses

    0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85     0.85

Net investment loss

    (0.26 )%      (0.29 )%      (0.19 )%      (0.21 )%      (0.27 )% 

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    50     62     75     99     101

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $52,296       $48,446       $54,877       $61,563       $87,279  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund, if any, is included in securities lending income from affiliates (net of fees and rebates) on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date. Dividend income is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $570,361,428 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 233,996,587  

Gross unrealized losses

     (21,535,060

Net unrealized gains

   $ 212,461,527  

Reclassifications are made to the Fund’s capital accounts for permanent tax differences to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryforwards) under federal income tax regulations. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset values per share. The primary permanent difference causing such reclassification is due to net operating losses. At September 30, 2019, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, the following reclassification adjustments were made on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:

 

Paid-in capital    Total distributable earnings
$(443,798)    $443,798

As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had a qualified late-year ordinary loss of $3,481,054 which will be recognized on the first day of the following fiscal year.

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

     

Quoted prices

(Level 1)

    

Other significant

observable inputs

(Level 2)

    

Significant

unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 44,898,038      $ 0      $ 0      $ 44,898,038  

Consumer discretionary

     139,676,581        0        0        139,676,581  

Consumer staple

     19,046,952        0        0        19,046,952  

Financials

     19,601,413        0        0        19,601,413  

Health care

     116,760,237        0        0        116,760,237  

Industrials

     114,514,079        0        0        114,514,079  

Information technology

     247,834,947        0        0        247,834,947  

Materials

     52,274,208        0        0        52,274,208  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     28,216,500        0        0        28,216,500  

Total assets

   $ 782,822,955      $ 0      $ 0      $ 782,822,955  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Next $2 billion

     0.630  

Next $4 billion

     0.620  

Over $16 billion

     0.610  

 

 

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund  |  25


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Notes to financial statements

 

Prior to February 1, 2019, Funds Management received a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Over $10 billion

     0.630  

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.74% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.30% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

     

Class-level

administration fee

 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.18% for Class A shares, 1.93% for Class C shares, 0.80% for Class R6 shares, 1.10% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.85% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. 

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $4,173 from the sale of Class A shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A and Class C shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $360,553,106 and $424,473,571, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty     

Value of

securities on

loan

      

Collateral

received1

       Net amount  

Barclays Capital Inc.

     $ 8,374,312        $ (8,374,312      $ 0  

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

       1,816,344          (1,816,344        0  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

       2,212,765          (2,212,765        0  

JPMorgan Securities LLC

       10,044,464          (10,044,464        0  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

       2,241,225          (2,241,225        0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 14,372,015      $ 10,391,651  

Long-term capital gain

     66,482,607        61,681,486  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed

long-term

gain

  

Late-year
ordinary losses
deferred

  

Unrealized

gains

$40,806,927    $(3,481,054)    $212,461,527

9. CONCENTRATION RISK

Concentration risks result from exposure to a limited number of sectors. As of the end of the period, the Fund invests a concentration of its portfolio in the information technology sector. A fund that invests a substantial portion of its assets in any sector may be more affected by changes in that sector than would be a fund whose investments are not heavily weighted in any sector.

10. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

11. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian and transfer agent. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 17.90% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $66,482,607 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $3,144,597 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $14,372,015 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

 

Position held and

length of service*

  Principal occupations during past five years or longer  

Current other

public company or

investment

company

directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A

Jane A. Freeman

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A

Isaiah Harris, Jr.

(Born 1952)

  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation

Judith M. Johnson

(Born 1949)

  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

 

Position held and

length of service*

  Principal occupations during past five years or longer  

Current other

public company or

investment

company

directorships

David F. Larcker

(Born 1950)

  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A

Olivia S. Mitchell

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A

Timothy J. Penny

(Born 1951)

  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A

James G. Polisson

(Born 1959)

  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

 

Position held and

length of service

  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.

Nancy Wiser1

(Born 1967)

  Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.

Catherine Kennedy4

(Born 1969)

  Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.

Michael H. Whitaker

(Born 1967)

  Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Enterprise Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was in range of the average investment performance of the Universe for the three- and ten-year periods under review, but lower than the average investment performance of the Universe for the one- and five-year periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Russell Midcap® Growth Index, for all periods under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to the Universe and benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment decisions and market factors that affected the Fund’s investment performance.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were equal to or in range of the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406815 11-19

A231/AR231 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

Ann M. Miletti

Christopher G. Miller, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
        Including sales charge     Excluding sales charge     Expense ratios(%)  
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (SOPVX)   2-24-2000     -0.87       7.89       10.46       5.18       9.17       11.12       1.20       1.18  
                   
Class C (WFOPX)   3-31-2008     3.37       8.35       10.29       4.37       8.35       10.29       1.95       1.93  
                   
Administrator Class (WOFDX)   8-30-2002                       5.37       9.39       11.37       1.12       1.00  
                   
Institutional Class (WOFNX)3   7-30-2010                       5.63       9.67       11.61       0.87       0.75  
                   
Russell 3000® Index4                         2.92       10.44       13.08              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Administrator Class and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to foreign investment risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

6  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20195

LOGO

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for Institutional Class shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Administrator Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Administrator Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, returns for Institutional Class shares would be higher.

 

4 

The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell 3000® Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

6 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

7 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

*

This security was no longer held at the end of the reporting period.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 3000® Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Stock selection in the information technology (IT), consumer discretionary, and financials sectors contributed the most to performance.

 

 

Positioning and stock selection in the energy, health care, and utilities sectors detracted from performance.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, the U.S. stock market suffered a sharp decline but steadily recovered over the next three quarters. The Fund’s benchmark followed a similar pattern and gained 2.92% for the period. Utilities, real estate, and consumer staples were the best-performing sectors in the benchmark, while energy, health care, and materials declined. Large-cap stocks generally outperformed small caps.

A number of factors have been influencing the U.S. stock market. Going into the period, lower corporate taxes, less regulation, and other pro-growth government policies had fueled optimism in U.S. businesses. The U.S. equity markets also benefited from the repatriation of cash held overseas, a significant ramp-up in share buybacks, increased capital spending, and high-profile merger and acquisition activity. By period-end, U.S. gross domestic product had increased for the 21st quarter in a row, the longest expansion in history. However, the period began with an equity market decline, exacerbated by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) raising rates. After its December 2018 rate increase, the Fed became more dovish and reduced rates twice to the range of 1.75% to 2.00% by September 2019. An unprecedented level of negative-yielding bonds globally and the potential impact of U.S. trade negotiations are key market concerns. Slowing U.S. corporate earnings growth also weighed on investor sentiment. However, consumer confidence remains positive, supported by low unemployment. Through the period, we continued to seek companies with solid business models, strong management teams, and healthy cash flow prospects.

Fund performance benefited from stock selection in IT, consumer discretionary, and financials.

The Fund’s holdings in IT contributed the most to performance; companies in the software, semiconductor, and IT services industries produced the greatest returns. Within consumer discretionary, holdings in the restaurant, multiline retail, and automobile industries rose the most. Within financials, insurance holdings rose the most as they benefited from improved margins and overall financial performance. The largest individual contributor to performance was Starbucks Corporation (SBUX), the roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee. SBUX rose 58% during the period, producing more stable results than other consumer discretionary stocks. Other large individual contributors included American Tower Corporation (AMT) and Royal Gold, Incorporated (RGLD). AMT is a real estate investment trust that operates wireless and broadcast communication towers in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. AMT rose 55% as the owner of the leading domestic cell tower portfolio, an industry with limited supply risk and growing demand from mobile data usage. RGLD is a precious-metals company focused on gold and silver, with a diversified royalty streaming business. RGLD rose 65%, toadied by the attractiveness of gold as a commodity.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20196       
   

Alphabet Incorporated Class C

     4.17  
   

Salesforce.com Incorporated

     3.11  
   

MasterCard Incorporated Class A

     2.67  
   

Texas Instruments Incorporated

     2.65  
   

Airbus SE

     2.55  
   

LivaNova plc

     2.49  
   

Equinix Incorporated

     2.43  
   

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated

     2.35  
   

Apple Incorporated

     2.35  
   

Novartis AG ADR

     2.28  

The energy, health care, and utilities sectors detracted the most.

Energy was the worst-performing sector in the benchmark, declining 23%. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price declined from $75 to $55 a barrel despite brief spikes related to supply concerns from Venezuela and Iran and the attack on Saudi oil fields. While we own higher-quality exploration and production companies, these firms are still sensitive to crude oil prices. Individual detractors included EOG Resources Incorporated and Concho Resources Incorporated*. In the health care sector, the largest detractor was LivaNova PLC (LIVN), a medical technology company that specializes in neuromodulation, cardiac surgery, and cardiac rhythm management. LIVN was formed

 

through the merger of Sorin SpA and Cyberonics. The stock fell 40% for the fiscal year as investors worried about regulatory setbacks and weak financial performance. Utilities was the best-performing sector in the benchmark, rising 26%, driven by interest rate trends and the economic cycle. A lack of exposure to this sector detracted from performance.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20197
LOGO

Our focus is constant: To add value by investing in attractively priced holdings.

We seek to buy stocks at a discount to their estimated private market values (PMVs) and sell them as they reach the top of their PMV range. Our disciplined, bottom-up investment process leads us to be overweight or underweight certain sectors. This positioning changes over time based on macroeconomic and industry-specific factors. During the reporting period, we were overweight the financials, health care, and industrials sectors and underweight consumer staples, utilities, and consumer discretionary. Through our disciplined investment process, we remain keenly aware of both price and enterprise values on a company-by-company basis.

 

 

Looking ahead, global trade agreements, U.S. government policies, and interest rates may drive the overall market and the portfolio’s performance. Lower taxes and reduced regulations have already had an impact on the U.S. economy, but a divided U.S. Congress may slow down any such reform. U.S.-China trade talks are on-again off-again. Reaching an agreement could be positive for bilateral and global trade. Future rate cuts expected by the Fed are seen as a positive for the stock market. The prospect of a potential U.S. recession is a factor in investor sentiment along with the possible impact of a slowdown in other major global economies.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,065.86      $ 6.13        1.18

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.14      $ 5.99        1.18
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,061.54      $ 10.00        1.93

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.37      $ 9.78        1.93
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,066.65      $ 5.19        1.00

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.04      $ 5.08        1.00
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,067.93      $ 3.90        0.75

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.30      $ 3.81        0.75

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 99.06%

 

Communication Services: 8.28%

 

Interactive Media & Services: 6.32%  

Alphabet Incorporated Class C †

          58,935      $ 71,841,761  

Facebook Incorporated Class A †

          206,349        36,746,630  
     108,588,391  
  

 

 

 
Media: 1.96%  

Comcast Corporation Class A

          749,522        33,788,452  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 6.77%

 

Automobiles: 2.18%  

General Motors Company

          1,001,075        37,520,291  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.33%  

Starbucks Corporation

          257,468        22,765,321  
          

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 2.06%  

Amazon.com Incorporated †

          20,419        35,445,546  
          

 

 

 
Multiline Retail: 1.20%  

Dollar General Corporation

          129,856        20,639,313  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 2.32%

 

Beverages: 1.28%  

Molson Coors Brewing Company Class B

          384,435        22,105,013  
          

 

 

 
Household Products: 1.04%  

Church & Dwight Company Incorporated

          236,879        17,822,776  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 4.02%

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 4.02%  

BP plc ††

          876,028        33,280,304  

EOG Resources Incorporated

          286,337        21,251,932  

Noble Energy Incorporated

          650,477        14,609,713  
     69,141,949  
  

 

 

 

Financials: 16.92%

 

Banks: 5.51%  

Pinnacle Financial Partners Incorporated

          521,497        29,594,955  

PNC Financial Services Group Incorporated

          266,464        37,347,594  

Webster Financial Corporation

          592,939        27,791,051  
     94,733,600  
  

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 6.35%  

E*TRADE Financial Corporation

          777,496        33,968,800  

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated

          438,250        40,437,328  

S&P Global Incorporated

          141,808        34,740,124  
     109,146,252  
  

 

 

 
Insurance: 5.06%  

Chubb Limited

          229,882        37,112,150  

Marsh & McLennan Companies Incorporated

          284,950        28,509,248  

Willis Towers Watson plc

          111,122        21,443,212  
     87,064,610  
  

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund   |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  

Health Care: 16.22%

 

Biotechnology: 0.70%  

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Incorporated †

          122,672      $ 12,014,496  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 5.93%  

LivaNova plc †

          581,083        42,878,115  

Medtronic plc

          334,034        36,282,773  

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Incorporated

          166,197        22,813,862  
     101,974,750  
  

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 1.05%  

Cigna Corporation

          118,924        18,051,474  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 5.49%  

Agilent Technologies Incorporated

          323,587        24,796,472  

Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated Class A †

          113,054        37,617,588  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated

          109,732        31,961,640  
     94,375,700  
  

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 3.05%  

Mylan NV †

          667,313        13,199,451  

Novartis AG ADR

          451,782        39,259,856  
     52,459,307  
  

 

 

 

Industrials: 12.63%

 

Aerospace & Defense: 4.36%  

Airbus SE

          337,450        43,842,206  

Safran SA

          197,950        31,165,906  
     75,008,112  
  

 

 

 
Airlines: 1.10%  

Delta Air Lines Incorporated

          327,236        18,848,794  
          

 

 

 
Building Products: 2.42%  

Armstrong World Industries Incorporated

          246,440        23,830,748  

Fortune Brands Home & Security Incorporated

          324,481        17,749,111  
     41,579,859  
  

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 1.19%  

Republic Services Incorporated

          236,290        20,450,900  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 3.56%  

Fortive Corporation

          364,748        25,007,123  

ITT Incorporated

          378,314        23,149,034  

SPX Corporation †

          328,235        13,132,682  
     61,288,839  
  

 

 

 

Information Technology: 21.63%

 

Communications Equipment: 0.98%  

Palo Alto Networks Incorporated †

          82,985        16,914,833  
          

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components: 1.72%  

Amphenol Corporation Class A

          306,113        29,539,905  
          

 

 

 

 

 

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Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
IT Services: 4.25%                           

Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated

          204,205      $ 27,110,256  

MasterCard Incorporated Class A

          169,147        45,935,251  
             73,045,507  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 4.27%                           

Marvell Technology Group Limited

          1,114,827        27,837,230  

Texas Instruments Incorporated

          352,752        45,589,668  
             73,426,898  
          

 

 

 
Software: 8.06%                           

Oracle Corporation

          432,557        23,803,612  

Proofpoint Incorporated †

          173,910        22,443,086  

RealPage Incorporated †

          340,836        21,424,951  

Salesforce.com Incorporated †

          359,942        53,429,790  

Workday Incorporated Class A †

          103,315        17,559,417  
             138,660,856  
          

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 2.35%                           

Apple Incorporated

          180,238        40,367,905  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 4.85%

          
Chemicals: 2.65%                           

Dow Incorporated

          468,559        22,326,836  

The Sherwin-Williams Company

          42,186        23,196,816  
             45,523,652  
          

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 2.20%                           

Royal Gold Incorporated

          142,073        17,504,814  

Steel Dynamics Incorporated

          684,998        20,412,940  
             37,917,754  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 5.42%

          
Equity REITs: 5.42%                           

American Tower Corporation

          105,857        23,408,158  

Equinix Incorporated

          72,531        41,835,881  

VICI Properties Incorporated «

          1,229,940        27,858,141  
             93,102,180  
          

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $1,172,859,995)

             1,703,313,235  
          

 

 

 
          
     Yield                      
Short-Term Investments: 2.54%                                              
Investment Companies: 2.54%                           

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC (l)(r)(u)

     2.11        25,481,452        25,484,000  

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

     1.88          18,124,846        18,124,846  

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $43,608,846)

 

     43,608,846        
          

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $1,216,468,841)     101.60        1,746,922,081  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    (1.60        (27,427,528
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 1,719,494,553  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund   |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

††

On the last dividend date, partial dividends were declared.

