-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, ERZMdvg8TIQQzAXH+efiyLA/dSSio6zXx4gk3C1eUviBk/0qoiaViKiYUjkJqfth YMKau5Xu0PZSQuw6cUhPqQ== 0001145443-07-001943.txt : 20070628 0001145443-07-001943.hdr.sgml : 20070628 20070628152912 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001145443-07-001943 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: POS AMI PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 11 FILED AS OF DATE: 20070628 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20070628 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: JPMorgan Institutional Trust CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001303608 IRS NUMBER: 201491791 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 0630 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: POS AMI SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-21638 FILM NUMBER: 07946726 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: C/O JPMORGAN DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, INC. STREET 2: 1111 POLARIS PARKWAY CITY: COLUMBUS STATE: OH ZIP: 43240 BUSINESS PHONE: 800-480-4111 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: C/O JPMORGAN DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, INC. STREET 2: 1111 POLARIS PARKWAY CITY: COLUMBUS STATE: OH ZIP: 43240 0001303608 S000007334 JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust C000020138 JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust 0001303608 S000007335 JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust C000020139 JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust 0001303608 S000007336 JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust C000020140 JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust 0001303608 S000007337 JPMorgan Core Bond Trust C000020141 JPMorgan Core Bond Trust 0001303608 S000007338 JPMorgan Equity Index Trust C000020142 JPMorgan Equity Index Trust POS AMI 1 d21184.htm

AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JUNE 28, 2006

File No. 811-21638


UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

   THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940    x

AMENDMENT No. 8

 


JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 


245 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10167

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code (212) 837-2524

 


Scott E. Richter, Esq.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

1111 Polaris Parkway, Mail Code OH1-0152

Columbus, Ohio 43240

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 


Copies to:

 

Jessica K. Ditullio, Esq.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

1111 Polaris Parkway, Mail Code OH1-0152

Columbus, Ohio 43240

 

Frederick Wertheim, Esq.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

125 Broad Street

New York, New York 10004

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Amendment is filed by JPMorgan Institutional Trust (the “Registrant”). This Registration Statement has been filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 8(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. However, shares of beneficial interest in the Registrant are not being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), because such shares are issued solely in private placement transactions that do not involve a “public offering” within the meaning of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. The shares have not been registered under any state securities laws in reliance upon various exemptions provided by those laws. Investments in the shares of the Registrant may be made only by “accredited investors” within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act. This Registration Statement does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any shares of the Registrant.

 



Prospective Investor   Copy #________  
 
____________________  DO NOT COPY OR CIRCULATE 
 
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTING 

Confidential Offering Memorandum
JPMorgan Institutional Trust

June 28, 2007

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust
JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust
JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust
JPMorgan Equity Index Trust




For Institutional Clients

This cover is not part of the Confidential Offering Memorandum. Each Fund issues shares only in private placement transactions in accordance with Regulation D or other applicable exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). The enclosed Confidential Offering Memorandum is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy, any security to the public within the meaning of the Securities Act. In addition, there shall be no sale of the shares referred to herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.



This Confidential Offering Memorandum (“Memorandum”) describes five separate series (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) of the JPMorgan Institutional Trust. Shares of the Funds have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), or the securities laws of any state. Each Fund issues its shares only in private placement transactions in accordance with Regulation D or other applicable exemptions under the Securities Act. This Memorandum is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy, any security to the public within the meaning of the Securities Act.

Shares of the Funds may be purchased only by certain clients of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“JPMIM”) and its affiliates who maintain one or more separately managed private accounts, and who are “accredited investors,” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. Eligible investors are institutional investors such as corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, financial institutions, endowments, and foundations. The Funds are not intended for individuals or accounts established for the benefit of individuals (other than certain pension and profit-sharing plans sponsored by employers or unions for the benefit of individual plan participants). Subscriptions may be accepted or rejected, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of JPMIM. Shares of the Funds may also be purchased by certain investors outside of the United States consistent with applicable regulatory requirements.

Shares of the Funds are subject to restrictions on transferability and resale and may not be transferred or resold except as permitted under the Securities Act. Shares may be redeemed only in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Memorandum.

This Memorandum is intended for use only by the person to whom it has been issued. This Memorandum may not be reproduced, provided to others or used for any other purpose.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved the shares of any of the Funds as an investment or determined whether this Memorandum is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The Funds provide access to the professional investment advisory services offered by JPMIM, which is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co., a bank holding company. Investors may direct questions regarding the Funds to their client relationship or client service manager.

Although the Funds may be similar to one or more other funds or accounts advised by JPMIM or its affiliates, each Fund is a separate series with its own investment objective, policies and expenses. Other funds and accounts advised by JPMIM or its affiliates will have different investment results, and information about those funds and accounts should not be assumed to apply to the Funds.

This Memorandum explains what you should know about the Funds before you invest. Please read it carefully.



CONTENTS

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust
                 1    
JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust
                 5    
JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust
                 9    
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust
                 15    
JPMorgan Equity Index Trust
                 21    
The Funds’ Management and Administration
                 26    
Subscribing for and Purchasing and Redeeming Fund Shares
                 28    
 
   
Purchasing Fund Shares
                 28    
Redeeming Fund Shares
                 30    
Shareholder Information
                 31    
Voting Rights
                 31    
Dividend Policies
                 31    
Tax Treatment of Shareholders
                 31    
Shareholder Statements and Reports
                 32    
Availability of Proxy Voting Record
                 32    
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
                 32    
JPMorgan Investment Advisors — Related Performance
                 33    
Investments
                 37    
Risk and Reward Elements of the Funds
                 44    
How to Reach Us
                 Inside back cover    
 



    

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

The Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust has not commenced operations and is not presently available for subscription.

Risk/Return Summary

For a more detailed discussion of the Fund’s investments and main risks, as well as Fund strategies, please see pages 37–47.

The Fund’s Objective

The Fund seeks a high level of current income consistent with low volatility of principal by investing in a diversified portfolio of short-term investment grade securities.

The Fund’s Main Investment Strategy

The Fund mainly invests in all types of investment grade debt securities or unrated debt securities which J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM or the adviser) determines to be of comparable quality, including mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, adjustable rate mortgages, other structured investments, including collateralized mortgage obligations, and money market instruments. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For purposes of this policy, assets means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes.

A “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more at the time of its issuance issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a corporation, a foreign corporation or a municipality, securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by domestic and supranational banks, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, convertible bonds, stripped government securities and zero-coupon obligations.

The Fund will maintain a maximum interest rate sensitivity approximately equal to that of a two-year U.S. Treasury security, although the Fund’s actual interest rate sensitivity is expected to be approximately equal to that of a one-year U.S. Treasury security.

The Fund invests in fixed and floating rate debt securities representing an interest in or secured by residential mortgage loans. These securities often are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). However, the Fund also may purchase mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities that are issued by non-governmental entities. Such securities may or may not have private insurer guarantees of timely payments.

The Fund may invest in bonds and other debt securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund.

For cash management or temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, high-quality instruments with maturities of three months or less on the date they are purchased. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements (other than equity repurchase agreements), certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper (rated in one of the two highest rating categories), variable rate master demand notes, money market mutual funds (including affiliated money market funds) and bank money market deposit accounts.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change any of these investment policies (other than the Fund’s investment objective and such policies that are designated as fundamental) without shareholder approval.

The Fund is diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
    

BEFORE YOU INVEST

Investors considering the Fund should understand that:

•  
  There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

•  
  The Fund does not represent a complete investment program.


Investments in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. You could lose money if you sell when the Fund’s share price is lower than when you invested.

JUNE 28, 2007   1



    

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust (continued)

Investment Process

JPMIM selects securities for the Fund by analyzing both individual securities and different market sectors. JPMIM looks for individual securities that it believes will perform well over time. JPMIM selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

The frequency with which the Fund buys and sells securities will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. You may lose money on your investment in the Fund. Here are some specific risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met.

Interest Rate Risk.  The Fund mainly invests in bonds and other debt securities. These securities will increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the investments generally increases. Your investment will decline in value if the value of the investments decreases. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, but are subject to greater fluctuations in value. Usually, the changes in the value of fixed income securities will not affect cash income generated, but may affect the value of your investment.

Credit Risk.  There is a risk that issuers and counterparties will not make payments on securities and investments held by the Fund. Such default could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of the Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult for the Fund to sell the security. The Fund may invest in securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. Such securities are considered to have speculative characteristics, and issuers of such securities are more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions than issuers of higher grade securities.