«

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(r)

The investment is a non-registered investment company purchased with cash collateral received from securities on loan.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

ADR

American depositary receipt

REIT

Real estate investment trust

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
    Value,
end of
period
    % of
net
assets
 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC

    0       154,504,297       129,022,845       25,481,452     $ 517     $ 0     $ 39,420 #    $ 25,484,000    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    15,041,392       351,109,598       348,026,144       18,124,846       0       0       646,282       18,124,846    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 517     $ 0     $ 685,702     $ 43,608,846       2.54
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities (including $25,096,200 of securities loaned), at value (cost $1,172,859,995)

  $ 1,703,313,235  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $43,608,846)

    43,608,846  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    54,777  

Receivable for dividends

    2,678,828  

Receivable for securities lending income, net

    953  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    26,024  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,749,682,663  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable upon receipt of securities loaned

    25,480,351  

Payable for investments purchased

    2,051,343  

Management fee payable

    969,082  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    570,865  

Administration fees payable

    282,860  

Distribution fee payable

    2,337  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,048  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    829,224  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    30,188,110  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,719,494,553  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 1,093,125,646  

Total distributable earnings

    626,368,907  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 1,719,494,553  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 1,461,345,395  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    33,698,160  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $43.37  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $46.02  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 3,739,336  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    93,439  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $40.02  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 227,962,989  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    4,764,029  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $47.85  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 26,446,833  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    540,959  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $48.89  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $349,959)

  $ 23,259,148  

Income from affiliated securities

    653,652  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    23,912,800  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    12,192,651  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    2,994,668  

Class C

    26,160  

Administrator Class

    290,951  

Institutional Class

    33,719  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    3,565,080  

Class C

    31,143  

Administrator Class

    558,090  

Distribution fee

 

Class C

    93,368  

Custody and accounting fees

    95,101  

Professional fees

    51,819  

Registration fees

    89,699  

Shareholder report expenses

    157,279  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    39,699  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    20,241,079  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (124,413

Class A

    (176,877

Administrator Class

    (271,483

Institutional Class

    (31,693
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    19,636,613  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    4,276,187  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    94,542,693  

Affiliated securities

    517  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    94,543,210  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    (20,640,995
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    73,902,215  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 78,178,402  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


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Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

 

 

Net investment income

    $ 4,276,187       $ 167,228  

Net realized gains on investments

      94,543,210         178,981,131  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      (20,640,995       78,123,312  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      78,178,402         257,271,671  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

     

Class A

      (148,689,321       (187,514,177

Class C

      (3,194,912       (4,256,830

Administrator Class

      (21,792,735       (27,907,658

Institutional Class

      (2,724,775       (3,553,387
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (176,401,743       (223,232,052
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

 

Class A

    930,098       37,142,175       321,107       14,237,392  

Class C

    12,229       460,797       7,752       322,067  

Administrator Class

    46,303       2,094,423       81,574       3,929,312  

Institutional Class

    228,906       10,662,670       160,930       7,973,373  
 

 

 

 
      50,360,065         26,462,144  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

 

Class A

    3,891,150       144,750,768       4,280,718       182,109,847  

Class C

    91,007       3,143,382       104,852       4,191,994  

Administrator Class

    504,265       20,669,150       566,744       26,279,904  

Institutional Class

    58,962       2,469,867       69,002       3,263,351  
 

 

 

 
      171,033,167         215,845,096  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

 

Class A

    (4,134,053     (168,457,293     (3,871,565     (173,423,798

Class C

    (732,350     (26,708,914     (150,655     (6,331,672

Administrator Class

    (620,318     (27,798,000     (614,100     (29,945,551

Institutional Class

    (320,957     (14,616,198     (246,531     (12,279,582
 

 

 

 
      (237,580,405       (221,980,603
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      (16,187,173       20,326,637  
 

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (114,410,514       54,366,256  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

   

Beginning of period

      1,833,905,067         1,779,538,811  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 1,719,494,553       $ 1,833,905,067  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $46.31       $45.83       $41.86       $43.35       $49.56  

Net investment income (loss)

    0.10       (0.01 )1      0.04       0.13 1      0.64  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.54       6.41       6.60       4.72       (1.52
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.64       6.40       6.64       4.85       (0.88

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    0.00       (0.17     (0.13     (0.57     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (4.58     (5.75     (2.54     (5.77     (5.33
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (4.58     (5.92     (2.67     (6.34     (5.33

Net asset value, end of period

    $43.37       $46.31       $45.83       $41.86       $43.35  

Total return2

    5.18     15.16     16.49     12.46     (2.27 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.21     1.20     1.21     1.21     1.24

Net expenses

    1.19     1.20     1.21     1.21     1.22

Net investment income (loss)

    0.23     (0.01 )%      0.11     0.33     1.30

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     30     43     34     42

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $1,461,345       $1,528,852       $1,479,457       $1,418,614       $390,154  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $43.43       $43.46       $39.99       $41.60       $48.10  

Net investment income (loss)

    (0.26 )1      (0.43     (0.26 )1      (0.16 )1      0.26  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.43       6.15       6.27       4.51       (1.43
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.17       5.72       6.01       4.35       (1.17

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    0.00       0.00       0.00       (0.19     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (4.58     (5.75     (2.54     (5.77     (5.33
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (4.58     (5.75     (2.54     (5.96     (5.33

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.02       $43.43       $43.46       $39.99       $41.60  

Total return2

    4.37     14.31     15.62     11.62     (3.01 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.96     1.95     1.96     1.96     1.99

Net expenses

    1.95     1.95     1.96     1.96     1.97

Net investment income (loss)

    (0.69 )%      (0.76 )%      (0.64 )%      (0.40 )%      0.55

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     30     43     34     42

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $3,739       $31,381       $33,057       $34,721       $37,196  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $50.50       $49.45       $44.93       $46.11       $52.27  

Net investment income

    0.21       0.07       0.15 1      0.24 1      0.79  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.73       6.97       7.09       5.04       (1.62
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.94       7.04       7.24       5.28       (0.83

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.01     (0.24     (0.18     (0.69     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (4.58     (5.75     (2.54     (5.77     (5.33
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (4.59     (5.99     (2.72     (6.46     (5.33

Net asset value, end of period

    $47.85       $50.50       $49.45       $44.93       $46.11  

Total return

    5.37     15.38     16.74     12.68     (2.04 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.13     1.12     1.13     1.13     1.10

Net expenses

    1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00

Net investment income

    0.42     0.19     0.31     0.56     1.52

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     30     43     34     42

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $227,963       $244,110       $237,315       $226,140       $223,281  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $51.50       $50.30       $45.63       $46.76       $52.82  

Net investment income

    0.35       0.22       0.22 1      0.35 1      0.92 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    1.74       7.08       7.25       5.12       (1.65
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.09       7.30       7.47       5.47       (0.73

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.12     (0.35     (0.26     (0.83     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (4.58     (5.75     (2.54     (5.77     (5.33
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (4.70     (6.10     (2.80     (6.60     (5.33

Net asset value, end of period

    $48.89       $51.50       $50.30       $45.63       $46.76  

Total return

    5.63     15.69     17.02     12.97     (1.81 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.88     0.87     0.88     0.88     0.83

Net expenses

    0.75     0.75     0.75     0.75     0.75

Net investment income

    0.66     0.44     0.47     0.79     1.79

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     30     43     34     42

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $26,447       $29,562       $29,709       $17,222       $11,906  

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

The values of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore may not fully reflect trading or events that occur after the close of the principal exchange in which the foreign securities are traded, but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. If such trading or events are expected to materially affect the value of such securities, then fair value pricing procedures approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund are applied. These procedures take into account multiple factors including movements in U.S. securities markets after foreign exchanges close. Foreign securities that are fair valued under these procedures are categorized as Level 2 and the application of these procedures may result in transfers between Level 1 and Level 2. Depending on market activity, such fair valuations may be frequent. Such fair value pricing may result in net asset values that are higher or lower than net asset values based on the last reported sales price or latest quoted bid price. On September 30, 2019, such fair value pricing was not used in pricing foreign securities.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date, except for certain dividends from foreign securities, which are recorded as soon as the custodian verifies the ex-dividend date. Dividend income from foreign securities is recorded net of foreign taxes withheld where recovery of such taxes is not assured.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $1,220,095,012 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 568,930,518  

Gross unrealized losses

     (42,103,449

Net unrealized gains

   $ 526,827,069  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

     

Quoted prices

(Level 1)

     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 142,376,843      $ 0      $ 0      $ 142,376,843  

Consumer discretionary

     116,370,471        0        0        116,370,471  

Consumer staples

     39,927,789        0        0        39,927,789  

Energy

     69,141,949        0        0        69,141,949  

Financials

     290,944,462        0        0        290,944,462  

Health care

     278,875,727        0        0        278,875,727  

Industrials

     217,176,504        0        0        217,176,504  

Information technology

     371,955,904        0        0        371,955,904  

Materials

     83,441,406        0        0        83,441,406  

Real estate

     93,102,180        0        0        93,102,180  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     43,608,846        0        0        43,608,846  

Total assets

   $ 1,746,922,081      $ 0      $ 0      $ 1,746,922,081  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund had no material transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Next $2 billion

     0.630  

Next $4 billion

     0.620  

Over $16 billion

     0.610  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Prior to February 1, 2019, Funds Management received a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.750

Next $500 million

     0.725  

Next $1 billion

     0.700  

Next $2 billion

     0.675  

Next $1 billion

     0.650  

Next $5 billion

     0.640  

Over $10 billion

     0.630  

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.72% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.30% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C

     0.21

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.18% for Class A shares, 1.93% for Class C shares, 1.00% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.75% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Prior to February 1, 2019, the Fund’s expenses were capped at 1.21% for Class A shares and 1.96% for Class C shares.

Distribution fee

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. A distribution fee is charged to Class C shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $4,930 from the sale of Class A shares and $25 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $467,793,090 and $659,304,024, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund had securities lending transactions with the following counterparties which are subject to offset:

 

Counterparty      Value of
securities on
loan
     Collateral
received1
     Net amount  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     $25,096,200      ($25,096,200)      $ 0  

 

1 

Collateral received within this table is limited to the collateral for the net transaction with the counterparty.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 20,040,871      $ 32,866,802  

Long-term capital gain

     156,360,872        190,365,250  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary

income

   Undistributed
long-term
gains
  

Unrealized

gains

$11,352,163    $88,290,527    $526,827,069

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 76.93% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $156,360,872 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $20,040,871 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $19,914,543 has been designated as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
William R. Ebsworth (Born 1957)   Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr. (Born 1952)   Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson (Born 1949)   Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker (Born 1950)   Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell (Born 1953)   Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny (Born 1951)   Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson (Born 1959)   Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen (Born 1960)   President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Nancy Wiser1 (Born 1967)   Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)   Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4 (Born 1969)   Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker (Born 1967)   Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.
David Berardi (Born 1975)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.
Jeremy DePalma1 (Born 1974)   Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

32  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund   |  33


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Russell 3000® Index, for the one-, three- and five-year periods under review, but in range of its benchmark for the ten-year period under review.

The Board received information concerning, and discussed factors contributing to, the underperformance of the Fund relative to its benchmark for the periods identified above. The Board took note of the explanations for the relative underperformance during these periods, including with respect to investment decisions and market factors that affected the Fund’s investment performance. The Board also took note of the Fund’s outperformance relative to the Universe over each period under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were in range of, equal to, or lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were in range of the sum of the average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for the Institutional Class, but higher than the average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for Class A and the Administrator Class. However, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were in range of, equal to, or lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

 

 

34  |  Wells Fargo Opportunity Fund


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Other information (unaudited)

 

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

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This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406816 11-19

A232/AR232 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

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Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo

Special Mid Cap Value Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE  ◾  MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this annual report for the Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019. After the first half of the period yielded either low-single-digit or negative investment returns, U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw markets recover during the second half amid intensifying market volatility, global economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions.

Overall, fixed-income investors enjoyed a distinct advantage over stock investors. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 4.25% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 fell 1.23%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 slipped 2.02%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 10.30%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 5.34%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 8.55%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 6.30%.

Investors confronted unsettling events during the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, investors grew concerned about the pace and sustainability of the global economic expansion. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.4% on an annualized basis, which was down from the second-quarter rate. A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred, which extended into January 2019. Brexit efforts stalled, causing uncertainty for the eurozone. The value of the renminbi declined even as the People’s Bank of China cut reserve requirement ratios, accelerated infrastructure spending, and cut taxes in efforts to spur economic activity.

The combination of news in the U.S. and generally weak economic indicators outside of the U.S. caused investors to seek safe havens. December’s S&P 500 Index performance was the worst since 1931. Globally, fixed-income investments fared better than stocks during the last two months of the year. Even as indicators suggested growth was restrained, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%) in December 2018 to a target range of between 2.25% and 2.50%. Many observers expressed concerns that higher rates could slow the economy further.

 

 

1

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

The market climbs a wall of worry.

Investment returns early in 2019 appeared to reaffirm the adage that markets climb a wall of worry as the new year began. The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years. Returns for the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net), the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, and the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index also were positive.

In February 2019, signs of slowing global growth grew more ominous. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced fourth-quarter 2018 GDP grew at an annualized 2.2% rate, a slower rate than reported for the prior two quarters. In a February report, the Bank of England forecast the slowest growth for 2019 since the financial crisis. China and the U.S. continued to wrangle over trade issues. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, more accommodative Fed sentiment and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors.

Early second-quarter 2019 enthusiasm among investors faded.

During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. GDP of an annualized rate of 3.2%. During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August 2019 encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of

 

“The S&P 500 Index gained 8.01% for the month of January, the best monthly performance in 30 years.”

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

 

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com,

or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may potentially unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadviser

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Portfolio managers

James M. Tringas, CFA®

Bryant VanCronkhite, CFA®, CPA

Shane Zweck, CFA®*

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
       

Including sales charge

 

   

Excluding sales charge

 

   

Expense ratios(%)

 

 
 
    Inception date   1 year     5 year     10 year     1 year     5 year     10 year     Gross     Net2  
                   
Class A (WFPAX)   7-31-2007     1.62       7.13       11.95       7.81       8.40       12.62       1.16       1.16  
                   
Class C (WFPCX)   7-31-2007     6.00       7.59       11.77       7.00       7.59       11.77       1.91       1.91  
                   
Class R (WFHHX)3   9-30-2015                       7.52       8.13       12.35       1.41       1.41  
                   
Class R6 (WFPRX)4   6-28-2013                       8.28       8.87       13.10       0.73       0.73  
                   
Administrator Class (WFMDX)   4-8-2005                       7.88       8.50       12.73       1.08       1.08  
                   
Institutional Class (WFMIX)   4-8-2005                       8.17       8.77       13.04       0.83       0.83  
                   
Russell Midcap® Value Index5                         1.60       7.55       12.29              

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance shown without sales charges would be lower if sales charges were reflected. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

For Class A shares, the maximum front-end sales charge is 5.75%. For Class C shares, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is 1.00%. Performance including a contingent deferred sales charge assumes the sales charge for the corresponding time period. Class R, Class R6, Administrator Class, and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Smaller-company stocks tend to be more volatile and less liquid than those of larger companies. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

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Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $10,000 investment as of September 30, 20196

LOGO

 

 

 

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

*

Mr. Zweck became a portfolio manager of the Fund on February 1, 2019.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses, which include the impact of 0.01% in acquired fund fees and expenses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report, which do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through January 31, 2020, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Historical performance shown for Class R shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of the Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the higher expenses applicable to Class R shares.

 

4 

Historical performance shown for Class R6 shares prior to their inception reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares, and includes the higher expenses applicable to Institutional Class shares. If these expenses had not been included, the returns for Class R6 shares would be higher.

 

5 

The Russell Midcap® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price/book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000® Value Index. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The chart compares the performance of Class A shares for the most recent ten years with the Russell Midcap® Value Index. The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares and reflects all operating expenses and assumes the maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%.

 

7 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

8 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGER’S DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell Midcap® Value Index, for the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

Contributors to performance included stock selection in the industrials and information technology (IT) sectors.

 

 

Detractors from performance included an underweight to the real estate sector and stock selection in the consumer staples sector.

Investors remained optimistic, but volatility increased significantly.

Over the 12-month period, mid-cap value stocks produced moderately positive returns but experienced some significant volatility. The last three months of 2018 saw a sizable correction as investors expressed concerns surrounding tightening monetary policy, continued trade disputes, and slowing global economic growth. The Fund’s focus on flexible balance sheets and sustainable free cash flow provided strong relative returns versus its benchmark during this volatile period. The first nine months of 2019 saw stocks recapture much of the returns that were lost during the previous three months as the prospect for more accommodative monetary policy began to emerge. The Fund outperformed during this period due to strong stock selection across multiple sectors, as our bottom-up process is designed to find companies that can control their own destinies via their clear competitive advantages, sustainable free cash flows, and flexible balance sheets that can be used to grow shareholder value.

We made modest changes to sector weightings.

Our stock-selection process is predominantly driven by our bottom-up stock analysis; this process led to modest changes to the Fund’s sector weightings during the period. We maintained overweights to the industrials and materials sectors but reduced the size of the overweights based on the strong price appreciation of our names affecting reward/risk valuations. In the consumer discretionary sector, the Fund added a few new positions that presented attractive entry points and long-term prospects. The Fund went from a slight overweight to a slight underweight to the IT sector as we trimmed positions after valuations moved higher and individual reward/risk ratios decreased.

Stock selection in the industrials and IT sectors benefited the Fund’s performance.

In the industrials sector, Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated, a global engineering, consulting, and construction firm, contributed to performance. We were attracted to a transformation that’s unfolding at Jacobs, where management is divesting cyclical and low-margin cash flow streams and replacing them with higher-margin, more stable end markets. This transformation brings with it greater capital deployment optionality and higher returns on capital that are beginning to be recognized by the market and driving the share price higher.

Security selection in the IT sector contributed to relative performance. Euronet Worldwide, Incorporated, provides payment and transaction processing and distribution solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers, and individual consumers worldwide. We have been attracted to Euronet’s net cash balance sheet, low capital intensity, and strong free cash flow generation. We believe Euronet will continue to use its balance sheet to pursue attractive organic and acquisitive growth opportunities in the future.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20197  
   

Kansas City Southern

     2.89  
   

Brown & Brown Incorporated

     2.86  
   

Amdocs Limited

     2.77  
   

Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated

     2.73  
   

Ameren Corporation

     2.71  
   

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

     2.56  
   

Arch Capital Group Limited

     2.36  
   

Republic Services Incorporated

     2.36  
   

American Water Works Company Incorporated

     2.19  
   

CBRE Group Incorporated Class A

     2.18  

An underweight to the real estate sector and stock selection in the consumer staples sector detracted from performance.