Government Securities Risk.  The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac securities). Securities issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are not issued directly by the U.S. government. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of principal and interest of its securities. By contrast, securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government related organizations such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by law.

Prepayment and Call Risk.  As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund invests in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The issuer of these securities and other callable securities may be able to repay principal in advance, especially when interest rates fall. Changes in prepayment rates can affect the return on investment and yield of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield. The Fund also may fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss. Furthermore, some asset-backed securities may have additional risk because they may receive little or no collateral protection from the underlying assets, and are also subject to the risk of default described under “Credit Risk.

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may use derivatives in connection with its investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives for hedging or risk management purposes or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund’s returns.

CMO, IO & PO Risk.  Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are issued in multiple classes, and each class may have its own interest rate and/or final payment date. A class with an earlier final payment date may have certain preferences in receiving principal payments or earning interest. As a result, the value of some classes in which the Fund invests may be more volatile and may be subject to higher risk of nonpayment.

2   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



The values of interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) mortgage-backed securities are more volatile than other types of mortgage-related securities. They are very sensitive not only to changes in interest rates, but also to the rate of prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can significantly depress the price of interest-only securities, while a rapid or unexpected decrease could have the same effect on principal-only securities. In addition, these instruments may be illiquid.

Temporary Defensive Positions and Redemption Risks. To respond to unusual circumstances or for cash management purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. These investments may prevent the Fund from meeting its investment objective. The Fund may have to sell securities at a loss in order to fund shareholder redemptions.

The Fund’s Past Performance

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Offering Memorandum and therefore, has no reportable performance history. Once the Fund has performed for at least one calendar year, a bar chart and a performance table will be included in the Offering Memorandum to show the performance of the Fund.1 An appropriate broad-based market index will also be included in the performance table. Although past performance of a Fund is no guarantee of how it will perform in the future, historical performance may give you some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

1 The Fund’s fiscal year end is the last day of February.

JUNE 28, 2007   3



    

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust (continued)

Fees and Expenses

In addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund set out below, separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory, servicing and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
    

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)

Management Fees
                     0.25 %  
Other Expenses1
                 0.38   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
                 0.63   
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
                 (0.53 )  
Net Expenses2
                 0.10   
 
1
  “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

2
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses relating to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.10% of the average daily net assets through June 30, 2008.

Examples

The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and reflect what you would pay if you either redeemed all of your shares or if you continued to hold them at the end of the periods shown. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Information provided in the table for the one-year time period is based upon the Net Expenses shown in the fee and expense table. Subsequent periods are based on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without taking into consideration the contractual waivers in place for the Fund. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than those shown.
    

YOUR COST ($)

(with or without redemption)

        1 Year
    3 Years
   
 
                   10              148                   
 

4   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



    

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust

The Short-Term Bond Trust has not commenced operations and is not presently available for subscription.

Risk/Return Summary

For a more detailed discussion of the Fund’s investments and main risks, as well as Fund strategies, please see pages 37–47.

The Fund’s Objective

The Fund seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital through investment in high- and medium-grade fixed income securities.

The Fund’s Main Investment Strategy

The Fund mainly invests in investment grade debt securities or unrated debt securities which JPMIM determines to be of comparable quality, with short to intermediate remaining maturities. These include U.S. government obligations, such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac securities and mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, corporate debt obligations, and other structured investments including collateralized mortgage obligations.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For purposes of this policy, “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes.

A “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more at the time of its issuance issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a corporation, a foreign corporation or a municipality, securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by domestic and supranational banks, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, convertible bonds, stripped government securities and zero-coupon obligations.

Up to 20% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in preferred stock.

The Fund also may purchase taxable or tax-exempt municipal securities. The Fund may invest in bonds and other debt securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. The Fund’s effective average weighted maturity ordinarily will be three years or less taking into account expected amortization and prepayment of principal on certain investments. See page 37 for a discussion of average weighted maturity.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, and for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund.

For cash management or temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, high-quality instruments with maturities of three months or less on the date they are purchased. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements (other than equity repurchase agreements), certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper (rated in one of the two highest rating categories), variable rate master demand notes, money market mutual funds (including affiliated money market funds) and bank money market deposit accounts.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change any of these investment policies (other than the Fund’s investment objective and such policies that are designated as fundamental) without shareholder approval.

The Fund is diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
    

BEFORE YOU INVEST

Investors considering the Fund should understand that:

•  
  There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

•  
  The Fund does not represent a complete investment program.


Investments in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. You could lose money if you sell when the Fund’s share price is lower than when you invested.

Investment Process

JPMIM selects securities for the Fund by analyzing both individual securities and different market sectors. JPMIM looks for market sectors and individual securities that it

JUNE 28, 2007   5



    

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust (continued)


believes will perform well over time. JPMIM selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

The frequency with which the Fund buys and sells securities will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. You may lose money on your investment in the Fund. Here are some specific risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met.

Interest Rate Risk.  The Fund mainly invests in bonds and other debt securities. These securities will increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the investments generally increases. Your investment will decline in value if the value of the investments decreases. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, but are subject to greater fluctuations in value. Usually, the changes in the value of fixed income securities will not affect cash income generated, but may affect the value of your investment.

Credit Risk.  There is a risk that issuers and counterparties will not make payments on securities and investments held by the Fund. Such default could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of the Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult for the Fund to sell the security. The Fund may invest in securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. Such securities are considered to have speculative characteristics, and issuers of such securities are more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions than issuers of higher grade securities.

Government Securities Risk.  The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac securities). Securities issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are not issued directly by the U.S. government. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of principal and interest of its securities. By contrast, securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government related organizations such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by law.

Prepayment and Call Risk.  As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund invests in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The issuer of these securities and other callable securities may be able to repay principal in advance, especially when interest rates fall. Changes in prepayment rates can affect the return on investment and yield of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield. The Fund also may fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss. Furthermore, some asset-backed securities may have additional risk because they may receive little or no collateral protection from the underlying assets, and are also subject to the risk of default described under “Credit Risk.”

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may use derivatives in connection with its investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives for hedging or risk management purposes or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund’s returns.

CMO, IO & PO Risk.  Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are issued in multiple classes, and each class may have its own interest rate and/or final payment date. A class with an earlier final payment date may have certain preferences in receiving principal payments or earning interest. As a result, the value of some classes in which the Fund invests may be more volatile and may be subject to higher risk of nonpayment.

The values of interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) mortgage-backed securities are more volatile than other types of mortgage-related securities. They are very sensitive not only to changes in interest rates, but also to the

6   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST




rate of prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can significantly depress the price of interest-only securities, while a rapid or unexpected decrease could have the same effect on principal-only securities. In addition, these instruments may be illiquid.

Temporary Defensive Positions and Redemption Risks. To respond to unusual circumstances or for cash management purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. These investments may prevent the Fund from meeting its investment objective. The Fund may have to sell securities at a loss in order to fund shareholder redemptions.

The Fund’s Past Performance

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Offering Memorandum and therefore, has no reportable performance history. Once the Fund has performed for at least one calendar year, a bar chart and a performance table will be included in the Offering Memorandum to show the performance of the Fund.1 An appropriate broad-based market index will also be included in the performance table. Although past performance of a Fund is no guarantee of how it will perform in the future, historical performance may give you some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

1 The Fund’s fiscal year end is the last day of February.

JUNE 28, 2007   7



    

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust (continued)

Fees and Expenses

In addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund set out below, separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory, servicing and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
    

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)

Management Fees
                     0.25 %  
Other Expenses1
                 0.14   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
                 0.39   
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
                 (0.29 )  
Net Expenses2
                 0.10   
 
1
  “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

2
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses relating to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed to 0.10% of the average daily net assets through June 30, 2008.

Examples

The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and reflect what you would pay if you either redeemed all of your shares or if you continued to hold them at the end of the periods shown. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Information provided in the table for the one-year time period is based upon the Net Expenses shown in the fee and expense table. Subsequent periods are based on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without taking into consideration the contractual waivers in place for the Fund. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than those shown.
    

YOUR COST ($)

(with or without redemption)

        1 Year
    3 Years
   
 
                   10              96                   
 

8   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



    

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

Risk/Return Summary

For a more detailed discussion of the Fund’s investments and main risks, as well as Fund strategies, please see pages 37–47.