The Fund’s underweight to the real estate sector detracted from relative performance as the sector outperformed the broader index. The sector benefited from the pullback in 10-year Treasury yields as investors fled toward dividend-oriented stocks. We remain underweight the sector as we are finding better reward/risk opportunities elsewhere and believe there are more attractive stocks that could provide support to the Fund if Treasury yields were to continue to fall.

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Sector distribution as of September 30, 20198
LOGO

Consumer staples holding Molson Coors Brewing Company detracted from performance. The company has generated significant economies of scale and cost synergies with its purchase of the MillerCoors joint venture and has developed a growing free cash flow stream. Slowing North American beer volumes have pressured the industry and expectations for Molson. However, we believe that with an improving balance sheet and cost reduction efforts, free cash flow will remain strong and the long-term reward/risk potential is attractive.

 

 

Our outlook for the Fund and our process remain positive.

As we look out over the next 6 to 12 months, we see numerous forces at play that could bring increased volatility. Equity investors continue to balance ongoing trade tensions, slowing global economic growth, and the direction of interest rates. The run-up to the 2020 presidential election will be watched closely and could have significant influences on the markets. We are not experts in forecasting macro events or the direction of the market; however, it is commonly the sources of macro-driven volatility, such as political events, interest rates, input-cost pressure, regulatory changes, and investing style factors, that create inefficiencies in individual stock prices. We believe it is prudent to manage downside risks, and we will continue to invest in companies that we believe have taken steps to control their own destinies.

We believe our team’s fundamental analysis, risk management, and active investment process are well suited to take advantage of new opportunities as the stock market evolves. While volatility may increase, we look to the strong balance sheets and stable cash flows of the companies within the Fund to support consistent long-term performance. We maintain a favorable outlook for the Fund.

 

Please see footnotes on page 7.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  9


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and contingent deferred sales charges (if any) on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) and/or shareholder servicing fees, and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) and contingent deferred sales charges. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,079.25      $ 6.01        1.15

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.29      $ 5.84        1.15
         

Class C

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,075.28      $ 9.91        1.90

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,015.52      $ 9.62        1.90
         

Class R

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,077.69      $ 7.31        1.40

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,018.03      $ 7.10        1.40
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,081.74      $ 3.77        0.72

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,021.45      $ 3.66        0.72
         

Administrator Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,079.74      $ 5.59        1.07

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,019.69      $ 5.43        1.07
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,081.01      $ 4.29        0.82

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,020.95      $ 4.17        0.82

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Common Stocks: 94.03%

 

Communication Services: 1.67%

 

Media: 1.67%  

Discovery Communications Incorporated Class C †

          6,254,500      $ 153,985,790  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 7.52%

 

Auto Components: 1.10%  

Aptiv plc

          1,165,200        101,861,784  
          

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.79%  

Vail Resorts Incorporated

          394,900        89,863,444  

Yum China Holdings Incorporated

          1,665,200        75,650,036  
             165,513,480  
          

 

 

 
Household Durables: 2.56%  

D.R. Horton Incorporated

          2,238,700        118,001,877  

Mohawk Industries Incorporated †

          956,200        118,635,734  
             236,637,611  
          

 

 

 
Multiline Retail: 1.17%  

Kohl’s Corporation

          2,167,100        107,618,186  
          

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods: 0.90%  

PVH Corporation

          939,400        82,883,262  
          

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 3.01%

 

Beverages: 2.03%  

Molson Coors Brewing Company Class B

          3,248,776        186,804,620  
          

 

 

 
Food Products: 0.98%  

Lamb Weston Holdings Incorporated

          1,245,900        90,601,848  
          

 

 

 

Energy: 5.60%

 

Energy Equipment & Services: 1.97%  

Baker Hughes Incorporated

          3,208,034        74,426,389  

National Oilwell Varco Incorporated

          4,051,400        85,889,680  

Patterson-UTI Energy Incorporated

          2,549,700        21,799,935  
             182,116,004  
          

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 3.63%  

Cimarex Energy Company

          1,579,700        75,730,818  

Devon Energy Corporation

          2,242,600        53,956,956  

Hess Corporation

          1,335,200        80,752,896  

Valero Energy Corporation

          807,300        68,814,252  

WPX Energy Incorporated †

          5,217,200        55,250,148  
             334,505,070  
          

 

 

 

Financials: 20.63%

 

Banks: 5.85%  

Fifth Third Bancorp

          5,693,200        155,879,816  

PacWest Bancorp

          3,216,807        116,898,766  

Regions Financial Corporation

          10,252,000        162,186,640  

Zions Bancorporation

          2,354,300        104,813,436  
             539,778,658  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Capital Markets: 1.01%  

Northern Trust Corporation

          1,001,300      $ 93,441,316  
          

 

 

 
Insurance: 12.20%  

Arch Capital Group Limited †

          5,191,908        217,956,298  

Brown & Brown Incorporated

          7,317,000        263,851,020  

Fidelity National Financial Incorporated

          3,962,214        175,961,924  

Loews Corporation

          3,531,100        181,781,028  

The Allstate Corporation

          1,831,100        199,003,948  

Willis Towers Watson plc

          457,100        88,206,587  
             1,126,760,805  
          

 

 

 
Mortgage REITs: 1.57%  

Annaly Capital Management Incorporated

          16,422,800        144,520,640  
          

 

 

 

Health Care: 10.35%

 

Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 6.21%  

Alcon Incorporated †

          2,550,100        148,645,329  

Steris plc

          641,900        92,748,131  

Varian Medical Systems Incorporated †

          1,502,000        178,873,180  

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Incorporated

          1,112,200        152,671,694  
             572,938,334  
          

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 2.97%  

Humana Incorporated

          690,300        176,489,001  

Universal Health Services Incorporated Class B

          658,200        97,907,250  
             274,396,251  
          

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 1.17%  

Charles River Laboratories International Incorporated †

          820,100        108,556,637  
          

 

 

 

Industrials: 15.49%

 

Building Products: 1.55%  

A.O. Smith Corporation

          1,050,500        50,119,355  

Masco Corporation

          453,800        18,914,384  

Owens Corning Incorporated

          1,166,830        73,743,657  
             142,777,396  
          

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies: 2.36%  

Republic Services Incorporated

          2,518,175        217,948,046  
          

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering: 2.73%  

Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated

          2,754,843        252,068,135  
          

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 1.80%  

Carlisle Companies Incorporated

          1,139,137        165,789,999  
          

 

 

 
Machinery: 2.87%  

Cummins Incorporated

          732,309        119,124,705  

Stanley Black & Decker Incorporated

          1,012,700        146,244,007  
             265,368,712  
          

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 2.89%  

Kansas City Southern

          2,006,500        266,884,565  
          

 

 

 

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

                     Shares      Value  
Trading Companies & Distributors: 1.29%  

AerCap Holdings NV †

          2,178,700      $ 119,283,825  
          

 

 

 

Information Technology: 6.74%

 

IT Services: 3.94%  

Amdocs Limited

          3,866,300        255,601,093  

Euronet Worldwide Incorporated †

          738,000        107,969,400  
             363,570,493  
          

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 0.73%  

Analog Devices Incorporated

          603,800        67,462,574  
          

 

 

 
Software: 0.54%  

Check Point Software Technologies Limited †

          456,400        49,975,800  
          

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.53%  

NCR Corporation †

          4,483,720        141,506,203  
          

 

 

 

Materials: 6.63%

 

Chemicals: 1.94%  

PPG Industries Incorporated

          1,510,500        179,009,355  
          

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 3.74%  

International Paper Company

          2,243,200        93,810,624  

Packaging Corporation of America

          1,191,013        126,366,479  

Sealed Air Corporation

          3,005,100        124,741,701  
             344,918,804  
          

 

 

 
Metals & Mining: 0.95%  

Barrick Gold Corporation

          5,077,700        87,996,541  
          

 

 

 

Real Estate: 7.68%

 

Equity REITs: 5.50%  

American Campus Communities Incorporated

          2,989,805        143,749,824  

Invitation Homes Incorporated

          5,885,328        174,264,562  

Mid-America Apartment Communities Incorporated

          1,015,700        132,051,157  

Park Hotels & Resorts Incorporated

          2,315,200        57,810,544  
             507,876,087  
          

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development: 2.18%  

CBRE Group Incorporated Class A †

          3,787,800        200,791,278  
          

 

 

 

Utilities: 8.71%

 

Electric Utilities: 3.80%  

American Electric Power Company Incorporated

          2,525,860        236,647,823  

FirstEnergy Corporation

          2,372,900        114,444,967  
             351,092,790  
          

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities: 2.71%  

Ameren Corporation

          3,129,550        250,520,478  
          

 

 

 
Water Utilities: 2.20%                           

American Water Works Company Incorporated

          1,630,400        202,544,592  
          

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $7,239,835,453)

             8,680,305,969  
          

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  13


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Yield                               Shares      Value  
Short-Term Investments: 5.72%                          
Investment Companies: 5.72%                          

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)

    1.88        528,149,536      $ 528,149,536  
         

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $528,149,536)

            528,149,536        
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $7,767,984,989)     99.75        9,208,455,505  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    0.25          23,091,475  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 9,231,546,980  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Non-income-earning security

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

Abbreviations:

REIT

Real estate investment trust

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliates of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

    Shares,
beginning of
period
    Shares
purchased
    Shares
sold
    Shares,
end of
period
    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
   

Value,
end of

period

   

% of

net

assets

 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Securities Lending Cash Investments LLC*

    0       136,660,214       136,660,214       0     $ 1,283     $ 0     $ 73,452 #    $ 0    

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    183,466,427       2,194,744,793       1,850,061,684       528,149,536       0       0       7,007,966       528,149,536    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 1,283     $ 0     $ 7,081,418     $ 528,149,536       5.72
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

*

No longer held at the end of the period

 

# 

Amount shown represents income before fees and rebates.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

14  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities, at value (cost $7,239,835,453)

  $ 8,680,305,969  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $528,149,536)

    528,149,536  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    29,644,101  

Receivable for dividends

    15,251,660  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    9,253,351,266  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    11,087,198  

Management fee payable

    5,006,817  

Payable for investments purchased

    2,925,014  

Administration fees payable

    886,192  

Distribution fees payable

    97,292  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    1,941  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    1,799,832  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    21,804,286  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 9,231,546,980  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 7,444,739,102  

Total distributable earnings

    1,786,807,878  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 9,231,546,980  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value and offering price per share

 

Net assets – Class A

  $ 1,003,560,044  

Shares outstanding – Class A1

    25,325,846  

Net asset value per share – Class A

    $39.63  

Maximum offering price per share – Class A2

    $42.05  

Net assets – Class C

  $ 147,085,852  

Shares outstanding – Class C1

    3,886,099  

Net asset value per share – Class C

    $37.85  

Net assets – Class R

  $ 31,961,269  

Shares outstanding – Class R1

    797,138  

Net asset value per share – Class R

    $40.10  

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 2,094,860,168  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    51,400,729  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $40.76  

Net assets – Administrator Class

  $ 604,126,472  

Shares outstanding – Administrator Class1

    14,971,537  

Net asset value per share – Administrator Class

    $40.35  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 5,349,953,175  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    131,453,098  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $40.70  

 

1 

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

2 

Maximum offering price is computed as 100/94.25 of net asset value. On investments of $50,000 or more, the offering price is reduced.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  15


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Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 2019

 

         

Investment income

 

Dividends

  $ 143,012,471  

Income from affiliated securities

    7,018,034  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    150,030,505  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    55,014,863  

Administration fees

 

Class A

    2,021,560  

Class C

    313,327  

Class R

    59,535  

Class R6

    492,287  

Administrator Class

    917,106  

Institutional Class

    6,159,860  

Shareholder servicing fees

 

Class A

    2,406,619  

Class C

    373,009  

Class R

    70,874  

Administrator Class

    1,761,907  

Distribution fees

 

Class C

    1,119,020  

Class R

    70,854  

Custody and accounting fees

    266,107  

Professional fees

    44,990  

Registration fees

    487,670  

Shareholder report expenses

    961,200  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    21,652  

Other fees and expenses

    90,004  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    72,652,444  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Class A

    (64

Class C

    (8

Class R

    (18

Class R6

    (1,973

Administrator Class

    (10
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    72,650,371  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    77,380,134  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    303,690,278  

Affiliated securities

    1,283  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    303,691,561  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    233,760,522  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    537,452,083  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 614,832,217  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


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Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 2019
    Year ended
September 30, 2018
 

Operations

       

Net investment income

    $ 77,380,134       $ 55,406,539  

Net realized gains on investments

      303,691,561         170,032,209  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

      233,760,522         160,007,260  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      614,832,217         385,446,008  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

       

Class A

      (20,592,515       (44,792,710

Class C

      (2,703,167       (7,147,489

Class R

      (562,316       (758,370

Class R6

      (36,838,837       (46,138,407

Administrator Class

      (17,454,931       (48,230,988

Institutional Class

      (114,026,310       (209,509,970
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

      (192,178,076       (356,577,934
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares         Shares    

Proceeds from shares sold

       

Class A

    5,327,538       192,757,937       8,052,054       299,880,019  

Class C

    395,515       13,743,148       955,547       34,325,290  

Class R

    312,326       11,470,210       449,380       17,074,096  

Class R6

    19,811,243       753,877,254       21,764,043       834,124,233  

Administrator Class

    2,524,441       92,078,365       9,533,075       364,176,209  

Institutional Class

    49,318,478       1,865,932,723       44,252,567       1,696,256,312  
 

 

 

 
      2,929,859,637         3,245,836,159  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

       

Class A

    578,559       19,307,072       1,134,296       42,153,674  

Class C

    79,940       2,563,693       190,448       6,787,622  

Class R

    16,602       561,690       20,056       757,010  

Class R6

    1,023,710       35,011,870       1,188,583       45,410,964  

Administrator Class

    512,565       17,408,508       1,273,292       48,143,405  

Institutional Class

    3,085,272       105,464,480       5,050,159       192,715,031  
 

 

 

 
      180,317,313         335,967,706  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

       

Class A

    (8,214,077     (295,833,462     (10,111,787     (376,581,084

Class C

    (1,443,715     (49,286,556     (1,618,894     (57,851,833

Class R

    (177,050     (6,492,936     (205,099     (7,778,102

Class R6

    (8,066,799     (299,782,094     (7,858,969     (300,909,538

Administrator Class

    (13,653,775     (493,668,005     (15,565,814     (589,131,375

Institutional Class

    (48,844,550     (1,804,574,146     (40,848,909     (1,566,068,850
 

 

 

 
      (2,949,637,199       (2,898,320,782
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

      160,539,751         683,483,083  
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

      583,193,892         712,351,157  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

       

Beginning of period

      8,648,353,088         7,936,001,931  
 

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 9,231,546,980       $ 8,648,353,088  
 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  17


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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS A   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $37.59       $37.49       $33.12       $29.91       $32.68  

Net investment income

    0.26       0.15       0.33       0.19       0.25  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.54       1.50       4.42       4.23       0.07  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.80       1.65       4.75       4.42       0.32  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.17     (0.23     (0.19     (0.08     (0.18

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     (2.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.76     (1.55     (0.38     (1.21     (3.09

Net asset value, end of period

    $39.63       $37.59       $37.49       $33.12       $29.91  

Total return1

    7.81     4.50     14.41     15.34     0.69

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.15     1.15     1.18     1.19     1.25

Net expenses

    1.15     1.15     1.18     1.19     1.24

Net investment income

    0.67     0.40     0.78     0.82     0.85

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $1,003,560       $1,038,883       $1,070,690       $1,363,213       $509,386  

 

 

 

 

1 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS C   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $36.02       $36.03       $31.91       $29.00       $31.82  

Net investment income (loss)

    (0.07     (0.14     0.06       0.03       0.02 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.49       1.46       4.26       4.02       0.07  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.42       1.32       4.32       4.05       0.09  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    0.00       (0.01     (0.01     (0.01     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     (2.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.59     (1.33     (0.20     (1.14     (2.91

Net asset value, end of period

    $37.85       $36.02       $36.03       $31.91       $29.00  

Total return2

    7.00     3.72     13.56     14.47     (0.05 )% 

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.90     1.90     1.92     1.94     2.00

Net expenses

    1.90     1.90     1.92     1.94     1.99

Net investment income (loss)

    (0.09 )%      (0.35 )%      0.14     0.03     0.08

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $147,086       $174,839       $191,954       $116,022       $63,431  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

2 

Total return calculations do not include any sales charges.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R   2019     2018     2017     2016     20151  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.09       $38.08       $33.78       $30.70       $30.70  

Net investment income

    0.17       0.09       0.32       0.12 2      0.00  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.57       1.49       4.43       4.32       0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.74       1.58       4.75       4.44       0.00  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.14     (0.25     (0.26     (0.23     0.00  

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     0.00  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.73     (1.57     (0.45     (1.36     0.00  

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.10       $38.09       $38.08       $33.78       $30.70  

Total return3

    7.52     4.23     14.13     15.05     0.00

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.40     1.40     1.42     1.44     0.00

Net expenses

    1.40     1.40     1.42     1.44     0.00

Net investment income

    0.43     0.18     0.77     0.37     0.00

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $31,961       $24,575       $14,505       $1,778       $25  

 

 

 

1 

The class commenced operations on September 30, 2015. Information represents activity for the one day of operation.

 

2 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

3 

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
CLASS R6   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.67       $38.52       $34.03       $30.71       $33.39  

Net investment income

    0.40       0.32 1      0.50 1      0.38 1      0.41 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.62       1.55       4.53       4.30       0.05  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.02       1.87       5.03       4.68       0.46  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.34     (0.40     (0.35     (0.23     (0.23

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     (2.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.93     (1.72     (0.54     (1.36     (3.14

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.76       $38.67       $38.52       $34.03       $30.71  

Total return

    8.28     4.95     14.88     15.84     1.14

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.72     0.72     0.74     0.76     0.79

Net expenses

    0.72     0.72     0.74     0.76     0.79

Net investment income

    1.12     0.85     1.37     1.21     1.26

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $2,094,860       $1,493,787       $906,784       $374,557       $105,973  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
ADMINISTRATOR CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.23       $38.12       $33.67       $30.45       $33.14  

Net investment income

    0.27 1      0.18 1      0.34 1      0.26       0.31 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.61       1.52       4.52       4.26       0.05  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.88       1.70       4.86       4.52       0.36  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.17     (0.27     (0.22     (0.17     (0.14

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     (2.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.76     (1.59     (0.41     (1.30     (3.05

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.35       $38.23       $38.12       $33.67       $30.45  

Total return

    7.88     4.58     14.50     15.42     0.84

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    1.07     1.07     1.09     1.10     1.12

Net expenses

    1.07     1.07     1.09     1.10     1.11

Net investment income

    0.72     0.47     0.95     0.88     0.95

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $604,126       $978,368       $1,156,796       $834,134       $394,188  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


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Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    Year ended September 30  
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS   2019     2018     2017     2016     2015  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $38.61       $38.47       $34.00       $30.70       $33.38  

Net investment income

    0.38 1      0.26       0.41       0.35 1      0.41 1 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2.60       1.56       4.58       4.29       0.04  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.98       1.82       4.99       4.64       0.45  

Distributions to shareholders from

         

Net investment income

    (0.30     (0.36     (0.33     (0.21     (0.22

Net realized gains

    (0.59     (1.32     (0.19     (1.13     (2.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

    (0.89     (1.68     (0.52     (1.34     (3.13

Net asset value, end of period

    $40.70       $38.61       $38.47       $34.00       $30.70  

Total return

    8.17     4.84     14.76     15.73     1.10

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

         

Gross expenses

    0.82     0.82     0.84     0.86     0.85

Net expenses

    0.82     0.82     0.84     0.86     0.85

Net investment income

    1.00     0.73     1.24     1.07     1.23

Supplemental data

         

Portfolio turnover rate

    37     37     46     30     58

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $5,349,953       $4,937,901       $4,595,274       $2,325,777       $411,919  

 

 

 

 

1 

Calculated based upon average shares outstanding

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  23


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Equity securities that are listed on a foreign or domestic exchange or market are valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last sales price. If no sale occurs on the principal exchange or market that day, a fair value price will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s Valuation Procedures.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value. Interests in non-registered investment companies that are redeemable at net asset value are fair valued normally at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”). The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Securities lending

The Fund may lend its securities from time to time in order to earn additional income in the form of fees or interest on securities received as collateral or the investment of any cash received as collateral. When securities are on loan, the Fund receives interest or dividends on those securities. Cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending transactions is invested in Securities Lending Cash Investments, LLC (the “Securities Lending Fund”). Investments in Securities Lending Fund are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service. Income earned from investment in the Securities Lending Fund (net of fees and rebates), if any, is included in income from affiliated securities on the Statement of Operations.

In a securities lending transaction, the net asset value of the Fund is affected by an increase or decrease in the value of the securities loaned and by an increase or decrease in the value of the instrument in which collateral is invested. The amount of securities lending activity undertaken by the Fund fluctuates from time to time. The Fund has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the borrower, the Fund may be prevented from recovering the loaned securities or gaining access to the collateral or may experience delays or costs in doing so. In such an event, the terms of the agreement allows the unaffiliated securities lending agent to use the collateral to purchase replacement securities on behalf of the Fund or pay the Fund the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund bears the risk of loss with respect to depreciation of its investment of the cash collateral.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.

 

 

24  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and any net realized gains are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the prior three fiscal years are subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal, state, and foreign tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $7,782,106,944 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 1,815,816,717  

Gross unrealized losses

     (389,468,156

Net unrealized gains

   $ 1,426,348,561  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in applicable sales charges, distribution, shareholder servicing, and administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Common stocks

           

Communication services

   $ 153,985,790      $ 0      $ 0      $ 153,985,790  

Consumer discretionary

     694,514,323        0        0        694,514,323  

Consumer staples

     277,406,468        0        0        277,406,468  

Energy

     516,621,074        0        0        516,621,074  

Financials

     1,904,501,419        0        0        1,904,501,419  

Health care

     955,891,222        0        0        955,891,222  

Industrials

     1,430,120,678        0        0        1,430,120,678  

Information technology

     622,515,070        0        0        622,515,070  

Materials

     611,924,700        0        0        611,924,700  

Real estate

     708,667,365        0        0        708,667,365  

Utilities

     804,157,860        0        0        804,157,860  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     528,149,536        0        0        528,149,536  

Total assets

   $ 9,208,455,505      $ 0      $ 0      $ 9,208,455,505  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  
First $500 million      0.750
Next $500 million      0.725  
Next $1 billion      0.700  
Next $2 billion      0.675  
Next $1 billion      0.650  
Next $5 billion      0.640  
Next $2 billion      0.630  
Next $4 billion      0.620  
Over $16 billion      0.610  

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Prior to February 1, 2019, Funds Management received a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee

First $500 million

   0.750%

Next $500 million

   0.725

Next $1 billion

   0.700

Next $2 billion

   0.675

Next $1 billion

   0.650

Next $5 billion

   0.640

Over $10 billion

   0.630

For the year ended September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.67% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Funds Management has retained the services of a subadviser to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, is the subadviser to the Fund and is entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.45% and declining to 0.30% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class A, Class C, Class R

     0.21

Class R6

     0.03  

Administrator Class, Institutional Class

     0.13  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through January 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 1.16% for Class A shares, 1.91% for Class C shares, 1.41% for Class R shares, 0.73% for Class R6 shares, 1.08% for Administrator Class shares and 0.83% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Prior to February 1, 2019, the Fund’s expenses were capped at 1.19% for Class A shares, 1.94% for Class C shares, 1.44% for Class R shares, 0.76% for Class R6 shares, 1.11% for Administrator Class shares, and 0.85% for Institutional Class shares.

Distribution fees

The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for Class C and Class R shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Distribution fees are charged to Class C and Class R shares and paid to Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (“Funds Distributor”), the principal underwriter, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares and 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Class R shares.

In addition, Funds Distributor is entitled to receive the front-end sales charge from the purchase of Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge on the redemption of certain Class A shares. Funds Distributor is also entitled to receive the

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. For the year ended September 30, 2019, Funds Distributor received $53,166 from the sale of Class A shares and $171 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of Class C shares. No contingent deferred sales charges were incurred by Class A shares for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Shareholder servicing fees

The Trust has entered into contracts with one or more shareholder servicing agents, whereby Class A, Class C, Class R, and Administrator Class of the Fund are charged a fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each respective class. A portion of these total shareholder servicing fees were paid to affiliates of Wells Fargo.

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding U.S. government obligations (if any) and short-term securities, for the year ended September 30, 2019 were $2,969,004,394 and $3,236,594,125, respectively.

6. SECURITIES LENDING TRANSACTIONS

The Fund lends its securities through an unaffiliated securities lending agent and receives collateral in the form of cash or securities with a value at least equal to the value of the securities on loan. The value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day and any increases or decreases in the required collateral are exchanged between the Fund and the counterparty on the next business day. Cash collateral received is invested in the Securities Lending Fund which seeks to provide a positive return compared to the daily Fed Funds Open Rate by investing in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated short-term money market instruments and is exempt from registration under Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act. Securities Lending Fund is managed by Funds Management and is subadvised by WellsCap. Funds Management receives an advisory fee starting at 0.05% and declining to 0.01% as the average daily net assets of the Securities Lending Fund increase. All of the fees received by Funds Management are paid to WellsCap for its services as subadviser.

In the event of counterparty default or the failure of a borrower to return a loaned security, the Fund has the right to use the collateral to offset any losses incurred. As of September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any securities on loan.

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the year ended September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 were as follows:

 

     Year ended September 30  
      2019      2018  

Ordinary income

   $ 61,719,949      $ 175,777,950  

Long-term capital gain

     130,458,127        180,799,984  

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary
income
   Undistributed
long-term
gain
   Unrealized
gains
$123,976,485    $236,482,816    $1,426,348,561

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For corporate shareholders, pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, 93.13% of ordinary income dividends qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 852 of the Internal Revenue Code, $130,458,127 was designated as a 20% rate gain distribution for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Pursuant to Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code, $58,446,739 of income dividends paid during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 has been designated as qualified dividend income (QDI).

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $2,668,745 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A
Jane A. Freeman
(Born 1953)
  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A
Isaiah Harris, Jr.
(Born 1952)
  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation
Judith M. Johnson
(Born 1949)
  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships
David F. Larcker
(Born 1950)
  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A
Olivia S. Mitchell
(Born 1953)
  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A
Timothy J. Penny
(Born 1951)
  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A
James G. Polisson
(Born 1959)
  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.    

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Officers

 

Name and
year of birth
  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer
Andrew Owen
(Born 1960)
  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.
Nancy Wiser1 (Born 1967)   Treasurer, since 2012   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2011. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at LightBox Capital Management LLC, from 2008 to 2011.
Michelle Rhee3 (Born 1966)  

Chief Legal Officer,

since 2019

  Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.
Catherine Kennedy4
(Born 1969)
 

Secretary,

since 2019

  Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.
Michael H. Whitaker
(Born 1967)
 

Chief Compliance Officer,

since 2016

  Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.
David Berardi (Born 1975)  

Assistant Treasurer,

since 2009

  Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

 

Assistant Treasurer,

since 2009

  Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

 

 

 

1

Nancy Wiser acts as Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex. Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.    

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); and (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (the “Sub-Adviser”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board considered the investment performance results for the Fund over various time periods ended December 31, 2018. The Board considered these results in comparison to the investment performance of funds in a universe that was determined by Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) to be similar to the Fund (the “Universe”), and in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark index and to other comparative data. Broadridge is an independent provider of investment company data. The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the performance Universe. The Board noted that the investment performance of the Fund (Administrator Class) was higher than the average investment performance of the Universe for all periods under review. The Board also noted that the investment performance of the Fund was lower than its benchmark index, the Russell Midcap® Value Index, for all periods under review.

The Board also received and considered information regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were equal to or in range of the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s investment performance and expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Adviser for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were equal to or in range of the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after payment of the fee to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Adviser, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Adviser’s profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

 

 

36  |  Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund


Table of Contents

Other information (unaudited)

 

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Adviser’s business as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Adviser, fees earned by Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Adviser, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Adviser under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value Fund  |  37


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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406817 11-19

A234/AR234 09-19

 

 



Table of Contents

LOGO

Annual Report

September 30, 2019

 

Wells Fargo

Global Investment Grade Credit Fund

 

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.


Table of Contents

 

 

Reduce clutter.

Save trees.

Sign up for electronic delivery of prospectuses and shareholder reports at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery

 

The views expressed and any forward-looking statements are as of September 30, 2019, unless otherwise noted, and are those of the Fund managers and/or Wells Fargo Asset Management. Discussions of individual securities, or the markets generally, or any Wells Fargo Fund are not intended as individual recommendations. Future events or results may vary significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The views expressed are subject to change at any time in response to changing circumstances in the market. Wells Fargo Asset Management and the Fund disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any views expressed or forward-looking statements.

 

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE


 

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  1


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

“The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down.”

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to offer you this first shareholder report for the Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund from the Fund’s inception on February 28, 2019 through September 30, 2019. U.S. stock and global bond investors generally saw volatile global investment markets as intensifying economic growth concerns, international trade stare downs, and simmering geopolitical tensions discouraged investors.

Overall, fixed income kept pace with domestic stocks and outperformed foreign equities. For the period, U.S. stocks, based on the S&P 500 Index,1 gained 8.14% and international stocks, as measured by the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index (Net),2 added 1.73%. The MSCI EM Index (Net)3 fell by 2.86%. Among fixed income investors, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index4 added 7.44%, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index5 added 3.55%, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index6 gained 5.38%, and the ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index7 added 4.84%.

Early second-quarter 2019 investor enthusiasm faded as the quarter wore on.

As the first quarter of 2019 ended, a more accommodative monetary policy stance by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) and steady, if not spectacular, U.S. economic and business metrics encouraged domestic investors. During April 2019, favorable sentiment found additional support in reports of sustained low inflation, solid employment data, and first-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth at an annualized rate of 3.2%.

During May, markets tumbled on mixed investment signals. In the U.S., partisan wrangling ramped up as Democrats and Republicans set their sights on 2020 presidential politics. The U.K.’s Brexit disagreements caused Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. Boris Johnson succeeded her only to exacerbate uncertainty about Brexit’s resolution ahead of an October 2019 deadline. The European Commission downgraded the 2019 growth forecast to 1.2%. The U.S. increased tariffs on products from China, China responded, and then talks broke down. President Donald Trump threatened to turn his foreign policy tariff tool to Mexico over immigration issues.

During the third quarter of 2019, investors regrouped. Just as the investment horizon appeared to darken, sentiment turned and U.S. equity markets gained during June and July. The gains, primarily driven by geopolitical and monetary policy events, pushed equity markets to new highs. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that if

 

 

 

1 

The S&P 500 Index consists of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. It is a market-value-weighted index with each stock’s weight in the index proportionate to its market value. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

2 

The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S. Source: MSCI. MSCI makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

3 

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index (Net) is a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4 

The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

5 

The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate ex-USD Index is an unmanaged index that provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-income markets excluding the U.S. dollar-denominated debt market. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

6 

The Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index composed of long-term tax-exempt bonds with a minimum credit rating of Baa. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

7 

The ICE BofAML U.S. High Yield Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of domestic and Yankee high-yield bonds. The index tracks the performance of high-yield securities traded in the U.S. bond market. You cannot invest directly in an index. Copyright 2019. ICE Data Indices, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

2  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Letter to shareholders (unaudited)

 

the outlook doesn’t improve, the bank would cut rates or buy more assets to prop up inflation. President Trump backed off of tariff threats against Mexico and China. In the U.S., the Fed implemented a 0.25% federal funds rate cut in July.

Later in July 2019, the U.S. reversed course and threatened to impose higher tariffs on China’s exports after talks failed. China responded with tariff threats of its own and devalued the renminbi, a move that roiled global markets. Major U.S. stock market indices closed July with the worst weekly results of the year. Bond prices gained as Treasury yields fell to levels not seen since November 2016 and the yield curve inverted at multiple points along the 30-year arc.

In a microcosm, August encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months. The U.S.-China trade relationship swung from antagonistic to hopeful and back again with no evident compromise on the horizon. Evidence of a continued global economic slowdown mounted. Central banks in China, New Zealand, and Thailand cut interest rates. Industrial and manufacturing data declined in China, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Adding to the uncertain environment, Italy’s prime minister resigned, many feared a crackdown in Hong Kong as protesters sustained their calls for reform throughout the month, and Boris Johnson planned to suspend Parliament as Brexit’s deadline neared.

In the U.S., September saw the Fed join other central banks in cutting interest rates. Manufacturing data in the U.S., as reported by the Institute for Supply Management, disappointed investors. The U.S. Congress announced it would pursue an impeachment investigation of President Trump. Meanwhile, the Brexit impasse showed no signs of resolution. Officials in China said that hitting the country’s economic growth goals for the year would be difficult considering the weight of tariffs and trade restrictions. So while the S&P 500 Index finished the third quarter with year-to-date returns that were the best in more than 20 years, amid signs of equity investors taking money out of the stock market, concerns about future returns remained.

Don’t let short-term uncertainty derail long-term investment goals.

Periods of investment uncertainty can present challenges, but experience has taught us that maintaining long-term investment goals can be an effective way to plan for the future. To help you create a sound strategy based on your personal goals and risk tolerance, Wells Fargo Funds offers more than 100 mutual funds spanning a wide range of asset classes and investment styles. Although diversification cannot guarantee an investment profit or prevent losses, we believe it can be an effective way to manage investment risk and potentially smooth out overall portfolio performance. We encourage investors to know their investments and to understand that appropriate levels of risk-taking may unlock opportunities.

Thank you for choosing to invest with Wells Fargo Funds. We appreciate your confidence in us and remain committed to helping you meet your financial needs.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Andrew Owen

President

Wells Fargo Funds

 

“In a microcosm, August encapsulated many of the unnerving events that plagued investors during the prior 11 months.”

 

 

For further information about your Fund, contact your investment professional, visit our website at wfam.com, or call us directly at 1-800-222-8222.

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  3


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Investment objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of income and capital appreciation.

Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Subadvisers

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited

Portfolio managers

Henrietta Paquement, CFA®

Scott M. Smith, CFA®

Alex Temple

Jonathan Terry, CFA®

Average annual total returns (%) as of September 30, 2019

 

 
              Expense ratios1 (%)  
 
    Inception date  

Since

inception

    Gross     Net2  
         
Class R6 (WGCRX)   2-28-2019     8.64       0.63       0.45  
         
Institutional Class (WGCIX)   2-28-2019     8.64       0.68       0.50  
         
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Credit Index Hedged (USD)3       8.81            
*

Return is based on Fund’s inception date.

Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes that a shareholder may pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted, which assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available on the Fund’s website, wfam.com.

Index returns do not include transaction costs associated with buying and selling securities, any mutual fund fees or expenses, or any taxes. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Class R6 and Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the Fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. Foreign investments are especially volatile and can rise or fall dramatically due to differences in the political and economic conditions of the host country. These risks are generally intensified in emerging markets. The use of derivatives may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Securities issued by U.S. government agencies or government-sponsored entities may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Certain investment strategies tend to increase the total risk of an investment (relative to the broader market). The Fund is exposed to municipal securities risk, high-yield securities risk, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities risk. Consult the Fund’s prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

 

Please see footnotes on page 5.

 

 

4  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

Growth of $1,000,000 investment as of September 30, 20194

LOGO

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

 

1 

Reflects the expense ratios as stated in the most recent prospectuses. The expense ratios shown are subject to change and may differ from the annualized expense ratios shown in the financial highlights of this report.

 

2 

The manager has contractually committed through March 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the expenses of each class after fee waivers at the amounts shown. Brokerage commissions, stamp duty fees, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the expense cap. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Without this cap, the Fund’s returns would have been lower. The expense ratio paid by an investor is the net expense ratio (the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers) as stated in the prospectuses.

 

3 

Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Credit Index Hedged (USD) measures the credit sector of the global investment grade fixed-rate bond market, including corporate, government and agency securities, hedged in USD. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

4 

The chart compares the performance of the Institutional Class shares since inception with the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Credit Index Hedged (USD). The chart assumes a hypothetical investment of $1,000,000 in Institutional Class shares shares and reflects all operating expenses.

 

5 

The ten largest holdings, excluding cash, cash equivalents and any money market funds, are calculated based on the value of the investments divided by total net assets of the Fund. Holdings are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

6 

Amounts are calculated based on the total long-term investments of the Fund. These amounts are subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

7 

The credit quality distribution of portfolio holdings reflected in the chart is based on ratings from Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, and/or Fitch Ratings Ltd. Credit quality ratings apply to the underlying holdings of the Fund and not to the Fund itself. The percentages of the Fund’s portfolio with the ratings depicted in the chart are calculated based on the total market value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. If a security was rated by all three rating agencies, the middle rating was utilized. If rated by two of three rating agencies, the lower rating was utilized, and if rated by one of the rating agencies, that rating was utilized. Standard & Poor’s rates the creditworthiness of bonds, ranging from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). Ratings from A to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories. Standard & Poor’s rates the creditworthiness of short-term notes from SP-1 (highest) to SP-3 (lowest). Moody’s rates the creditworthiness of bonds, ranging from Aaa (highest) to C (lowest). Ratings Aa to B may be modified by the addition of a number 1 (highest) to 3 (lowest) to show relative standing within the ratings categories. Moody’s rates the creditworthiness of short-term U.S. tax-exempt municipal securities from MIG 1/VMIG 1 (highest) to SG (lowest). Fitch rates the creditworthiness of bonds, ranging from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). Credit quality distribution is subject to change and may have changed since the date specified.

 

*

This security was no longer held at the end of the reporting period.

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  5


Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

MANAGERS’ DISCUSSION

Fund highlights

 

The Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Credit Index Hedged (USD), for the seven-month period from the Fund’s inception to September 30, 2019.

 

 

Transaction costs to launch the Fund took away from the Fund’s initial performance along with a small underweight in U.S.-dollar duration.

 

 

Security selection within financial institutions and industrials bonds were the main contributors to relative performance.

Weak global economy drove lower rates.

The macroeconomic climate for the seven months to September 30, 2019 was a continuation of the themes that drove markets since the beginning of 2019, namely loose monetary policy alongside heightened political risks, such as U.S.-China trade war tensions and Brexit. Toward period-end, a slew of weak economic data from both the U.S. and Europe reminded investors that so far there have been few winners in the trade war.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) cut the federal funds rate twice over the period totaling 50 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal 1.00%), taking the range to 1.75%-2.00%. The European Central Bank restarted its Quantitative Easing (QE) program at EUR 20 billion per month. This was a lower amount than the market had expected, but the open-ended nature of the purchases coupled with generous deposit-tiering and targeted long-term refinancing operations (TLTRO) arrangements were well received by the market.

The U.S. 10-year government bond yield declined by 1% over the period and the resulting flattening of the Treasury curve caused the 2-year to 10-year yield-differential to drop into negative territory during the third quarter before re-inverting.

The option-adjusted spread for the benchmark fell during the period, from 116 bps to 108 bps, although it reached as high as 122 bps in early June and as low as 101 bps in late July as the counterforces of political risks and expansionary central bank policy played out.

 

Ten largest holdings (%) as of September 30, 20195  
   

Morgan Stanley, 3.70%, 10-23-2024

     1.93  
   

Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated, 3.63%, 1-22-2023

     1.64  
   

Fox Corporation, 4.71%, 1-25-2029

     1.51  
   

JPMorgan Chase & Company, 2.30%, 8-15-2021

     1.43  
   

Citigroup Incorporated, 3.30%, 4-27-2025

     1.42  
   

Raymond James Financial Services Incorporated, 4.95%, 7-15-2046

     1.38  
   

Bank of America Corporation, 4.13%, 1-22-2024

     1.31  
   

Morgan Stanley, 3.13%, 7-27-2026

     1.28  
   

CVS Health Corporation, 3.70%, 3-9-2023

     1.25  
   

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated, 3.75%, 12-1-2025

     1.18  
Portfolio composition as of September 30, 20196

LOGO

 

 

 

Please see footnotes on page 5.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Performance highlights (unaudited)

 

 

Effective maturity distribution as of September 30, 20196
LOGO
Credit quality as of September 30, 20197

LOGO

 

 

 

Tactical overweight to U.S. bonds pays off.

In early August, we felt that European rates had fallen too far and switched roughly 2% of the Fund into U.S.-dollar-denominated bonds. European rates have subsequently rebounded relative to U.S. rates and therefore this move contributed to returns.

Since June 2019, we have reduced some risk in the Fund by increasing our allocation to government bonds and increasing our underweight position in consumer cyclicals and basic materials.

Financials and industrials contributed to returns.

Security selection, in particular in financial institutions (+33 bps) and industrials (+52 bps) were the top contributors to performance. Positions in peripheral European banks contributed to Fund performance. We bought a position in General Electric* at the inception of the Fund and topped up in mid-July before taking profits at period-end.

Underweight to U.S. dollar duration detracted along with start-up costs.

Transaction costs to launch the Fund detracted from performance for the initial period.

A small underweight in U.S.-dollar duration detracted over the third quarter.

Ongoing economic weakness could lead to looser monetary policy.

Given the late-phase of the economic cycle, we expect growth to continue to slow across the major developed market regions as we move into the final quarter of 2019 and beyond. Although this deterioration in macroeconomic strength could reduce the sentiment of global investors, we expect central banks to continue to underpin demand for risk assets through further loosening of monetary policy and potentially fiscal stimulus.

After a heavy amount of issuance in the third quarter, we expect issuance to slow and supply to remain low in the fourth quarter given the ample amount of overall redemptions from issuers. We continue to be selective on the names added to the portfolio.

We expect rising global trade tensions to continue to spur bouts of volatility within the market and we remain relatively light on risk assets to provide us with dry powder in an effort to take advantage of any dispersion in relative credit valuations.

 

Please see footnotes on page 5.

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  7


Table of Contents

Fund expenses (unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the six-month period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019.

Actual expenses

The “Actual” line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the “Actual” line under the heading entitled “Expenses paid during period” for your applicable class of shares to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical example for comparison purposes

The “Hypothetical” line of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs. Therefore, the “Hypothetical” line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.

 

     Beginning
account value
4-1-2019
     Ending
account value
9-30-2019
     Expenses
paid during
the period¹
     Annualized net
expense ratio
 
         

Class R6

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,066.18      $ 2.33        0.45

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,022.81      $ 2.28        0.45
         

Institutional Class

           

Actual

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,066.12      $ 2.59        0.50

Hypothetical (5% return before expenses)

   $ 1,000.00      $ 1,022.56      $ 2.53        0.50

 

1

Expenses paid is equal to the annualized net expense ratio of each class multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year divided by the number of days in the fiscal year (to reflect the one-half-year period).

 

 

8  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Asset-Backed Securities: 1.94%                          

American Airlines Series 2014-1 Class A Pass-Through Trust

    3.70     4-1-2028      $ 300,768      $ 315,446  

British Airways Series 2019-1 Class AA Pass-Through Certificates 144A

    3.30       6-15-2034        1,000,000        1,042,518  

Delta Air Lines Series 2019-1 Class AA Pass-Through Trust

    3.20       10-25-2025        500,000        522,358  

Total Asset-Backed Securities (Cost $1,799,425)

 

     1,880,322  
         

 

 

 

Corporate Bonds and Notes: 52.85%

         

Communication Services: 7.57%

         
Diversified Telecommunication Services: 2.65%                          

AT&T Incorporated

    4.25       3-1-2027        705,000        767,193  

AT&T Incorporated

    4.50       3-9-2048        700,000        752,476  

Verizon Communications Incorporated

    2.88       1-15-2038        200,000        269,924  

Verizon Communications Incorporated

    4.13       8-15-2046        690,000        769,258  
     2,558,851  
         

 

 

 
Media: 4.92%                          

Charter Communications Operating LLC

    4.91       7-23-2025        630,000        692,355  

Comcast Corporation

    3.38       8-15-2025        845,000        893,584  

Cox Communications Incorporated 144A

    4.60       8-15-2047        430,000        472,212  

Discovery Incorporated

    2.50       9-20-2024        100,000        126,650  

Discovery Incorporated

    5.30       5-15-2049        215,000        238,232  

Fox Corporation 144A

    4.71       1-25-2029        1,285,000        1,466,764  

Interpublic Group of Companies

    5.40       10-1-2048        350,000        416,845  

MMS USA Financing Incorporated

    1.75       6-13-2031        400,000        459,737  
     4,766,379  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 1.25%

         
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure: 1.12%                          

Darden Restaurants Incorporated

    4.55       2-15-2048        860,000        908,815  

Las Vegas Sands Corporation

    3.20       8-8-2024        175,000        178,281  
     1,087,096  
         

 

 

 
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail: 0.13%                          

Booking Holdings Incorporated

    1.80       3-3-2027        100,000        120,449  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 3.52%

         
Beverages: 1.61%                          

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance Incorporated

    3.65       2-1-2026        905,000        968,254  

Keurig Dr Pepper Incorporated

    4.60       5-25-2028        530,000        595,262  
     1,563,516  
         

 

 

 
Food & Staples Retailing: 0.76%                          

Walmart Incorporated

    3.70       6-26-2028        660,000        732,137  
         

 

 

 

Food Products: 0.60%

         

Mars Incorporated 144A

    3.95       4-1-2049        510,000        581,759  
         

 

 

 
Tobacco: 0.55%                          

BAT Capital Corporation

    4.54       8-15-2047        555,000        532,839  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 6.69%

         
Energy Equipment & Services: 0.85%                          

Baker Hughes LLC

    3.34       12-15-2027        800,000        820,727  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund   |  9


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 5.84%                          

BP Capital Markets America Incorporated

    2.75     5-10-2023      $ 415,000      $ 423,931  

Energy Transfer Operating Partners LP

    6.25       4-15-2049        820,000        995,610  

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

    5.40       9-1-2044        530,000        607,559  

Marathon Petroleum Corporation

    3.80       4-1-2028        415,000        432,633  

Midwest Connector Capital Company 144A

    3.90       4-1-2024        850,000        895,394  

MPLX LP

    4.00       3-15-2028        670,000        698,612  

Occidental Petroleum Corporation

    4.30       8-15-2039        650,000        667,199  

Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC

    5.75       5-15-2024        840,000        936,363  
     5,657,301  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 18.56%

         
Banks: 6.03%                          

Bank of America Corporation

    4.13       1-22-2024        1,180,000        1,271,192  

Citigroup Incorporated (3 Month EURIBOR +1.07%) ±

    1.50       7-24-2026        200,000        231,372  

Citigroup Incorporated

    3.30       4-27-2025        1,320,000        1,378,982  

JPMorgan Chase & Company

    0.63       1-25-2024        200,000        222,840  

JPMorgan Chase & Company

    2.30       8-15-2021        1,385,000        1,388,675  

JPMorgan Chase & Company (3 Month LIBOR +0.70%) ±

    3.21       4-1-2023        425,000        435,109  

JPMorgan Chase & Company (3 Month LIBOR +1.34%) ±

    3.78       2-1-2028        425,000        455,260  

Santander Holdings USA Incorporated

    4.40       7-13-2027        425,000        454,686  
     5,838,116  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 8.47%                          

Cantor Fitzgerald LP 144A

    4.88       5-1-2024        1,065,000        1,124,353  

Five Corners Funding Trust 144A

    4.42       11-15-2023        110,000        118,926  

Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated

    3.63       1-22-2023        1,530,000        1,591,789  

Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated

    4.25       1-29-2026        200,000        280,433  

Morgan Stanley

    3.13       7-27-2026        1,200,000        1,235,858  

Morgan Stanley

    3.70       10-23-2024        1,765,000        1,869,822  

Nuveen LLC 144A

    4.00       11-1-2028        585,000        653,475  

Raymond James Financial Services Incorporated

    4.95       7-15-2046        1,115,000        1,333,063  
     8,207,719  
         

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 0.89%                          

American Express Credit Corporation

    3.30       5-3-2027        595,000        635,111  

Capital One Financial Company

    0.80       6-12-2024        200,000        222,086  
     857,197  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 1.18%                          

Intercontinental Exchange Incorporated

    3.75       12-1-2025        1,065,000        1,146,608  
         

 

 

 
Insurance: 1.99%                          

American International Group Incorporated

    4.75       4-1-2048        945,000        1,104,355  

Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated

    2.38       6-19-2039        200,000        264,693  

Brighthouse Financial Incorporated

    4.70       6-22-2047        630,000        562,363  
     1,931,411  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 2.33%

         
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 0.24%                          

Baxter International Incorporated

    1.30       5-30-2025        200,000        230,171  
         

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services: 1.87%                          

CVS Health Corporation

    3.25       8-15-2029        245,000        246,341  

CVS Health Corporation

    3.70       3-9-2023        1,160,000        1,207,359  

 

 

10  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Health Care Providers & Services (continued)                          

CVS Health Corporation

    4.30 %       3-25-2028      $ 330,000      $ 356,932  
     1,810,632  
         

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 0.22%                          

Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated

    1.50       10-1-2039        200,000        219,858  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 3.70%

         
Aerospace & Defense: 1.27%                          

General Dynamics Corporation

    3.38       5-15-2023        555,000        580,761  

United Technologies Corporation

    4.13       11-16-2028        575,000        650,695  
     1,231,456  
         

 

 

 
Air Freight & Logistics: 0.37%                          

FedEx Corporation

    4.95       10-17-2048        325,000        360,718  
         

 

 

 
Airlines: 0.68%                          

Aviation Capital Group Corporation 144A

    2.88       1-20-2022        490,000        491,997  

US Airways Group Incorporated

    4.63       12-3-2026        158,617        171,389  
     663,386  
         

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.69%                          

3M Company

    2.00       2-14-2025        670,000        665,892  
         

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 0.69%                          

Penske Truck Leasing Company LP 144A

    3.45       7-1-2024        640,000        665,507  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 6.25%

         
Communications Equipment: 0.83%                          

Motorola Solutions Incorporated

    4.60       2-23-2028        745,000        804,531  
         

 

 

 
IT Services: 1.41%                          

Fiserv Incorporated

    2.25       7-1-2025        200,000        254,109  

Fiserv Incorporated

    3.50       7-1-2029        470,000        494,592  

Western Union Company

    4.25       6-9-2023        585,000        614,977  
     1,363,678  
         

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 2.11%                          

Broadcom Corporation

    3.88       1-15-2027        660,000        663,412  

Broadcom Incorporated 144A

    4.75       4-15-2029        640,000        676,472  

Qualcomm Incorporated

    3.25       5-20-2027        670,000        700,846  
     2,040,730  
         

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals: 1.90%                          

Apple Incorporated

    2.95       9-11-2049        340,000        332,845  

Apple Incorporated

    3.20       5-11-2027        290,000        307,595  

Apple Incorporated

    3.60       7-31-2042        200,000        327,931  

Dell International LLC / EMC Corporation 144A

    5.45       6-15-2023        800,000        871,138  
     1,839,509  
         

 

 

 

Materials: 0.81%

         
Chemicals: 0.81%                          

Celanese US Holdings LLC

    1.13       9-26-2023        200,000        224,854  

Ecolab Incorporated

    1.00       1-15-2024        200,000        226,267  

Westlake Chemical Corporation

    1.63       7-17-2029        300,000        335,277  
     786,398  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  11