The Fund’s Objective

The Fund seeks current income consistent with the preservation of capital by investing in high- and medium-grade fixed income securities with intermediate maturities.

The Fund’s Main Investment Strategy

The Fund mainly invests in investment grade debt securities of all types or unrated debt securities which JPMIM determines to be of comparable quality, including bonds, notes and U.S. government obligations with intermediate maturities. These include mortgage-backed, asset-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations.

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and at least 50% of total assets will consist of obligations issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, some of which may be subject to repurchase agreements. For purposes of this policy, the Fund’s net assets include borrowing by the Fund for investment purposes. U.S. government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations as well as Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac and other government agency mortgage-backed securities.

A “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more at the time of its issuance issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a corporation, a foreign corporation or a municipality, securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by domestic and supranational banks, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, convertible bonds, stripped government securities and zero-coupon obligations.

Up to 20% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in preferred stock.

The Fund may invest in bonds and other debt securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. The Fund’s average weighted maturity will ordinarily range between three and ten years, taking into account expected prepayment of principal on certain investments. The Fund may shorten that average weighted maturity to as little as one year for temporary defensive purposes. See page 37 for a discussion of average weighted maturity.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund.

For cash management or temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, high-quality instruments with maturities of three months or less on the date they are purchased. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements (other than equity repurchase agreements), certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper (rated in one of the two highest rating categories), variable rate master demand notes, money market mutual funds (including affiliated money market funds) and bank money market deposit accounts.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change any of these investment policies (other than the Fund’s investment objective and such policies that are designated as fundamental) without shareholder approval.

The Fund is diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
    

BEFORE YOU INVEST

Investors considering the Fund should understand that:

•  
  There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

•  
  The Fund does not represent a complete investment program.


Investments in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. You could lose money if you sell when the Fund’s share price is lower than when you invested.

Investment Process

JPMIM selects securities by analyzing both individual securities and different market sectors. JPMIM looks for market sectors and individual securities that it believes will perform well over time. JPMIM selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk,

JUNE 28, 2007   9



    

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust (continued)


and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

The frequency with which the Fund buys and sells securities will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. You may lose money on your investment in the Fund. Here are some specific risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met.

Interest Rate Risk.  The Fund mainly invests in bonds and other debt securities. These securities will increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the investments generally increases. Your investment will decline in value if the value of the investments decreases. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, but are subject to greater fluctuations in value. Usually, the changes in the value of fixed income securities will not affect cash income generated, but may affect the value of your investment.

Credit Risk.  There is a risk that issuers and counterparties will not make payments on securities and investments held by the Fund. Such default could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of the Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult for the Fund to sell the security. The Fund may invest in securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. Such securities are considered to have speculative characteristics, and issuers of such securities are more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions than issuers of higher grade securities.

Government Securities Risk.  The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac securities). Securities issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are not issued directly by the U.S. government. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of principal and interest of its securities. By contrast, securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government related organizations such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by law.

Prepayment and Call Risk.  As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund invests in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The issuer of these securities and other callable securities may be able to repay principal in advance, especially when interest rates fall. Changes in prepayment rates can affect the return on investment and yield of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield. The Fund also may fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss. Furthermore, some asset-backed securities may have additional risk because they may receive little or no collateral protection from the underlying assets, and are also subject to the risk of default described under “Credit Risk.

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may use derivatives in connection with its investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives for hedging or risk management purposes or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund’s returns.

CMO, IO & PO Risk.  Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are issued in multiple classes, and each class may have its own interest rate and/or final payment date. A class with an earlier final payment date may have certain preferences in receiving principal payments or earning interest. As a result, the value of some classes in which the Fund invests may be more volatile and may be subject to higher risk of nonpayment.

The values of interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) mortgage-backed securities are more volatile than other types of mortgage-related securities. They are very sensitive not only to changes in interest rates, but also to the rate of prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can significantly depress the price of interest-only securities, while a rapid or unexpected

10   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST




decrease could have the same effect on principal-only securities. In addition, these instruments may be illiquid.

Temporary Defensive Positions and Redemption Risks.   To respond to unusual circumstances or for cash management purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. These investments may prevent the Fund from meeting its investment objective. The Fund may have to sell securities at a loss in order to fund shareholder redemptions.

JUNE 28, 2007   11



    

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust (continued)

The Fund’s Past Performance

This section shows the Fund’s performance record. The bar chart shows the performance of the Fund over the past year. This provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table shows the average annual total returns for the past one year and the life of the Fund. It compares that performance to the Lehman Brothers Intermediate Government/Credit Bond Index, a broad-based securities market index, and the Lipper Short-Intermediate U.S. Government Funds Index, an index based on the total returns of certain mutual funds within the Fund’s designated category as determined by Lipper.

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of the Fund will perform in the future.

The calculations assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested in the Fund. Some of the companies that provide services to the Fund have in the past agreed not to collect some expenses and to reimburse others. Without these agreements, the performance figures would have been lower than those shown. 

  YEAR-BY-YEAR RETURNS1

    

    

Best Quarter
           
3rd quarter, 2006
         3.13 %      
Worst Quarter
   
1st quarter, 2006
         –0.28 %  
 
1
  The Fund’s fiscal year end is the last day of February.

The Fund’s year-to-date total return through 3/31/07 was 1.62%.

12   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (%)

Shows performance over time, for periods ended December 31, 2006

        Past 1 Year
    Life of Fund1
   
INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST
                                                      
Return Before Taxes
                 4.48             3.23                   
Return After Taxes
                 2.71             1.50                   
Return After Taxes on Distributions
                 2.88             1.74                   
 
LEHMAN BROTHERS INTERMEDIATE GOVERNMENT/CREDIT BOND INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Fees, Expenses or Taxes)
                 4.08             3.28                   
 
LIPPER SHORT-INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Taxes)
                 3.97             3.11                   
 

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depends on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

1
  The Fund commenced operations on 2/7/05. Performance for the benchmark is from 2/28/05.

2
  The Lehman Brothers Intermediate Government/Credit Bond Index is an unmanaged index comprised of U.S. Government Agency and Treasury securities and investment grade corporate bonds. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. By contrast, the performance of the Fund reflects the deduction of mutual fund expenses, including sale charges, if applicable.

3
  The performance of the Lipper Short-Intermediate U.S. Government Funds Index includes expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. These expenses are not identical to the expenses charged by the Fund.

^
  Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

JUNE 28, 2007   13



    

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust (continued)

Fees and Expenses

In addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund set out below, separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory, servicing and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
    

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)

Management Fees
                 0.30 %  
Other Expenses1
                 0.16   
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
                 0.02   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses3,4
                 0.48   
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4
                  (0.31 )  
Net Expenses4
                 0.17   
 
1
  “Other Expenses” have been calculated based on the actual amounts incurred in the most recent fiscal year.

2
  “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are based on the allocation of the Fund’s assets among the acquired funds calculated on a daily basis through the Fund’s last fiscal year end. This amount reflects the allocation only through the fiscal year ending 2/28/07. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” will vary with changes in the expenses of the acquired funds as well as allocation of the Fund’s assets, and may be higher or lower than those shown above. Acquired funds include a money market fund advised by an affiliate of JPMIM. The advisory, administration and shareholder servicing fees associated with the money market fund are waived and/or reimbursed in an amount sufficient to offset any doubling up of these fees related to the Fund’s investments in the affiliated money market fund.

3
  The Total Annual Operating Expenses included in the fee table do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets in the Financial Highlights. The Financial Highlights reflect only the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

4
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses relating to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.15% of its average daily net assets through 6/30/08. Without the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, the Total Annual Operating Expenses would have been 0.46% for the Fund.

Examples

The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and reflect what you would pay if you either redeemed all of your shares or if you continued to hold them at the end of the periods shown. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Information provided in the table for the one-year time period is based upon the Net Expenses shown in the fee and expense table. Subsequent periods are based on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without taking into consideration the contractual waivers in place for the Fund. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than those shown.
    

YOUR COST ($)

(with or without redemption)

1 Year
        3 Years
    5 Years
    10 Years
17                  123              238              574    
 

14   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



    

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

Risk/Return Summary

For a more detailed discussion of the Fund’s investments and main risks, as well as Fund strategies, please see pages 37–47.

The Fund’s Objective

The Fund seeks to maximize total return by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of intermediate- and long-term debt securities.