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Real Estate: 1.14%

         
Equity REITs: 0.44%                          

American Tower Corporation

    1.95 %       5-22-2026      $ 200,000      $ 237,517  

Sabra Health Care LP / Sabra Capital Corporation

    4.80       6-1-2024        180,000        189,938  
     427,455  
         

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development: 0.70%                          

Simon Property Group LP

    3.25       9-13-2049        695,000        678,103  
         

 

 

 

Utilities: 1.03%

         
Electric Utilities: 1.03%                          

New York State Electric & Gas Corporation 144A

    3.25       12-1-2026        300,000        311,903  

Pacificorp

    3.50       6-15-2029        630,000        687,010  
     998,913  
         

 

 

 

Total Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $49,016,627)

 

     51,189,042  
         

 

 

 

Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes: 25.23%

         

Communication Services: 1.73%

         
Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.92%                          

British Telecommunication plc

    3.63       11-21-2047      GBP   200,000        272,845  

Deutsche Telekom International Finance BV

    2.25       4-13-2029      GBP 200,000        254,766  

Orange SA (EURIBOR ICE Swap +2.18%) ±

    1.75       12-31-2099      EUR 200,000        217,165  

Telefonica Emisiones SAU

    5.38       2-2-2026      GBP 100,000        149,125  
     893,901  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.81%                          

Rogers Communications Incorporated

    5.34       3-22-2021      CAD 400,000        315,233  

Tele2 AB

    1.13       5-15-2024      EUR 200,000        226,667  

Tele2 AB

    2.13       5-15-2028      EUR 200,000        241,872  
     783,772  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Discretionary: 0.33%

         
Health Care Equipment & Supplies: 0.33%                          

Motability Operations Limited

    2.38       7-3-2039      GBP 250,000        322,124  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 0.82%

         
Beverages: 0.25%                          

Coca-Cola European Partners plc

    1.50       11-8-2027      EUR 200,000        236,752  
         

 

 

 
Food Products: 0.11%                          

Kerry Group Financial Services

    0.63       9-20-2029      EUR 100,000        109,053  
         

 

 

 
Tobacco: 0.46%                          

Swedish Match AB

    0.88       9-23-2024      EUR 400,000        444,905  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 15.10%

         
Banks: 9.16%                          

Achmea Bank NV

    1.13       4-25-2022      EUR 200,000        224,316  

Achmea Bank NV

    2.75       2-18-2021      EUR 100,000        113,390  

Argenta Spaarbank NV (5 Year EUR Swap +3.95%) ±

    3.88       5-24-2026      EUR 200,000        228,404  

Banco BPM SpA

    2.50       6-21-2024      EUR 200,000        225,802  

Banco de Sabadell SA

    1.13       3-27-2025      EUR 100,000        109,028  

 

 

12  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Banks (continued)                          

Bankinter SA

    0.88 %       3-5-2024      EUR 200,000      $ 225,241  

Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel

    3.00       5-21-2024      EUR 200,000        243,392  

Barclays plc (British Pound Swap Curve +1.32%) ±

    2.38       10-6-2023      GBP 200,000        247,966  

Bawag Group AG (5 Year EUR Swap +2.30%) ±

    2.38       3-26-2029      EUR 200,000        225,259  

BNP Paribas

    1.25       3-19-2025      EUR 200,000        229,211  

Caixabank SA

    0.63       10-1-2024      EUR 200,000        218,029  

Commerzbank AG

    0.50       8-28-2023      EUR 200,000        220,720  

Cooperatieve Rabobank UA

    0.63       2-27-2024      EUR 200,000        223,320  

Credit Agricole London

    1.38       3-13-2025      EUR 200,000        230,819  

Credit Suisse (5 Year EUR Swap +4.00%) ±

    5.75       9-18-2025      EUR 200,000        229,624  

DBS Group Holdings Limited (5 Year EUR Swap +1.20%) ±

    1.50       4-11-2028      EUR 200,000        222,394  

De Volksbank NV

    0.75       6-25-2023      EUR 200,000        224,060  

FCA Bank SpA

    1.63       9-29-2021      GBP 100,000        123,028  

Hamburg Commercial Bank

    0.50       5-23-2022      EUR 200,000        219,668  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    1.13       3-4-2022      EUR 200,000        223,235  

Jyske Bank AS (5 Year EUR Swap +1.90%) ±

    2.25       4-5-2029      EUR 200,000        229,414  

KBC Group NV

    0.75       3-1-2022      EUR 200,000        222,200  

Kutxabank SA

    0.50       9-25-2024      EUR 100,000        109,196  

Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg (5 Year EUR Swap +1.77%) ±

    2.88       5-27-2026      EUR 200,000        226,079  

Landsbankinn HF

    1.38       3-14-2022      EUR 200,000        222,780  

Lloyds Banking Group plc

    2.25       10-16-2024      GBP 200,000        250,804  

NIBC Bank NV

    1.13       4-19-2023      EUR 200,000        224,834  

NIBC Bank NV

    1.50       1-31-2022      EUR 200,000        225,117  

NIBC Bank NV

    2.00       4-9-2024      EUR 200,000        228,182  

Nordea Bank Abp

    0.88       6-26-2023      EUR 200,000        224,120  

Omnicom Finance Holdings plc

    1.40       7-8-2031      EUR 200,000        224,710  

Royal Bank of Canada

    1.97       3-2-2022      CAD 400,000        300,813  

Royal Bank of Canada

    2.00       3-21-2022      CAD 400,000        301,124  

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (British Pound Swap Curve +1.49%) ±

    2.88       9-19-2026      GBP 200,000        253,404  

Tesco Personal Finance Group plc

    3.50       7-25-2025      GBP 100,000        125,004  

Toronto Dominion Bank

    3.23       7-24-2024      CAD   1,000,000        790,663  

Unione di Banche Italiane SpA

    2.63       6-20-2024      EUR 250,000        287,085  

Volkswagen Bank GmbH

    0.63       9-8-2021      EUR 200,000        220,306  
     8,872,741  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 0.22%                          

Deutsche Bank AG

    0.38       1-18-2021      EUR 200,000        216,840  
         

 

 

 
Consumer Finance: 1.11%                          

CPUK Finance Limited

    7.24       2-28-2024      GBP 100,000        149,929  

LeasePlan Corporation NV

    1.38       3-7-2024      EUR 200,000        226,614  

PSA Banque France

    0.63       6-21-2024      EUR 200,000        220,853  

Transurban Finance Company

    1.75       3-29-2028      EUR 400,000        477,184  
     1,074,580  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 1.17%                          

Bevco Lux Sarl

    1.75       2-9-2023      EUR 200,000        227,611  

EDP Finance BV

    1.63       1-26-2026      EUR 100,000        117,298  

FCE Bank plc

    1.88       6-24-2021      EUR 300,000        333,875  

Nykredit Realkredit AS

    0.88       1-17-2024      EUR 200,000        223,378  

Selp Finance Sarl

    1.50       11-20-2025      EUR 200,000        228,291  
     1,130,453  
         

 

 

 
Insurance: 2.95%                          

Aon plc

    2.88       5-14-2026      EUR 300,000        370,777  

Aviva plc (5 Year EUR Swap +5.13%) ±

    6.13       7-5-2043      EUR 200,000        254,839  

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Insurance (continued)                          

Aviva plc (ICE LIBOR GBP 6 Month +4.14%) ±

    6.63 %       6-3-2041      GBP 200,000      $ 265,144  

Legal & General Group plc (3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill +9.33%) ±

    10.00       7-23-2041      GBP 200,000        282,316  

Liberty Mutual Finance Europe Designated Activity Company

    1.75       3-27-2024      EUR 100,000        115,659  

Mandatum Life Insurance Company Limited (3 Month EURIBOR +2.30%) %%±

    1.00       10-4-2049      EUR 200,000        219,407  

Munich Re Group (ICE LIBOR GBP 3 Month +4.95%) ±

    6.63       5-26-2042      GBP 200,000        278,245  

Sampo Oyj

    1.63       2-21-2028      EUR 200,000        239,397  

Sampo Oyj (3 Month EURIBOR +4.05%) ±

    3.38       5-23-2049      EUR 200,000        245,744  

Swiss Re Finance (Luxembourg) SA (EURIBOR ICE Swap rate 11:00am +2.85%) ±

    2.53       4-30-2050      EUR 200,000        245,391  

UMG Groupe VYV

    1.63       7-2-2029      EUR 300,000        345,666  
     2,862,585  
         

 

 

 
Mortgage REITs: 0.25%                          

Digital Euro Finco LLC

    2.63       4-15-2024      EUR 200,000        239,394  
         

 

 

 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance: 0.24%                          

Aareal Bank AG (5 Year EUR Swap +2.90%) ±

    4.25       3-18-2026      EUR 200,000        228,249  
         

 

 

 

Health Care: 1.06%

         
Life Sciences Tools & Services: 0.24%                          

Thermo Fisher Scientific Company

    1.40       1-23-2026      EUR 200,000        231,894  
         

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals: 0.82%                          

Bayer AG (5 Year EUR Swap +2.18%) ±

    3.00       7-1-2075      EUR 100,000        110,205  

Merck KGaA (5 Year EUR Swap +1.95%) ±

    1.63       6-25-2079      EUR 200,000        223,276  

Sanofi SA

    1.25       3-21-2034      EUR 200,000        240,072  

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company

    1.13       11-21-2022      EUR 200,000        224,741  
     798,294  
         

 

 

 

Industrials: 1.47%

         
Commercial Services & Supplies: 0.25%                          

Edenred

    1.88       3-6-2026      EUR 200,000        238,580  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 0.24%                          

Brambles Finance plc

    1.50       10-4-2027      EUR 200,000        237,581  
         

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates: 0.51%                          

DH Europe Finance SA

    0.20       3-18-2026      EUR 150,000        162,992  

DH Europe Finance SA

    0.45       3-18-2028      EUR 100,000        109,152  

Koninklijke Philips NV

    0.50       5-22-2026      EUR 200,000        223,049  
     495,193  
         

 

 

 
Machinery: 0.24%                          

CNH Industrial Finance Europe SA

    1.88       1-19-2026      EUR 200,000        230,244  
         

 

 

 
Road & Rail: 0.23%                          

ALD SA

    1.25       10-11-2022      EUR   200,000        225,033  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 0.46%

         
IT Services: 0.46%                          

Capgemini SE

    1.00       10-18-2024      EUR 200,000        226,818  

Worldline SA

    0.25       9-18-2024      EUR 200,000        217,141  
     443,959  
         

 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  

Materials: 1.31%

         
Chemicals: 0.84%                          

Arkema Company (5 Year EUR Swap +2.87%) ±

    2.75 %       12-31-2099      EUR 200,000      $ 226,165  

Sika Capital BV

    0.88       4-29-2027      EUR 200,000        227,451  

Sika Capital BV

    1.50       4-29-2031      EUR   200,000        237,374  

Solvay SA (5 Year EUR Swap +3.92%) ±

    4.25       12-31-2099      EUR 100,000        120,038  
     811,028  
         

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging: 0.23%                          

DS Smith plc

    2.25       9-16-2022      EUR 200,000        229,443  
         

 

 

 
Paper & Forest Products: 0.24%                          

Mondi Finance plc

    1.63       4-27-2026      EUR 200,000        231,706  
         

 

 

 

Real Estate: 0.48%

         
Equity REITs: 0.48%                          

Inmobiliaria Colonial SA

    1.45       10-28-2024      EUR 400,000        459,492  
         

 

 

 

Utilities: 2.47%

         
Electric Utilities: 2.24%                          

Electricite de France SA (12 Year EUR Swap +3.79%) ±

    5.38       1-29-2049      EUR 200,000        249,054  

Electricite de France SA

    5.50       10-17-2041      GBP 200,000        361,866  

ESB Finance Designated Activity Company

    1.13       6-11-2030      EUR 300,000        350,365  

Eurogrid GmbH

    1.88       6-10-2025      EUR 200,000        238,720  

Fortum Oyj

    0.88       2-27-2023      EUR 400,000        446,312  

Reseau de Transport d’Electricite

    1.88       10-23-2037      EUR 400,000        520,791  
     2,167,108  
         

 

 

 
Water Utilities: 0.23%                          

FCC Aqualia SA

    1.41       6-8-2022      EUR 200,000        224,729  
         

 

 

 

Total Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $24,640,614)

 

     24,439,633  
         

 

 

 
Foreign Government Bonds: 1.43%                          

Bonos y Obligaciones del Estado 144A

    0.25       7-30-2024      EUR 500,000        559,461  

France Government Bonds

    0.50       5-25-2029      EUR 700,000        820,960  

Total Foreign Government Bonds (Cost $1,415,466)

 

     1,380,421  
         

 

 

 
U.S. Treasury Securities: 0.17%                          

U.S. Treasury Bond

    2.88       5-15-2049      $ 140,000        163,417  
         

 

 

 

Total U.S. Treasury Securities (Cost $162,589)

 

     163,417  
         

 

 

 
Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes: 15.00%                          

Communication Services: 2.43%

         
Diversified Telecommunication Services: 0.68%                          

Telefonica Emisiones SAU

    4.10       3-8-2027        600,000        655,021  
         

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services: 0.96%                          

Tencent Holdings Limited 144A

    3.60       1-19-2028        895,000        935,309  
         

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services: 0.79%                          

Vodafone Group plc

    4.38       5-30-2028        690,000        762,219  
         

 

 

 

Consumer Staples: 1.10%

         
Household Products: 0.79%                          

Reckitt Benckiser Treasury Services plc 144A

    2.75       6-26-2024        755,000        769,044  
         

 

 

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  15


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

     Interest
rate
    Maturity
date
     Principal      Value  
Tobacco: 0.31%                          

Imperial Brands Finance plc 144A

    3.50 %       7-26-2026      $ 300,000      $ 299,844  
         

 

 

 

Energy: 0.85%

         
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels: 0.85%                          

Petroleos Mexicanos Company 144A

    7.69       1-23-2050        500,000        521,400  

Saudi Arabian Oil Company 144A

    4.38       4-16-2049        275,000        300,601  
     822,001  
         

 

 

 

Financials: 9.90%

         
Banks: 6.03%                          

Banco Santander SA (3 Month LIBOR +1.56%) ±

    3.90       4-11-2022        800,000        812,051  

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Limited 144A

    2.30       3-5-2020        690,000        690,501  

Credit Suisse New York

    3.63       9-9-2024        830,000        878,236  

HSBC Holdings plc

    4.30       3-8-2026        630,000        682,215  

ING Groep NV (3 Month LIBOR +1.15%) ±

    3.25       3-29-2022        490,000        496,238  

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc

    3.88       9-12-2023        690,000        712,081  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

    2.06       7-14-2021        425,000        423,714  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (3 Month LIBOR +0.74%) ±

    3.04       10-18-2022        510,000        511,325  

Westpac Banking Corporation

    3.65       5-15-2023        600,000        631,674  
     5,838,035  
         

 

 

 
Capital Markets: 1.11%                          

Macquarie Group Limited (3 Month LIBOR +1.02%) 144A±

    3.19       11-28-2023        300,000        305,767  

Macquarie Group Limited 144A

    6.00       1-14-2020        765,000        773,056  
     1,078,823  
         

 

 

 
Diversified Financial Services: 2.21%                          

GE Capital International Funding Company

    4.42       11-15-2035        480,000        503,477  

Invesco Finance plc

    3.13       11-30-2022        660,000        676,133  

Siemens Financieringsmaatschappij NV 144A

    2.35       10-15-2026        630,000        627,898  

WPP Finance Limited 2010

    3.75       9-19-2024        320,000        332,912  
     2,140,420  
         

 

 

 
Insurance: 0.55%                          

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings Limited

    4.35       10-29-2025        216,000        224,382  

AXIS Specialty Finance plc

    4.00       12-6-2027        295,000        310,927  
     535,309  
         

 

 

 

Information Technology: 0.72%

         
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: 0.72%                          

NXP BV 144A

    3.88       6-18-2026        660,000        694,034  
         

 

 

 

Total Yankee Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $14,141,742)

 

     14,530,059  
         

 

 

 
         
    Yield            Shares         
Short-Term Investments: 1.89%                          
Investment Companies: 1.89%                          

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class (l)(u)##

    1.88          1,834,198        1,834,198  
         

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments (Cost $1,834,198)

 

     1,834,198        
         

 

 

 

 

Total investments in securities (Cost $93,010,661)     98.51        95,417,092  

Other assets and liabilities, net

    1.49          1,445,174  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
Total net assets     100.00      $ 96,862,266  
 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

16  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Portfolio of investments—September 30, 2019

 

 

 

144A

The security may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

±

Variable rate investment. The rate shown is the rate in effect at period end.

%%

The security is purchased on a when-issued basis.

(l)

The issuer of the security is an affiliated person of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(u)

The rate represents the 7-day annualized yield at period end.

##

All or a portion of this security is segregated for when-issued securities.