The Fund’s Main Investment Strategy

The Fund invests mainly in investment grade bonds and debt securities or unrated bonds and debt securities which JPMIM determines to be of comparable quality, as well as preferred stock and loan participations. Such securities include U.S. government securities such as U.S. Treasury obligations as well as Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac and other government agency mortgage-backed securities.

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in bonds. For purposes of this policy, the Fund’s net assets include borrowings by the Fund for investment purposes. Generally, such bonds will have intermediate to long maturities.

A “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more at the time of its issuance issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a corporation, a foreign corporation or a municipality, securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by domestic and supranational banks, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, asset-backed securities, convertible bonds, stripped government securities and zero-coupon obligations.

The Fund may invest in bonds and other debt securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. The Fund’s average weighted maturity will ordinarily range between four and 12 years, although the Fund may shorten its average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. See page 37 for a discussion of average weighted maturity.

The Fund also may purchase taxable or tax-exempt municipal securities.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund.

For cash management or temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, high-quality instruments with maturities of three months or less on the date they are purchased. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements (other than equity repurchase agreements), certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper (rated in one of the two highest rating categories), variable rate master demand notes, money market mutual funds (including affiliated money market funds) and bank money market deposit accounts.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change any of these investment policies (other than the Fund’s investment objective and such policies that are designated as fundamental) without shareholder approval.

The Fund is diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
    

BEFORE YOU INVEST

Investors considering the Fund should understand that:

•  
  There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

•  
  The Fund does not represent a complete investment program.


Investments in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. You could lose money if you sell when the Fund’s share price is lower than when you invested.

Investment Process

JPMIM analyzes four major factors in managing and constructing the Fund: duration, market sectors, maturity concentrations and individual securities. JPMIM looks for market sectors and individual securities that it believes will perform well over time. JPMIM is value oriented and selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analyst that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

JUNE 28, 2007   15



    

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (continued)

The frequency with which the Fund buys and sells securities will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. You may lose money on your investment in the Fund. Here are some specific risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed Fund. The Fund may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met.

Interest Rate Risk.  The Fund mainly invests in bonds and other debt securities. These securities will increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the investments generally increases. Your investment will decline in value if the value of the investments decreases. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, but are subject to greater fluctuations in value. Usually, the changes in the value of fixed income securities will not affect cash income generated, but may affect the value of your investment.

Credit Risk.  There is a risk that issuers and counterparties will not make payments on securities and investments held by the Fund. Such default could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by the Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of the Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult for the Fund to sell the security. The Fund may invest in securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. Such securities are considered to have speculative characteristics, and issuers of such securities are more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions than issuers of higher grade securities.

Government Securities Risk.  The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac securities). Securities issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are not issued directly by the U.S. government. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. corporation that is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of principal and interest of its securities. By contrast, securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government related organizations such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by law.

Prepayment and Call Risk.  As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund invests in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The issuer of these securities and other callable securities may be able to repay principal in advance, especially when interest rates fall. Changes in prepayment rates can affect the return on investment and yield of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield. The Fund also may fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss. Furthermore, some asset-backed securities may have additional risk because they may receive little or no collateral protection from the underlying assets, and are also subject to the risk of default described under “Credit Risk.

CMO, IO & PO Risk.  Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are issued in multiple classes, and each class may have its own interest rate and/or final payment date. A class with an earlier final payment date may have certain preferences in receiving principal payments or earning interest. As a result, the value of some classes in which the Fund invests may be more volatile and may be subject to higher risk of nonpayment.

The values of interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) mortgage-backed securities are more volatile than other types of mortgage-related securities. They are very sensitive not only to changes in interest rates, but also to the rate of prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can significantly depress the price of interest-only securities, while a rapid or unexpected decrease could have the same effect on principal-only securities. In addition, these instruments may be illiquid.

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may use derivatives in connection with its investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives for hedging or risk management purposes or to increase income or gain may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund’s returns.

16   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



Temporary Defensive Positions and Redemption Risks. To respond to unusual circumstances or for cash management purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. These investments may prevent the Fund from meeting its investment objective. The Fund may have to sell securities at a loss in order to fund shareholder redemptions.

JUNE 28, 2007   17



    

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (continued)

The Fund’s Past Performance

This section shows the Fund’s performance record. The bar chart shows the performance of the Fund over the past year. This provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table shows the average annual total returns for the past one year and the life of the Fund. It compares that performance to the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index, a broad-based securities market index, and the Lipper Intermediate U.S. Government Funds Index, an index based on the total returns of certain mutual funds within the Fund’s designated category as determined by Lipper.

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of the Fund will perform in the future.

The calculations assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested in the Fund. Some of the companies that provide services to the Fund have in the past agreed not to collect some expenses and to reimburse others. Without these agreements, the performance figures would have been lower than those shown.  

  YEAR-BY-YEAR RETURNS1

    

    

Best Quarter
           
3rd quarter, 2006
         3.66 %      
Worst Quarter
   
1st quarter, 2006
         –0.48 %  
 
1
  The Fund’s fiscal year end is the last day of February.

The Fund’s year-to-date total return through 3/31/07 was 1.73%.

18   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (%)

Shows performance over time, for periods ended December 31, 2006

        Past 1 Year
    Life of Fund1
   
CORE BOND TRUST
                                                      
Return Before Taxes
                 4.46             3.35                   
Return After Taxes
                 2.69             1.60                   
Return After Taxes on Distributions
                 2.87             1.83                   
 
LEHMAN BROTHERS AGGREGATE BOND INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Fees, Expenses or Taxes)
                 4.33             3.67                   
 
LIPPER INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Taxes)
                 3.71             3.14                   
 

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depends on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

1
  The Fund commenced operations on 2/7/05. Performance for the benchmark is from 2/28/05.

2
  The Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index and represents a mix of maturities. It is a replica (or model) of the U.S. government bond, mortgage-backed securities and corporate bond markets. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. By contrast, the performance of the Fund reflects the deduction of mutual fund expenses, including sale charges, if applicable.

3
  The performance of the Lipper Intermediate U.S. Government Funds Index includes expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. These expenses are not identical to the expenses charged by the Fund.

^
  Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

JUNE 28, 2007   19



    

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (continued)

Fees and Expenses

In addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund set out below, separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory, servicing and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
    

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)

Management Fees
                     0.30 %  
Other Expenses1
                 0.13   
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
                 0.02   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses3,4
                 0.45   
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement4
                 (0.28 )  
Net Expenses4
                 0.17   
 
1
  “Other Expenses” have been calculated based on the actual amounts incurred in the most recent fiscal year.

2
  “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are based on the allocation of the Fund’s assets among the acquired funds calculated on a daily basis through the Fund’s last fiscal year end. This amount reflects the allocation only through the fiscal year ending 2/28/07. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” will vary with changes in the expenses of the acquired funds as well as allocation of the Fund’s assets, and may be higher or lower than those shown above. Acquired funds include a money market fund advised by an affiliate of JPMIM. The advisory, administration and shareholder servicing fees associated with the money market fund are waived and/or reimbursed in an amount sufficient to offset any doubling up of these fees related to the Fund’s investments in the affiliated money market fund.

3
  The Total Annual Operating Expenses included in the fee table do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets in the Financial Highlights. The Financial Highlights reflect only the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

4
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses relating to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.15% of its average daily net assets through 6/30/08. Without the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, the Total Annual Operating Expenses would have been 0.43% for the Fund.

Examples

The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and reflect what you would pay if you either redeemed all of your shares or if you continued to hold them at the end of the periods shown. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Information provided in the table for the one-year time period is based upon the Net Expenses shown in the fee and expense table. Subsequent periods are based on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without taking into consideration the contractual waivers in place for the Fund. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than those shown.
    

YOUR COST ($)

(with or without redemption)

1 Year
        3 Years
    5 Years
    10 Years
17                  116              224              540    
 

20   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



    

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust

Risk/Return Summary

For a more detailed discussion of the Fund’s investments and main risks, as well as Fund strategies, please see pages 37–47.

The Fund’s Objective

The Fund seeks investment results that correspond to the aggregate price and dividend performance of securities in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index).1

1
  “S&P 500” is a registered service mark of Standard & Poor’s Corporation, which does not sponsor and is in no way affiliated with the Fund.

The Fund’s Main Investment Strategy

The Fund invests in stocks included in the S&P 500 Index and also may invest in stock index futures and other equity derivatives. The adviser, JPMIM, attempts to track the performance of the S&P 500 Index to achieve a correlation of at least 0.95 between the performance of the Fund and that of the S&P 500 Index without taking into account the Fund’s expenses. Perfect correlation would be 1.00.

The percentage of a stock that the Fund holds will be approximately the same percentage that the stock represents in the S&P 500 Index. The adviser generally picks stocks in the order of their weightings in the S&P 500 Index, starting with the heaviest weighted stock.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, for risk management and to increase the Fund’s income or gain.

The Fund may also hold up to 10% of its total assets in cash or cash equivalents, including affiliated money market funds, high-quality money market instruments and repurchase agreements; this is in addition to assets held for derivative market deposits or other segregated accounts.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change any of these investment policies (except the Fund’s investment objective) without shareholder approval.

The Fund is diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

BEFORE YOU INVEST

Investors considering the Fund should understand that:

•  
  There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

•  
  The Fund does not represent a complete investment program.


Investments in the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. You could lose money if you sell when the Fund’s share price is lower than when you invested.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. You may lose money on your investment in the Fund. Here are some specific risks of investing in the Fund.

Market Risk. The price of equity securities may rise or fall because of changes in the broad market or changes in a company’s financial condition, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, sectors or industries selected for the Fund’s portfolio or the securities market as a whole, such as changes in economic or political conditions. Equity securities are subject to “stock market risk” meaning that stock prices in general (or in particular, the types of securities in which the Fund invests) may decline over short or extended periods of time. When the value of the Fund’s securities goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value.

Index Investing Risk. The Fund attempts to track the performance of the S&P 500 Index. Therefore, securities may be purchased, retained and sold by the Fund at times when an actively managed fund would not do so. If the value of securities that are heavily weighted in the index changes, you can expect a greater risk of loss than would be the case if the Fund were not fully invested in such securities.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund may use derivatives in connection with its investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with

JUNE 28, 2007   21



    

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust (continued)


the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives for hedging purposes may not be successful, resulting in losses to the Fund, and the cost of hedging may reduce the Fund’s returns. In addition, the Fund may use derivatives for non-hedging purposes which increase the Fund’s potential for loss.

22   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



The Fund’s Past Performance

This section shows the Fund’s performance record. The bar chart shows the performance of the Fund over the past year. This provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table shows the average annual total returns for the past one year and the life of the Fund. It compares that performance to the S&P 500 Index, a broad-based securities market index, and the Lipper S&P 500 Objective Funds Index, an index based on the total returns of certain mutual funds within the Fund’s designated category as determined by Lipper.

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of the Fund will perform in the future.

The calculations assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested in the Fund. Some of the companies that provide services to the Fund have in the past agreed not to collect some expenses and to reimburse others. Without these agreements, the performance figures would have been lower than those shown.     

  YEAR-BY-YEAR RETURNS1

    

    

Best Quarter
           
4th quarter, 2006
         6.63 %      
Worst Quarter
   
2nd quarter, 2006
         –1.47 %  
 
1
  The Fund’s fiscal year end is the last day of February.

The Fund’s year-to-date total return through 3/31/07 was 0.64%.

JUNE 28, 2007   23



    

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust (continued)

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (%)

Shows performance over time, for periods ended December 31, 2006

        Past 1 Year
    Life of Fund1
   
EQUITY INDEX TRUST
                                                      
Return Before Taxes
                 15.63             10.98                   
Return After Taxes
                 15.23             10.59                   
Return After Taxes on Distributions
                 10.58             9.30                   
 
S&P 500 INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Fees, Expenses or Taxes)
                 15.80             11.43                   
 
LIPPER S&P 500 OBJECTIVE FUNDS INDEX
                                                       
(Reflects No Deduction for Taxes)
                 15.55             11.17                   
 

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depends on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

1
  The Fund commenced operations on 2/7/05. Performance for the benchmark is from 2/28/05.

2
  The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the performance of large companies in the U.S. stock market. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. By contrast, the performance of the Fund reflects the deduction of mutual fund expenses, including sale charges, if applicable.

3
  The performance of the Lipper S&P 500 Objective Funds Index includes expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees. These expenses are not identical to the expenses charged by the Fund.

^
  Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

Fees and Expenses

In addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund set out below, separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory, servicing and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
    

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)

Management Fees
                     0.25 %  
Other Expenses1
                 0.15   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
                 0.40   
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
                 (0.30 )  
Net Expenses2
                 0.10   
 
1
  “Other Expenses” have been calculated based on actual amounts, incurred in the most recent fiscal year.

2
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses relating to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed to 0.10% of the average daily net assets through June 30, 2008.

24   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



Examples

The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and reflect what you would pay if you either redeemed all of your shares or if you continued to hold them at the end of the periods shown. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Information provided in the table for the one-year time period is based upon the Net Expenses shown in the fee and expense table. Subsequent periods are based on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses without taking into consideration the contractual waivers in place for the Fund. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than those shown.
    

YOUR COST ($)

(with or without redemption)

1 Year
        3 Years
    5 Years
    10 Years
10                  98              194              476    
 

JUNE 28, 2007   25



The Funds’ Management and Administration

Each Fund is a series of the JPMorgan Institutional Trust (Trust), a Delaware statutory trust. The Trust is governed by trustees who are responsible for overseeing all business activities of the Funds.

The Funds’ Investment Adviser

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM) acts as investment adviser to the Funds and makes day-to-day investment decisions for the Funds. JPMIM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Asset Management Holdings Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPMorgan Chase), a bank holding company. JPMIM is located at 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167.

During the most recent fiscal year ended February 28, 2007, the adviser was paid management fees (net of waivers), as shown below, as a percentage of average daily net assets:
    

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust
                 0.09 %  
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust
                 0.12   
JPMorgan Equity Index Trust
                 0.05   
 

The JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust have not commenced operations. For these Funds, JPMIM would be entitled to an advisory fee calculated at an annual rate asset forth below:
    

        Annual Rate
as Percentage
of Average
Daily Net Assets
JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust
                 0.25%1   
JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust
                 0.25 1  
 
1
  JPMIM and the Trust’s Administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent total annual operating expenses of the Fund (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, dividend expenses related to short sales, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust respectively through June 30, 2008.

 

In addition to the foregoing fees, a separate account client of JPMIM or its affiliates may also incur investment advisory fees, servicing fees and other fees in connection with the maintenance of the client’s separately managed account with JPMIM or its affiliates.

A discussion of the basis the Board of Trustees of the Trust used in reapproving the investment advisory agreement for the Funds is available in the annual report dated February 28, 2007.

THE FUND MANAGERS

Bond Funds. The Bond Funds are managed by portfolio managers teamed with research analysts. The portfolio managers work together to establish general duration, sector and yield curve strategies for the Funds. The research analysts provide individual security and sector recommendations regarding their area of focus, while the portfolio managers select and allocate individual securities in a manner designed to meet the investment objectives of the Funds.

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust. Michael Sais, Managing Director and CFA charterholder, will become the lead portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust upon the Fund’s inception. In addition to his role at JPMIM, Mr. Sais also serves as lead portfolio manager on behalf of JPMorgan Investment Advisors, Inc. (JPMIA), an affiliate of JPMIM, for the JPMorgan Ultra Short Duration Bond Fund. Mr. Sais joined JPMIA in 1994 as a senior fixed income research analyst responsible for the valuation and analysis of the mortgage-backed securities market. He is also a Fixed Income Fund Manager for the Insurance Asset Management Team responsible for managing investments consistent with the unique requirements of insurance industry clients. Gregg F. Hrivnak and Richard D. Figuly, Vice President, will also participate in the management of the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust, upon the Fund’s inception. Biographical information for Mr. Hrivnak is provided under JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust. Mr. Figuly is a member of the Columbus Taxable Bond Team responsible for trading fixed income securities with an emphasis on asset-backed securities. In addition to his role of JPMIM, Mr. Figuly has been an employee of JPMIA since 1994 where he began as a fiduciary tax accountant and then transitioned to fixed income trading.