Abbreviations:

 

CAD

Canadian dollar

EUR

Euro

EURIBOR

Euro Interbank Offered Rate

GBP

Great British pound

LIBOR

London Interbank Offered Rate

REIT

Real estate investment trust

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts

 

Currency to be
received
     Currency to be
delivered
     Counterparty      Settlement
date
     Unrealized
gains
       Unrealized
losses
 
1,728,663 USD      2,300,000 CAD      State Street Bank      10-24-2019      $ 0        $ (8,039
4,649,235 USD      3,800,000 GBP      State Street Bank      10-24-2019        0          (27,248
24,574,707 USD      22,100,000 EUR      State Street Bank      10-24-2019        446,852          0  
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 
                    $ 446,852        $ (35,287
                   

 

 

      

 

 

 

Investments in Affiliates

An affiliated investment is an investment in which the Fund owns at least 5% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer or as a result of other relationships, such as the Fund and the issuer having the same investment manager. Transactions with issuers that were either affiliated persons of the Fund at the beginning of the period or the end of the period were as follows:

 

   

Shares,

beginning of

period

   

Shares

purchased

   

Shares

sold

   

Shares,

end of

period

    Net
realized
gains
(losses)
    Net
change in
unrealized
gains
(losses)
    Income
from
affiliated
securities
   

Value,

end of

period

   

% of

net
assets

 
Short-Term Investments                                                      

Investment Companies

                 

Wells Fargo Government Money Market Fund Select Class

    0       108,098,469       106,264,271       1,834,198     $ 0     $ 0     $ 31,460     $ 1,834,198       1.89

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  17


Table of Contents

Statement of assets and liabilities—September 30, 2019

 

         

Assets

 

Investments in unaffiliated securities, at value (cost $91,176,463)

  $ 93,582,894  

Investments in affiliated securities, at value (cost $1,834,198)

    1,834,198  

Foreign currency, at value (cost $516,042)

    515,311  

Receivable for Fund shares sold

    2,742  

Receivable for interest

    836,978  

Unrealized gains on forward foreign currency contracts

    446,852  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    6,627  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    97,225,602  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

Payable for investments purchased

    217,793  

Unrealized losses on forward foreign currency contracts

    35,287  

Payable for Fund shares redeemed

    13,947  

Management fee payable

    10,487  

Trustees’ fees and expenses payable

    2,431  

Administration fees payable

    2,400  

Custodian and accounting fees payable

    21,107  

Professional fees payable

    37,452  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

    22,432  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    363,336  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 96,862,266  
 

 

 

 

Net assets consist of

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 92,406,826  

Total distributable earnings

    4,455,440  
 

 

 

 

Total net assets

  $ 96,862,266  
 

 

 

 

Computation of net asset value per share

 

Net assets – Class R6

  $ 96,835,389  

Shares outstanding – Class R61

    9,005,922  

Net asset value per share – Class R6

    $10.75  

Net assets – Institutional Class

  $ 26,877  

Shares outstanding – Institutional Class1

    2,500  

Net asset value per share – Institutional Class

    $10.75  

 

1

The Fund has an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

18  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Statement of operations—year ended September 30, 20191

 

         

Investment income

 

Interest

  $ 1,031,228  

Income from affiliated securities

    31,460  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    1,062,688  
 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Management fee

    152,550  

Administration fees

 

Class R6

    11,437  

Institutional Class

    13  

Custody and accounting fees

    21,107  

Professional fees

    50,551  

Registration fees

    37,054  

Shareholder report expenses

    26,097  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    11,965  

Other fees and expenses

    17,589  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    328,363  

Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

 

Fund-level

    (152,550

Class R6

    (4,522

Institutional Class

    (10
 

 

 

 

Net expenses

    171,281  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    891,407  
 

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

Net realized gains on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    381,370  

Forward foreign currency contracts

    1,097,949  
 

 

 

 

Net realized gains on investments

    1,479,319  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on

 

Unaffiliated securities

    2,401,151  

Forward foreign currency contracts

    411,565  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    2,812,716  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    4,292,035  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 5,183,442  
 

 

 

 

 

1

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  19


Table of Contents

Statement of changes in net assets

 

     Year ended
September 30, 20191
 

Operations

      

Net investment income

       $ 891,407  

Net realized gains on investments

         1,479,319  

Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments

         2,812,716  
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

         5,183,442  
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains

      

Class R6

         (727,723

Institutional Class

         (279
 

 

 

 

Total distributions to shareholders

         (728,002
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions

    Shares       

Proceeds from shares sold

      

Class R6

    9,630,811          99,080,247  

Institutional Class

    2,500          25,000  
 

 

 

 
         99,105,247  
 

 

 

 

Reinvestment of distributions

      

Class R6

    20,783          222,474  
 

 

 

 

Payment for shares redeemed

      

Class R6

    (645,672        (6,920,895
 

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

         92,406,826  
 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

         96,862,266  
 

 

 

 

Net assets

 

Beginning of period

         0  
 

 

 

 

End of period

       $ 96,862,266  
 

 

 

 

 

1

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

20  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout the period)

 

CLASS R6   Year ended
September 30, 20191
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.00  

Net investment income

    0.13  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.73  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.86  

Distributions to shareholders from

 

Net investment income

    (0.11

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.75  

Total return2

    8.64

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

 

Gross expenses

    0.86

Net expenses

    0.45

Net investment income

    2.34

Supplemental data

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    36

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $96,835  

 

 

 

1

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2019

 

2

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund  |  21


Table of Contents

Financial highlights

 

(For a share outstanding throughout the period)

 

INSTITUTIONAL CLASS  

Year ended

September 30, 20191

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.00  

Net investment income

    0.14  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

    0.72  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.86  

Distributions to shareholders from

 

Net investment income

    (0.11

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.75  

Total return2

    8.64

Ratios to average net assets (annualized)

 

Gross expenses

    0.97

Net expenses

    0.50

Net investment income

    2.34

Supplemental data

 

Portfolio turnover rate

    36

Net assets, end of period (000s omitted)

    $27  

 

 

 

1

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of class operations) to September 30, 2019

 

2

Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

 

22  |  Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund


Table of Contents

Notes to financial statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION

Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on March 10, 1999, is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As an investment company, the Trust follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. These financial statements report on the Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund (the “Fund”) which is a diversified series of the Trust.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Fund, are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Securities valuation

All investments are valued each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m. Eastern Time), although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service (e.g. taking into account various factors, including yields, maturities, or credit ratings) or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”).

The values of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee.

Investments in registered open-end investment companies are valued at net asset value.

Investments which are not valued using any of the methods discussed above are valued at their fair value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of the Fund. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee comprised of the Trustees and has delegated to it the authority to take any actions regarding the valuation of portfolio securities that the Valuation Committee deems necessary or appropriate, including determining the fair value of portfolio securities, unless the determination has been delegated to the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. The Board of Trustees retains the authority to make or ratify any valuation decisions or approve any changes to the Valuation Procedures as it deems appropriate. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Trustees receives reports on any valuation actions taken by the Valuation Committee or the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee which may include items for ratification.

Foreign currency translation

The accounting records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The values of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at rates provided by an independent foreign currency pricing source at a time each business day specified by the Wells Fargo Asset Management Pricing Committee. Purchases and sales of securities, and income and expenses are converted at the rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually paid or received. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities other than investments in securities resulting from changes in exchange rates. The changes in net assets arising from changes in exchange rates of securities and the changes in net assets resulting from changes in market prices of securities are not separately presented. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments.

Forward foreign currency contracts

A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. The Fund enters into forward foreign currency contracts to facilitate transactions in foreign-denominated securities and to attempt to minimize the risk to the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between currencies. Forward foreign currency contracts are recorded at the forward rate and marked-to-market daily. When the contracts are closed, realized gains and losses arising from such transactions are recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

currency contracts. The Fund is subject to foreign currency risk and may be exposed to risks if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the value of the foreign currency changes unfavorably. The Fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gains on the contracts. This risk may be mitigated if there is a master netting arrangement between the Fund and the counterparty.

Security transactions and income recognition

Securities transactions are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains or losses are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

Interest income is accrued daily and bond discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized daily. To the extent debt obligations are placed on non-accrual status, any related interest income may be reduced by writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has been determined to be doubtful based on consistently applied procedures and the fair value has decreased. If the issuer subsequently resumes interest payments or when the collectability of interest is reasonably assured, the debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status.

Distributions to shareholders

Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid from net investment income monthly and any net realized gains are paid at least annually. Such distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations and may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. The tax character of distributions is determined as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Therefore, a portion of the Fund’s distributions made prior to the Fund’s fiscal year end may be categorized as a tax return of capital at year end.

Federal and other taxes

The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company by distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains (after reduction for capital loss carryforwards) sufficient to relieve it from all, or substantially all, federal income taxes. Accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes was required.

The Fund’s income and federal excise tax returns and all financial records supporting those returns for the fiscal year since commencement of operations will be subject to examination by the federal and Delaware revenue authorities.

As of September 30, 2019, the aggregate cost of all investments for federal income tax purposes was $92,559,265 and the unrealized gains (losses) consisted of:

 

Gross unrealized gains

   $ 3,740,108  

Gross unrealized losses

     (470,716

Net unrealized gains

   $ 3,269,392  

Class allocations

The separate classes of shares offered by the Fund differ principally in administration fees. Class specific expenses are charged directly to that share class. Investment income, common fund-level expenses, and realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets of each class.

3. FAIR VALUATION MEASUREMENTS

Fair value measurements of investments are determined within a framework that has established a fair value hierarchy based upon the various data inputs utilized in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. The three-level hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Fund’s investments are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The inputs are summarized into three broad levels as follows:

 

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities

 

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments in securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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The following is a summary of the inputs used in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2019:

 

      Quoted prices
(Level 1)
     Other significant
observable inputs
(Level 2)
    

Significant
unobservable inputs

(Level 3)

     Total  

Assets

           

Investments in:

           

Asset-backed securities

   $ 0      $ 1,880,322      $ 0      $ 1,880,322  

Corporate bonds and notes

     0        51,189,042        0        51,189,042  

Foreign corporate bonds and notes

     0        24,439,633        0        24,439,633  

Foreign government bonds

     0        1,380,421        0        1,380,421  

U.S. Treasury securities

     163,417        0        0        163,417  

Yankee corporate bonds and notes

     0        14,530,059        0        14,530,059  

Short-term investments

           

Investment companies

     1,834,198        0        0        1,834,198  
     1,997,615        93,419,477        0        95,417,092  

Forward foreign currency contracts

     0        446,852        0        446,852  

Total assets

   $ 1,997,615      $ 93,866,329      $ 0      $ 95,863,944  

Liabilities

           

Forward foreign currency contracts

   $ 0      $ 35,287      $ 0      $ 35,287  

Total liabilities

   $ 0      $ 35,287      $ 0      $ 35,287  

Additional sector, industry or geographic detail is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

Forward foreign currency contracts are reported at their cumulative unrealized gains (losses) at measurement date as reported in the table following the Portfolio of Investments. All other assets and liabilities are reported at their market value at measurement date.

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019, the Fund did not have any transfers into/out of Level 3.

4. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Management fee

Funds Management, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company (“Wells Fargo”), is the manager of the Fund and provides advisory and fund-level administrative services under an investment management agreement. Under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is responsible for, among other services, implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, supervising the subadviser and providing fund-level administrative services in connection with the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services under the investment management agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a management fee at the following annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

 

Average daily net assets    Management fee  

First $500 million

     0.400

Next $500 million

     0.375  

Next $2 billion

     0.350  

Next $2 billion

     0.325  

Next $5 billion

     0.290  

Over $10 billion

     0.280  

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019, the management fee was equivalent to an annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

Funds Management has retained the services of subadvisers to provide daily portfolio management to the Fund. The fee for subadvisory services is borne by Funds Management. Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Asset Management (International) Limited, each an affiliate of Funds Management and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo, serve as subadvisers to the Fund and are each entitled to receive a fee from Funds Management at an annual rate starting at 0.10% and declining to 0.05% as the average daily net assets of the Fund increase.

Administration fees

Under a class-level administration agreement, Funds Management provides class-level administrative services to the Fund, which includes paying fees and expenses for services provided by the transfer agent, sub-transfer agents, omnibus account servicers and record-keepers. As compensation for its services under the class-level administration agreement, Funds Management receives an annual fee which is calculated based on the average daily net assets of each class as follows:

 

      Class-level
administration fee
 

Class R6

     0.03

Institutional Class

     0.08  

Waivers and/or expense reimbursements

Funds Management has contractually waived and/or reimbursed management and administration fees to the extent necessary to maintain certain net operating expense ratios for the Fund. When each class of the Fund has exceeded its expense cap, Funds Management has waived fees and/or reimbursed expenses from fund-level expenses on a proportionate basis and then from class specific expenses. When only certain classes exceed their expense caps, waivers and/or reimbursements are applied against class specific expenses before fund-level expenses. Funds Management has committed through March 31, 2020 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to cap the Fund’s expenses at 0.45% for Class R6 shares and 0.50% for Institutional Class shares. Prior to or after the commitment expiration date, the cap may be increased or the commitment to maintain the cap may be terminated only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. 

Interfund transactions

The Fund may purchase or sell portfolio investment securities to certain other Wells Fargo affiliates pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The procedures have been designed to ensure that these interfund transactions, which do not incur broker commissions, are effected at current market prices.

5. INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities, for the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019 were as follows:

 

Purchases at cost

     Sales proceeds
U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
     U.S.
government
     Non-U.S.
government
$4,641,469      $109,332,289      $4,531,423      $18,300,825

6. DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019, the Fund entered into forward foreign currency contracts for hedging purposes. The Fund had average contract amounts of $63,747 and $13,020,218 in forward foreign currency contracts to buy and forward foreign currency contracts to sell, respectively, during the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019.

The fair value, realized gains or losses and change in unrealized gains or losses, if any, on derivative instruments are reflected in the corresponding financial statement captions.

For certain types of derivative transactions, the Fund has entered into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. master agreements (“ISDA Master Agreements”) or similar agreements with approved counterparties. The ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements may have requirements to deliver/deposit securities or cash to/with an exchange or broker-dealer as collateral and allows the Fund to offset, with each counterparty, certain derivative financial instrument’s assets and/or liabilities with collateral held or pledged. Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral or margin requirements are set by the broker or exchange clearinghouse for exchange traded derivatives while collateral terms are contract specific for

 

 

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Notes to financial statements

 

over-the-counter traded derivatives. Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Fund under ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements, if any, are reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Securities pledged as collateral, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. With respect to balance sheet offsetting, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are not offset across transactions between the Fund and the applicable counterparty. A reconciliation of the gross amounts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities to the net amounts by counterparty, including any collateral exposure, for OTC derivatives is as follows:

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of assets in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
received
       Net amount
of assets
 

State Street Bank

     $446,852      $(35,287)      $ 0        $ 411,565  

 

Counterparty      Gross amounts
of liabilities in the
Statement of
Assets and
Liabilities
     Amounts
subject to
netting
agreements
     Collateral
pledged
       Net amount
of liabilities
 

State Street Bank

     $35,287      $(35,287)      $ 0        $ 0  

7. BANK BORROWINGS

The Trust (excluding the money market funds), Wells Fargo Master Trust and Wells Fargo Variable Trust are parties to a $280,000,000 revolving credit agreement whereby the Fund is permitted to use bank borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, such as to fund shareholder redemption requests. Interest under the credit agreement is charged to the Fund based on a borrowing rate equal to the higher of the Federal Funds rate in effect on that day plus 1.25% or the overnight LIBOR rate in effect on that day plus 1.25%. In addition, an annual commitment fee equal to 0.25% of the unused balance is allocated to each participating fund.

For the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019, there were no borrowings by the Fund under the agreement.

8. DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS

The tax character of distributions paid was $728,002 of ordinary income for the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019.

As of September 30, 2019, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed
ordinary
income
   Unrealized
gains
$1,186,048    $3,269,392

9. INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the officers and Trustees have been granted certain indemnification rights against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts with service providers that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund and, therefore, cannot be estimated.

10. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In August 2018, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 updates the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by modifying or removing certain disclosures and adding certain new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Management has adopted the removal and modification of disclosures early, as permitted, and will adopt the additional new disclosures at the effective date.

 

 

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In March 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium and requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount and discounts will continue to be accreted to the maturity date of the security. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. During the current reporting period, management of the Fund adopted the change in accounting policy which did not have a material impact to the Fund’s financial statements.

 

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

 

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund (the Fund), one of the funds constituting Wells Fargo Funds Trust, including the portfolio of investments, as of September 30, 2019, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets for the period from February 28, 2019 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements) and the financial highlights for the period from the commencement of operations to September 30, 2019. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2019, the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets, and the financial highlights for the period from the commencement of operations to September 30, 2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers, or by other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

We have not been able to determine the specific year that we began serving as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies; however we are aware that we have served as the auditor of one or more Wells Fargo Funds investment companies since at least 1955.

Boston, Massachusetts

November 25, 2019

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

TAX INFORMATION

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, $361,235 has been designated as interest-related dividends for nonresident alien shareholders pursuant to Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

PROXY VOTING INFORMATION

A description of the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222, visiting our website at wfam.com, or visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the proxies related to portfolio securities were voted during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the website at wfam.com or by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q or Form N-PORT, which is available by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. Those forms may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

 

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Each of the Trustees and Officers1 listed in the table below acts in identical capacities for each fund in the Wells Fargo family of funds, which consists of 150 mutual funds comprising the Wells Fargo Funds Trust, Wells Fargo Variable Trust, Wells Fargo Master Trust and four closed-end funds (collectively the “Fund Complex”). This table should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information2. The mailing address of each Trustee and Officer is 525 Market Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Each Trustee and Officer serves an indefinite term, however, each Trustee serves such term until reaching the mandatory retirement age established by the Trustees.

Independent Trustees

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

William R. Ebsworth

(Born 1957)

  Trustee, since 2015   Retired. From 1984 to 2013, equities analyst, portfolio manager, research director and chief investment officer at Fidelity Management and Research Company in Boston, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and retired in 2013 as Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. where he led a team of investment professionals managing client assets. Prior thereto, Board member of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Co., Hong Kong Options Clearing Corp., the Thailand International Fund, Ltd., Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company, and Empire Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company. Audit Committee Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Endowment (non-profit organization). Mr. Ebsworth is a CFA® charterholder.   N/A

Jane A. Freeman

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2015; Chair Liaison, since 2018   Retired. From 2012 to 2014 and 1999 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, Ms. Freeman provided consulting services related to strategic business projects. Prior to 1999, Portfolio Manager at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark. Board member of the Harding Loevner Funds from 1996 to 2014, serving as both Lead Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust from 2011 to 2012 and the chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Freeman is a Board Member of The Ruth Bancroft Garden (non-profit organization). She is also an inactive Chartered Financial Analyst.   N/A

Isaiah Harris, Jr.

(Born 1952)

  Trustee, since 2009; Audit Committee Chairman, since 2019   Retired. Chairman of the Board of CIGNA Corporation since 2009, and Director since 2005. From 2003 to 2011, Director of Deluxe Corporation. Prior thereto, President and CEO of BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Corp. from 2005 to 2007, President and CEO of BellSouth Enterprises from 2004 to 2005 and President of BellSouth Consumer Services from 2000 to 2003. Emeritus member of the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors. Emeritus Member of the Advisory Board of Iowa State University School of Business. Advisory Board Member, Palm Harbor Academy (private school). Advisory Board Member, Child Evangelism Fellowship (non-profit). Mr. Harris is a certified public accountant (inactive status).   CIGNA Corporation

Judith M. Johnson

(Born 1949)

  Trustee, since 2008; Audit Committee Chairman, from 2009 to 2018   Retired. Prior thereto, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund from 1996 to 2008. Ms. Johnson is an attorney, certified public accountant and a certified managerial accountant.   N/A

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service*
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer   Current other
public company or
investment
company
directorships

David F. Larcker

(Born 1950)

  Trustee, since 2009   James Irvin Miller Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative and Senior Faculty of The Rock Center for Corporate Governance since 2006. From 2005 to 2008, Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Prior thereto, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2005.   N/A

Olivia S. Mitchell

(Born 1953)

  Trustee, since 2006; Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman, since 2018   International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania since 1993. Director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Boettner Center on Pensions & Retirement Research, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Previously, Cornell University Professor from 1978 to 1993.   N/A

Timothy J. Penny

(Born 1951)

  Trustee, since 1996; Chairman, since 2018   President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organization, since 2007. Member of the Board of Trustees of NorthStar Education Finance, Inc., a non-profit organization, since 2007.   N/A

James G. Polisson

(Born 1959)

  Trustee, since 2018   Retired. Chief Marketing Officer, Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd, from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2015, Principal of The Polisson Group, LLC, a management consulting, corporate advisory and principal investing company. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Russell Investments, Global Exchange Traded Funds from 2010 to 2012. Managing Director of Barclays Global Investors from 1998 to 2010 and Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and Barclays Global Investors from 2000 to 2010. Trustee of the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, a non-profit organization, from 2013 to 2015. Board member of the Russell Exchange Traded Fund Trust from 2011 to 2012. Director of Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Polisson is an attorney and has a retired status with the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.   N/A

 

*

Length of service dates reflect the Trustee’s commencement of service with the Trust’s predecessor entities, where applicable.

 

 

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Officers

 

Name and

year of birth

  Position held and
length of service
  Principal occupations during past five years or longer

Andrew Owen

(Born 1960)

  President, since 2017   Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo & Company and Head of Affiliated Managers, Wells Fargo Asset Management, since 2014. In addition, Mr. Owen is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2017. Prior thereto, Executive Vice President responsible for marketing, investments and product development for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, from 2009 to 2014.

Jeremy DePalma1

(Born 1974)

  Treasurer, since 2012   Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Senior Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010 and head of the Fund Reporting and Control Team within Fund Administration from 2005 to 2010.

Michelle Rhee3

(Born 1966)

  Chief Legal Officer, since 2019   Secretary of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Chief Legal Counsel of Wells Fargo Asset Management and Assistant General Counsel of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2018. Associate General Counsel and Managing Director of Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2018.

Catherine Kennedy4

(Born 1969)

  Secretary, since 2019   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and Senior Counsel of the Wells Fargo Legal Department since 2010. Vice President and Senior Counsel of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 1998 to 2010.

Michael H. Whitaker

(Born 1967)

  Chief Compliance Officer, since 2016   Chief Compliance Officer of Wells Fargo Asset Management since 2016. Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity Investments from 2007 to 2016.

David Berardi

(Born 1975)

  Assistant Treasurer, since 2009   Vice President of Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC since 2009. Vice President of Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2008 to 2010. Manager of Fund Reporting and Control for Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC from 2004 to 2010.

 

1

Jeremy DePalma acts as Treasurer of 86 funds and Assistant Treasurer of 64 funds in the Fund Complex.

 

2

The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the Trustees and is available, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by visiting the website at wfam.com.

 

3 

Michelle Rhee became Chief Legal Officer effective October 22, 2019.

 

4 

Catherine Kennedy became Secretary effective October 22, 2019.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

BOARD CONSIDERATION OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS:

Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) must determine annually whether to approve the continuation of the Trust’s investment management and sub-advisory agreements. In this regard, at an in-person meeting held on May 21-22, 2019 (the “Meeting”), the Board, all the members of which have no direct or indirect interest in the investment management and sub-advisory agreements and are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), reviewed and approved for Wells Fargo Global Investment Grade Credit Fund (the “Fund”): (i) an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”); (ii) an investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“WellsCap”), an affiliate of Funds Management; and (iii) an investment sub-advisory agreement with Wells Fargo Asset Management (International), LLC (“WFAM International”), an affiliate of Funds Management. The sub-advisory agreements with WellsCap and WFAM International (the “Sub-Advisers”) are collectively referred to as the Sub-Advisory Agreements, and the Management Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements are collectively referred to as the “Advisory Agreements.”

At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers and the approval of the Advisory Agreements. Prior to the Meeting, including at an in-person meeting in April 2019, the Trustees conferred extensively among themselves and with representatives of Funds Management about these matters. Also, the Board has adopted a team-based approach, with each team consisting of a sub-set of Trustees, to assist the full Board in the discharge of its duties in reviewing investment performance and other matters throughout the year. The Independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Agreements by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers were guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted to them by independent legal counsel on behalf of the Independent Trustees at the start of the Board’s annual contract renewal process earlier in 2019. In considering and approving the Advisory Agreements, the Trustees considered the information they believed relevant, including but not limited to the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting, but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers about various topics. In this regard, the Board reviewed reports of Funds Management at each of its quarterly meetings, which included, among other things, portfolio reviews and investment performance reports. In addition, the Board and the teams mentioned above confer with portfolio managers at various times throughout the year. The Board did not identify any particular information or consideration that was all-important or controlling, and each individual Trustee may have attributed different weights to various factors.

After its deliberations, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable. The Board considered the approval of the Advisory Agreements for the Fund as part of its consideration of agreements for funds across the complex, but its approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis. The following summarizes a number of important, but not necessarily all, factors considered by the Board in support of its approvals.

Nature, extent and quality of services

The Board received and considered various information regarding the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under the Advisory Agreements. This information included a description of the investment advisory services and Fund-level administrative services covered by the Management Agreement, as well as, among other things, a summary of the background and experience of senior management of Wells Fargo Asset Management (“WFAM”), of which Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers are a part, a summary of investments made in the business of WFAM, a summary of certain organizational and personnel changes involving Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers, and a description of Funds Management’s and the Sub-Advisers’ business continuity planning programs and of their approaches to data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board received and reviewed information about Funds Management’s role as administrator of the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Board also considered the qualifications, background, tenure and responsibilities of each of the portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

The Board evaluated the ability of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers to attract and retain qualified investment professionals, including research, advisory and supervisory personnel. The Board further considered the compliance programs and compliance records of Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers. In addition, the Board took into account the full range of services provided to the Fund by Funds Management and its affiliates.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Fund investment performance and expenses

The Board noted that the Fund had recently commenced operations and had no performance history to review. The Board noted that it would have the opportunity to review the Fund’s performance history in connection with the Board’s future review and approval of the Fund’s Advisory Agreements.

The Board, however, received and considered information from Broadridge Inc. (“Broadridge”) regarding the Fund’s net operating expense ratios and their various components, including actual management fees, custodian and other non-management fees, and Rule 12b-1 and non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder service fees. The Board considered these ratios in comparison to the median ratios of funds in class-specific expense groups that were determined by Broadridge to be similar to the Fund (the “Groups”). The Board received a description of the methodology used by Broadridge to select the mutual funds in the expense Groups and an explanation of how funds comprising expense groups and their expense ratios may vary from year-to-year. Based on the Broadridge reports, the Board noted that the net operating expense ratios of the Fund were lower than the median net operating expense ratios of the expense Groups for each share class.

The Board took into account the Fund’s expense information provided to it among the factors considered in deciding to re-approve the Advisory Agreements.

Investment management and sub-advisory fee rates

The Board reviewed and considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management under the Management Agreement, as well as the contractual fee rates payable by the Fund to Funds Management for class-level administrative services under a Class-Level Administration Agreement, which include, among other things, class-level transfer agency and sub-transfer agency costs (collectively, the “Management Rates”). The Board also reviewed and considered the contractual investment sub-advisory fee rates that are payable by Funds Management to the Sub-Advisers for investment sub-advisory services.

Among other information reviewed by the Board was a comparison of the Fund’s Management Rates with the average contractual investment management fee rates of funds in the expense Groups at a common asset level as well as transfer agency costs of the funds in the expense Groups. The Board noted that the Management Rates of the Fund were lower than the sum of these average rates for the Fund’s expense Groups for all share classes.

The Board also received and considered information about the portion of the total management fee that was retained by Funds Management after the payment of fees to each of the Sub-Advisers for sub-advisory services. In assessing the reasonableness of this amount, the Board received and evaluated information about the nature and extent of responsibilities retained and risks assumed by Funds Management and not delegated to or assumed by the Sub-Advisers, and about Funds Management’s on-going oversight services. Given the affiliation between Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers, the Board ascribed limited relevance to the allocation of fees between them.

The Board also received and considered information about the nature and extent of services offered and fee rates charged by Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers to other types of clients with investment strategies similar to those of the Fund. In this regard, the Board received information about the significantly greater scope of services, and compliance, reporting and other legal burdens and risks of managing proprietary mutual funds compared with those associated with managing assets of other types of clients, including third-party sub-advised fund clients and non-mutual fund clients such as institutional separate accounts.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management under the Management Agreement and to the Sub-Advisers under the Sub-Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

Profitability

The Board received and considered information concerning the profitability of Funds Management, as well as the profitability of both WFAM and Wells Fargo & Co. (“Wells Fargo”) from providing services to the fund family as a whole. The Board noted that the Sub-Advisers’ profitability information with respect to providing services to the Fund and other funds in the family was subsumed in the WFAM and Wells Fargo profitability analysis.

Funds Management reported on the methodologies and estimates used in calculating profitability, including a description of the methodology used to allocate certain expenses. Among other things, the Board noted that the levels of profitability reported on a fund-by-fund basis varied widely, depending on factors such as the size, type and age of fund. Based on its review, the Board did not deem the profits reported by Funds Management, WFAM or Wells Fargo from services provided to the Fund to be at a level that would prevent it from approving the continuation of the Advisory Agreements.

 

 

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Other information (unaudited)

 

Economies of scale

The Board received and considered information about the potential for Funds Management to experience economies of scale in the provision of management services to the Fund, the difficulties of calculating economies of scale at an individual fund level, and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. The Board noted the existence of breakpoints in the Fund’s management fee structure, which operate generally to reduce the Fund’s expense ratios as the Fund grows in size. The Board considered that in addition to management fee breakpoints, Funds Management shares potential economies of scale from its management business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset without regard to breakpoints, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to shareholders.

The Board concluded that Funds Management’s arrangements with respect to the Fund, including contractual breakpoints, constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.

Other benefits to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers

The Board received and considered information regarding potential “fall-out” or ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Advisers, as a result of their relationships with the Fund. Ancillary benefits could include, among others, benefits directly attributable to other relationships with the Fund and benefits potentially derived from an increase in Funds Management’s and the Sub-Advisers’ businesses as a result of their relationships with the Fund. The Board noted that various affiliates of Funds Management may receive distribution-related fees, shareholder servicing payments and sub-transfer agency fees in respect of shares sold or held through them and services provided.

The Board also reviewed information about soft dollar credits earned and utilized by the Sub-Advisers, fees earned by Funds Management and WellsCap from managing a private investment vehicle for the fund family’s securities lending collateral, and commissions earned by an affiliated broker from portfolio transactions.

Based on its consideration of the factors and information it deemed relevant, including those described here, the Board did not find that any ancillary benefits received by Funds Management and its affiliates, including the Sub-Advisers, were unreasonable.

Conclusion

At the Meeting, after considering the above-described factors and based on its deliberations and its evaluation of the information described above, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Advisory Agreements for a one-year term and determined that the compensation payable to Funds Management and the Sub-Advisers under each of the Advisory Agreements was reasonable.

 

 

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LOGO

For more information

More information about Wells Fargo Funds is available free upon request. To obtain literature, please write, visit the Fund’s website, or call:

Wells Fargo Funds

P.O. Box 219967

Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Website: wfam.com

Individual investors: 1-800-222-8222

Retail investment professionals: 1-888-877-9275

Institutional investment professionals: 1-866-765-0778

 

LOGO

 

This report and the financial statements contained herein are submitted for the general information of the shareholders of the Fund. If this report is used for promotional purposes, distribution of the report must be accompanied or preceded by a current prospectus. Before investing, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment. For a current prospectus and, if available, a summary prospectus, containing this information, call 1-800-222-8222 or visit the Fund’s website at wfam.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM) is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA).

This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED    NO BANK GUARANTEE     MAY LOSE VALUE


 

© 2019 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

406811 11-19

A294/AR294 09-19

 

 



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ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS

(a) As of the end of the period covered by the report, Wells Fargo Funds Trust has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its President and Treasurer. A copy of the code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR.

(c) During the period covered by this report, there were no amendments to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in Item 2(a) above.

(d) During the period covered by this report, there were no implicit or explicit waivers to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in Item 2(a) above.

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

The Board of Trustees of Wells Fargo Funds Trust has determined that Judith Johnson is an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR. Mrs. Johnson is independent for purposes of Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

(a), (b), (c), (d) The following table presents aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for services rendered to the Registrant by the Registrant’s principal accountant. These fees were billed to the registrant and were approved by the Registrant’s audit committee.

 

     Fiscal
year ended
September 30,
2019
     Fiscal
year ended
September 30,
2018
 

Audit fees

   $ 377,410      $ 372,201  

Audit-related fees

     —          —    

Tax fees (1)

     48,800        48,060  

All other fees

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 426,210      $ 420,261  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Tax fees consist of fees for tax compliance, tax advice, tax planning and excise tax.     


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(e) The Chairman of the Audit Committees is authorized to pre-approve: (1) audit services for the mutual funds of Wells Fargo Funds Trust; (2) non-audit tax or compliance consulting or training services provided to the Funds by the independent auditors (“Auditors”) if the fees for any particular engagement are not anticipated to exceed $50,000; and (3) non-audit tax or compliance consulting or training services provided by the Auditors to a Fund’s investment adviser and its controlling entities (where pre-approval is required because the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund) if the fee to the Auditors for any particular engagement is not anticipated to exceed $50,000. For any such pre-approval sought from the Chairman, Management shall prepare a brief description of the proposed services.     

If the Chairman approves of such service, he or she shall sign the statement prepared by Management.

Such written statement shall be presented to the full Committees at their next regularly scheduled meetings.

(f) Not applicable

(g) Not applicable    

(h) Not applicable

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS

Not applicable.

ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS

A Portfolio of Investments for each series of Wells Fargo Funds Trust is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.


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ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Not applicable.

ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Not applicable.

ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s Board of Trustees that have been implemented since the registrant’s last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of this Item.

ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

(a) The President and Treasurer have concluded that the Wells Fargo Funds Trust disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) provide reasonable assurances that material information relating to the registrant is made known to them by the appropriate persons based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report.


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(b) There were no significant changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the most recent fiscal half-year of the period covered by this report that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 12. DISCLOSURES OF SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Not applicable.

ITEM 13. EXHIBITS

(a)(1) Code of Ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is filed and attached hereto as Exhibit COE.

(a)(2) Certification pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)) is filed and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.CERT.

(b) Certification pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)) is filed and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.906CERT.

 


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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Wells Fargo Funds Trust
By:  
  /s/ Andrew Owen
  Andrew Owen
  President
Date:   November 25, 2019

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Wells Fargo Funds Trust
By:  
  /s/ Andrew Owen
  Andrew Owen
  President
Date:   November 25, 2019


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By:  
  /s/ Nancy Wiser
  Nancy Wiser
  Treasurer
Date:   November 25, 2019
By:  
  /s/ Jeremy DePalma
  Jeremy DePalma
  Treasurer
Date:   November 25, 2019