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust. Gregg F. Hrivnak, Vice President and CFA charterholder, will become the lead portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust upon the Fund’s inception. Mr. Hrivnak is a portfolio manager and trader on the Columbus Taxable Bond Team. In addition to his role at JPMIM, Mr. Hrivnak also serves as lead portfolio manager on behalf of JPMIA for the JPMorgan Short Duration Bond Fund. An employee of JPMIA since 1989, Mr. Hrivnak is a portfolio manager and trader on the Columbus Taxable Bond Team. Richard Figuly will also participate in the management of the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust upon the Fund’s inception. Biographical

26   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST




information for Mr. Figuly is provided under the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust.

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust and JPMorgan Core Bond Trust. Douglas Swanson, Managing Director, is the lead portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust. He has led the team responsible for the management of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust since their inception. He is responsible for establishing daily tactical decision-making for taxable bond money management as it relates to strategic investment policy and benchmarking, composite and investment style oversight and performance oversight. Mr. Swanson has been employed by JPMIM and/or affiliated firms since 1983. Scott E. Grimshaw has also participated in the management of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust since June 2005. Mr. Grimshaw, Vice President and CFA charterholder, is a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager for the Taxable Bond Team. He has managed the Treasury & Agency Fund since 1996, and is also responsible for following the government sector. Prior to his current role, Mr. Grimshaw served as a senior fixed income analyst and portfolio manager. He joined JPMIM and/or affiliated firms in 1994. Christopher Nauseda, Vice President, began participating in the management of the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust in May 2006. Mr. Nauseda also serves as the manager of numerous institutional accounts and assists with JPMorgan mutual funds. Mr Nauseda joined JPMIM or affiliated firms in 1982.

Equity Index Trust. The Equity Index Trust is managed by the Quantitative Team which has been led by Bala Iyer, Ph.D., CFA charterholder, since inception. In addition to the Quantitative Team’s role at JPMIM, the Quantitative Team is also responsible for the JPMorgan Equity Index Fund, the JPMorgan Multi-Cap Market Neutral Fund, and the JPMorgan International Equity Index Fund. Dr. Iyer joined JPMIM in 2005. In addition, Dr. Iyer has served as the director of quantitative research for JPMIA since 1995. Michael Loeffler, CFA charterholder, is the portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Equity Index Trust, a position he has held since the Fund’s inception. In addition to his role at JPMIM, Mr. Loeffler also serves as portfolio manager for the JPMorgan Equity Index Fund, a position he has held since January 2004. Mr. Loeffler has been employed by JPMIA since 1999 when he joined as an investment operations analyst.

The Supplement provides additional information about the other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, the structure of their compensation, and their ownership of securities.

JUNE 28, 2007   27



Subscribing for and Purchasing and
Redeeming Fund Shares

PURCHASING FUND SHARES

Who can buy shares?

Shares of the Funds are restricted securities and are issued only in private placement transactions in accordance with Regulation D or other applicable exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act). This Confidential Offering Memorandum does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of any offer to buy, any “security” to the public within the meaning of the Securities Act.

Shares of the Funds are not registered or qualified for sale in the states. Shares of the Funds may not be offered or sold in any state unless an exemption from registration or qualification is available. You should inquire as to whether shares of a particular Fund are available for offer and sale in your state of residence.

Shares of the Funds are offered only to certain clients of either JPMIM or its affiliates who maintain one or more separately managed private accounts, and who are “accredited investors,” within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act. Eligible investors are institutional investors such as corporations, pension and profit- sharing plans, financial institutions, endowments, and foundations. The Funds are not intended for individuals or accounts established for the benefit of individuals (other than certain pension and profit-sharing plans sponsored by employers or unions for the benefit of individual plan participants). If you have questions about eligibility, please contact your client relationship or client service manager.

How do I subscribe for shares?

To subscribe, an eligible investor must complete, date, execute and deliver to their client relationship or client service manager a copy of the Subscription Agreement (including the signature page contained therein) and other subscription documents which have been furnished to such investor along with this Confidential Offering Memorandum. Investors must submit all of the required documents, properly completed, at least 10 days before the date of their initial purchase (or such shorter period as the Trust may accept in its sole discretion). Subscriptions may be accepted or rejected, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of the Trust.

Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, we will ask for your name, residential or business street address, date of birth (for an individual), and other information that will allow us to identify you, including your social security number, tax identification number or other identifying number. The Funds cannot waive these requirements. The Funds are required by law to reject your Account Application if the required identifying information is not provided. Once we have received all of the required information, federal law requires us to verify your identity. After an account is opened, we may restrict your ability to purchase additional shares until your identity is verified. If we are unable to verify your identity within a reasonable time, the Funds reserve the right to close your account at the current day’s NAV.

What are the minimum investment amounts?

•  
  The minimum initial investment for shares of the Funds is $10,000,000.

•  
  You are required to maintain a minimum account balance equal to the minimum initial investment in each Fund.

•  
  The Funds reserve the right to waive any investment minimum. For further information on investment minimum waivers, contact your client relationship or client service manager.

When can I buy shares?

•  
  Purchases may be made on any business day. This includes any day that the Funds are open for business, other than weekends and days on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed, including the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Investors should contact their client relationship or client service manager to make initial investment requests and in order to request to purchase additional shares.

•  
  Purchase requests received by the Fund or an authorized agent of the Fund in proper form before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) will be effective that day. On occasion, the NYSE will close before 4:00 p.m. ET. When that happens, purchase requests received by the Fund or an authorized agent of the Fund after the NYSE closes will be effective the following business day.

•  
  Shares are electronically recorded. Therefore, certificates will not be issued.

•  
  The Funds do not authorize market timing and, except for the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust, use reasonable methods to seek to identify market timers and to prevent such activity. However, there can be no assurance that these methods will prevent market timing or other trading that may be deemed abusive. Market timing is

28   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST




  an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements. Market timing may result in dilution of the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, disrupt portfolio management and increase Fund expenses for all shareholders. Although market timing may affect any Fund, these risks may be higher for Funds that invest significantly in non-U.S. securities or thinly traded securities (e.g., certain small cap securities), such as international, global or emerging market funds or small cap funds. For example, when a Fund invests in securities trading principally in non-U.S. markets that close prior to the close of the NYSE, market timers may seek to take advantage of the difference between the prices of these securities at the close of their non-U.S. markets and the value of such securities when the Fund calculates its net asset value. The Funds will prohibit any purchase order (including exchanges) with respect to one investor, a related group of investors or their agent(s), where they detect a pattern of either purchases and sales of the Funds, that indicates market timing or trading that they determine is abusive.

•  
  The Funds’ Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures that use a variety of methods to identify market timers, including reviewing “round trips” in and out of the Funds by investors. A “round trip” includes a purchase or exchange into a Fund followed by a redemption or exchange out of the same Fund. The Fund will reject your purchase orders if it detects that you have completed two round trips within 60 days within the same Fund. In identifying market timers, the Fund may also consider activity of accounts that it believes to be under common ownership or control.

•  
  Market timers may disrupt portfolio management and harm Fund performance. To the extent that the Funds are unable to identify market timers effectively, long-term investors may be adversely affected. Although the Funds use a variety of methods to detect and deter market timing, there is no assurance that the Funds will be able to identify and eliminate all market timers. For example, certain accounts, which are known as omnibus accounts, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Funds with a net purchase or redemption order on any given day where purchasers of Fund shares and redeemers of Fund shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated are not known by the Funds. While the Funds seek to monitor for market timing activities in omnibus accounts, the netting effect often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate individual market timers from the Funds and there can be no assurances that the Funds will be able to do so.

•  
  Subject to the foregoing, the Funds will seek to apply these policies and restrictions as uniformly as practicable, except in cases of purchases, redemptions and exchanges made on a systematic basis, automatic reinvestments of dividends and distributions or purchases, redemptions or exchanges that are part of a rebalancing program, such as a wrap program, or as part of a bona fide asset allocation program. Please see the Supplement for a further description of these arrangements.

•  
  The JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust are intended for short-term investment horizons and do not monitor for market timers or prohibit such short-term trading activity. Although these Funds will be managed in a manner that is consistent with their investment objectives, frequent trading by shareholders may disrupt their management and increase their expenses.

•  
  In addition to rejecting purchase orders in connection with suspected market timing activities, the Funds can reject a purchase order (including purchase orders for the Funds listed above) for any reason, including purchase orders that it does not think are in the best interests of a Fund and/or its shareholders or if it determines the procedures for identifying market timers and rejecting or otherwise restricting purchase orders and/or exchanges.

How much do shares cost?

•  
  Shares are sold at net asset value (“NAV”).

•  
  NAV per share is calculated by dividing the total market value of a Fund’s investments and other assets (minus liabilities) by the number of outstanding shares in that class.

•  
  The market value of a Fund’s investments is determined primarily on the basis of readily available market quotations. Certain short-term securities are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. If market quotations are not readily available or if available market quotations are determined not to be reliable or if a security’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of trading on the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, a natural disaster affecting an entire country or region, or an event that affects an individual company), but before a Fund’s NAV is calculated, that security may be valued at its fair value in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by

JUNE 28, 2007   29



Subscribing for and Purchasing and
Redeeming Fund Shares (continued)


  the Funds’ Board of Trustees. A security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value. Shareholders who purchase or redeem shares when NAV has been determined using fair valuation procedures may receive a number of shares or redemption proceeds that is greater or lower than they would have received if securities were not valued using the Trust’s fair valuation procedures. The Board of Trustees receives regular reports concerning the operations of the fair valuation procedures.

•  
  A Fund’s NAV changes every day. NAV is calculated each business day following the close of the NYSE at 4:00 p.m. ET. On occasion, the NYSE will close before 4:00 p.m. ET. When that happens, NAV will be calculated as of the time the NYSE closes.

REDEEMING FUND SHARES

As stated above, the Funds’ shares are restricted securities that may not be sold to investors other than “accredited investors” within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

Shares of the funds may not be assigned, resold or otherwise transferred without the prior written consent of the Trust and, if requested, an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Trust that an exemption from registration is available. Any attempt to transfer to a third party in violation of this provision shall be void. The Trust may enforce this paragraph, either directly or through its agents, by entering an appropriate stop-transfer order on its books or otherwise refusing to register or transfer or permit the registration or transfer on its books of any purported transfer not in accordance with these restrictions.

When can I redeem shares?

You may redeem all or some of your shares on any day that the Funds are open for business.

Redemption orders accepted by a Fund or an authorized agent of the Fund before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes, if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET) will be effective that day at the day’s price.

How do I redeem shares?

To redeem all or some of your shares on any day that the Funds are open for business, contact your client relationship or client service manager.

Normally, your redemption proceeds will be paid within one to seven days after receipt of the redemption order.

What will my shares be worth?

If the Fund or an authorized agent of the Fund accepts your redemption order before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET), your redemption order will be effective at that day’s price. If the Fund or its authorized agent accepts your redemption order after 4:00 p.m. ET (or after the NYSE closes if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET), your redemption order will be effective at the price per share next calculated after your order is accepted.

Additional information regarding redemptions

Generally, all redemptions will be for cash. However, if you redeem shares worth $250,000 or more, the Fund reserves the right to pay part or all of your redemption proceeds in readily marketable securities instead of cash. If payment is made in securities, the Fund will value the securities selected in the same manner that it computes its NAV. This process seeks to minimize the adverse effect of large redemptions on the Fund and its remaining shareholders.

The Funds may suspend your ability to redeem when:

1.  
  Trading on the NYSE is restricted;

2.  
  The NYSE is closed (other than weekend or holiday closings);

3.  
  Federal securities laws permit;

4.  
  The SEC has permitted a suspension; or

5.  
  An emergency exists, as determined by the SEC.

See “Additional Purchase and Redemption Information” in the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement for more details about this process.

You generally will recognize a gain or loss on a redemption for federal income tax purposes. You should talk to your tax advisor before making a redemption.

Additional information regarding your account

Investors in the Funds must be separate account clients of JPMIM or its affiliates and the terms and conditions of the account agreement between JPMIM (or other JPMorgan affiliate) and the investor will govern the account relationship and account investments, including investments in shares of the Funds.

30   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



Shareholder Information

VOTING RIGHTS

The Funds do not hold annual shareholder meetings, but may hold special meetings. The special meetings are held, for example, to elect or remove Trustees, change a Fund’s fundamental investment objective or approve an investment advisory contract.

As a Fund shareholder, you have one vote for each share that you own. Each Fund votes separately on matters relating solely to that Fund, or which affect that Fund differently. However, all shareholders of the Funds will have equal voting rights on matters that affect all shareholders of the Funds equally.

DIVIDEND POLICIES

Dividends

The Bond Funds generally declare dividends on the last business day of each month. Dividends are distributed on the first business day of each month. The Equity Index Trust generally declares dividends on the last business day of each quarter. Dividends for the Equity Index Trust are distributed on the first business day of the month following the end of the quarter. Capital gains, if any, for all Funds are distributed at least annually.

The Funds pay dividends and distributions on a per-share basis. This means that the value of your shares will be reduced by the amount of the payment. If you purchase shares shortly before the record date for a dividend or the distribution of capital gains, you will pay the full price for the shares and receive a portion of the price back as a taxable dividend or distribution.

Dividend Reinvestment

You automatically will receive all income dividends and capital gain distributions in additional shares of the same Fund, unless you have elected to take such payments in cash. The price of the shares of each Fund is the NAV determined immediately following the dividend record date. Reinvested dividends and distributions receive the same tax treatment as dividends and distributions paid in cash and thus are currently taxable.

TAX TREATMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS

Taxation of Shareholder Transactions

A sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares generally may produce either a taxable gain or a loss. You are responsible for any tax liabilities generated by your transactions. For more information about your specific tax situation, please consult your tax advisor.

Taxation of Distributions

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including, for this purpose, the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and net capital gains (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) on at least an annual basis. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by a Fund as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable to you as ordinary income. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. The Funds do not expect a significant portion of their distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

Distributions are taxable to you even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid). Distributions are taxable whether you received them in cash or reinvested them in additional shares through the dividend reinvestment plan. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares generally will be taxable as capital gains. A Fund may produce capital gains even if it does not have income to distribute and performance has been poor.

A Fund’s investment in ETFs, affiliated money market funds and other investment companies could affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions from a Fund, and, therefore, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders.

Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced — in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets — for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010.

Dividends paid in January, but declared in October, November or December of the previous year, will be considered to have been paid in the previous year.

JUNE 28, 2007   31



Shareholder Information (continued)

Taxation of Zero Coupon Securities

Some of the Funds may acquire certain securities issued with original issue discount (including zero coupon securities). Current federal tax law requires that a holder (such as a Fund) of such a security must include in taxable income a portion of the original issue discount which accrues during the tax year on such security even if a Fund receives no payment in cash on the security during the year. As an investment company, a Fund must pay out substantially all of its net investment income each year, including any original issue discount. Accordingly, a Fund may be required to pay out in income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest a Fund actually received. Such distributions will be made from the cash assets of a Fund or by liquidation of investments if necessary. If a distribution of cash necessitates the liquidation of investments, JPMIM will select which securities to sell and a Fund may realize a gain or loss from those sales. In the event a Fund realizes net capital gains from these transactions, you may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than you would in the absence of such transactions.

Taxation of Foreign Investments

The Funds’ investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding. In that case, the yield on those securities would be reduced. In addition, a Fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund’s distributions.

Taxation of Retirement Plans

Distributions by the Funds to qualified retirement plans generally will not be taxable. However, if shares are held by a plan that ceases to qualify for tax-exempt treatment or by an individual who has received shares as a distribution from a retirement plan, the distributions will be taxable to the plan or individual as described in “Tax Treatment of Shareholders.” If you are considering purchasing shares with qualified retirement plan assets, you should consult your tax advisor for a more complete explanation of the federal, state, local and (if applicable) foreign tax consequences of making such an investment.

Tax Information

The Form 1099 that is mailed to you every January details your dividends and their federal tax category. Even though the Funds provide you with this information, you are responsible for verifying your tax liability with your tax professional. For additional tax information, see the Supplement. Please note that this tax discussion is gen eral in nature; no attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders. For additional information on the potential tax consequences of investing in the Funds, please see the Supplement.

SHAREHOLDER STATEMENTS AND REPORTS

The Funds or your JPMorgan client relationship or client service manager will send you transaction confirmation statements and quarterly account statements. Please review these statements carefully. The Funds will correct errors if notified within one year of the date printed on the transaction confirmation or account statement.

Annually you will receive an audited financial report from the Funds. In addition, the Funds will periodically send you proxy statements and other reports.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact your client relationship or client service manager.

AVAILABILITY OF PROXY VOTING RECORD

The Trustees have delegated the authority to vote proxies for securities owned by the Funds to JPMIM. A copy of each Fund’s voting record for the most recent 12-month period is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by calling the following toll-free number: 1-800-343-1113. Each Fund’s proxy voting record will include, among other things, a brief description of the matter voted on for each portfolio security and state how each vote was cast, for example, for or against the proposal.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

No sooner than thirty days after the end of each month, each Fund will make available upon request a complete uncertified schedule of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of that month. Not later than sixty days after the end of each quarter, each Fund will make available a complete, certified schedule of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of that quarter. In addition to providing hard copies upon request, the Funds will post these quarterly schedules on the SEC’s EDGAR filing system at www.sec.gov.

Shareholders may request portfolio holdings schedules at no charge by contacting their client relationship or client service manager.

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Supplement.

32   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



JPMorgan Investment Advisors — Related Performance

The Portfolio Management Team through JPMorgan Investment Advisors Inc. (JPMIA), manages registered investment companies and separate accounts (collectively, the “Accounts”) in a substantially similar manner as the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust, JPMorgan Core Bond Trust, and JPMorgan Equity Index Trust. The following tables show the historical performance of all Accounts managed by JPMIA, which have substantially similar investment objectives, policies, strategies and risks as the Funds. These composites are provided to illustrate the past performance of the Portfolio Management Team in managing substantially similar Accounts. However, the performance data and composites do not represent the performance of the Funds. You should not consider this performance data as an indication of the future performance of the Funds or of JPMIA, JPMIM, or the Portfolio Management Team. The Accounts that are included in the composites other than the registered investment companies are not subject to the same types of expenses to which the Funds are subject nor to the diversification requirements, specific tax restrictions and investment limitations imposed on the Funds by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Consequently, the performance results for the composite could have been adversely affected if all of the Accounts included in the composites had been regulated as investment companies under the federal securities laws.

The investment results of the composites presented below are unaudited. The investment results of the composites were not calculated pursuant to the methodology established by the Securities and Exchange Commission that is used to calculate performance results of the Funds. Rather, the performance results for the composites were calculated on a time weighted basis and include all dividends and interest, accrued income and realized and unrealized gains and losses. The composite performance has been adjusted to reflect the total annual fund operating expenses for Select Class Shares of registered investment companies included in the composites absent any fee waivers or expense reimbursements. Securities transactions are accounted for on the trade date and accrual accounting is utilized. Cash and cash equivalents are included in performance returns. Returns are calculated by geometrically linking the monthly and quarterly returns respectively. Investors should also be aware that the use of a methodology different from what is used below to calculate performance could result in different performance data.

JUNE 28, 2007   33



JPMorgan Investment Advisors — Related Performance (continued)

JPMorgan Investment Advisors — JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Composite

Calendar Year


  
JPMorgan Intermediate
Bond Composite1
  
Lehman Brothers
Intermediate
Government/Credit
Bond Index2
  
1995
                 19.32 %            15.31 %                                  
1996
                 5.63             4.06                                   
1997
                 8.29             7.87                                   
1998
                 7.89             8.42                                   
1999
                 0.75             0.39                                   
2000
                 10.09             10.10                                   
2001
                 8.30             8.98                                   
2002
                 9.57             9.82                                   
2003
                 3.81             4.30                                   
2004
                 3.48             3.04                                   
2005
                 1.85             1.58                                   
2006
                 4.10             4.08                                   
 
Annualized Period
           
JPMorgan Intermediate
Bond Composite
1
   
Lehman Brothers
Intermediate
Government/Credit
Bond Index
2
                               
1 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 6.60 %            6.59 %                                  
3 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 3.79             3.59                                   
5 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 4.58             4.66                                   
10 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 5.84             5.91                                   
Inception (through 4/30/07)
                 7.02             7.13                                   
 
1
  The information presented is for JPMorgan Investment Advisors’ Intermediate Bond Composite. The composite performance contains information from the separate accounts and a registered investment company managed in a substantially similar style as the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust. The net performance represents total return, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and proceeds from capital transactions. The composite performance has been adjusted to reflect the total annual fund operating expenses for Select Class Shares of a registered investment company included in the composite absent any fee waivers or expense reimbursements for such company’s fiscal year ended February 28, 2007. These expenses are higher than the expenses of the Fund.

2
  The Lehman Brothers Intermediate Government/Credit Bond Index is an unmanaged index comprised of U.S. government agency and Treasury securities and investment grade corporate bonds. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees.

34   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



JPMorgan Investment Advisors — JPMorgan Core Bond Composite

Calendar Year


  
JPMorgan Core
Bond Composite1
  
Lehman Brothers
Aggregate Bond Index2
  
1995
                 23.54 %            18.48 %                                  
1996
                 5.01             3.61                                   
1997
                 10.06             9.68                                   
1998
                 8.20             8.67                                   
1999
                 (0.47 )            (0.83 )                                  
2000
                 12.01             11.63                                   
2001
                 8.48             8.42                                   
2002
                 10.23             10.27                                   
2003
                 4.00             4.11                                   
2004
                 4.32             4.34                                   
2005
                 2.22             2.43                                   
2006
                 3.97             4.33                                   
 
Annualized Period


  
JPMorgan Core
Bond Composite1
  
Lehman Brothers
Aggregate Bond Index2
  
1 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 7.09 %            7.36 %                                  
3 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 4.12             4.40                                   
5 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 4.88             5.06                                   
10 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 6.34             6.35                                   
Inception (through 4/30/07)
                 7.73             7.69                                   
 
1
  The information presented is for JPMorgan Investment Advisors’ Core Bond Composite. The composite performance contains information from the separate accounts and two registered investment companies managed in a substantially similar style as the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust. The net performance represents total return, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and proceeds from capital transactions. The composite performance has been adjusted to reflect the total annual fund operating expenses for Select Class Shares of a registered investment company included in the composite absent any fee waivers or expense reimbursements for such company’s fiscal year ended February 28, 2007. These expenses are higher than the expenses of the Fund.

2
  The Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the bond market as a whole. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees.

JUNE 28, 2007   35



JPMorgan Investment Advisors — Related Performance (continued)

JPMorgan Investment Advisors — JPMorgan Equity Index Composite

Calendar Year


  
JPMorgan Equity
Index Composite1
  
S&P 500 Index2
  
1995
                 37.20 %            37.58 %                                  
1996
                 22.70             22.96                                   
1997
                 33.17             33.36                                   
1998
                 28.46             28.58                                   
1999
                 20.73             21.04                                   
2000
                 (9.14 )            (9.11 )                                  
2001
                 (12.04 )            (11.88 )                                  
2002
                 (22.16 )            (22.10 )                                  
2003
                 28.39             28.68                                   
2004
                 10.63             10.88                                   
2005
                 4.74             4.91                                   
2006
                 15.53             15.80                                   
 
Annualized Period


  
JPMorgan Equity
Index Composite1
  
S&P 500 Index2
  
1 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 15.00 %            15.24 %                                  
3 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 12.02             12.25                                   
5 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 8.34             8.54                                   
10 Yr. Ended 4/30/07
                 7.87             8.05                                   
Inception (through 4/30/07)
                 11.58             11.87                                   
 
1
  The information presented is for JPMorgan Investment Advisors’ Equity Index Composite. The composite performance contains information from the separate accounts and two registered investment companies managed in a substantially similar style as the JPMorgan Equity Index Trust. The net performance represents total return, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and proceeds from capital transactions. The composite performance has been adjusted to reflect the total annual fund operating expenses for Select Class Shares of a registered investment company included in the composite absent any fee waivers or expense reimbursements for such company’s fiscal year ended June 30, 2006. These expenses are higher than the expenses of the Fund.

2
  The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index generally representative of the performance of large companies in the U.S. stock market. The performance of the index does not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with a mutual fund, such as investment management fees.

36   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



Investments

The Funds invest in a variety of securities and employ a number of investment techniques. Each security and technique involves certain risks. What follows is a list of some of the securities and techniques utilized by the Funds, as well as the risks inherent in their use. Equity securities are subject mainly to market risk. Fixed income securities are primarily influenced by market, credit and prepayment risks, although certain securities may be subject to additional risks. For a more complete discussion, see the Supplement. Average weighted maturity is the average of all the current maturities (that is, the term of the securities) of the individual bonds in a Fund calculated so as to count most heavily those securities with the highest dollar value. Average weighted maturity is important to investors as an indication of a Fund’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Usually, the longer the average weighted maturity, the more fluctuation in share price you can expect. The terms “Intermediate” and “Short Term” in a Fund’s name refer to the average maturity the Fund maintains. Mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment of principal, which can shorten the average weighted maturity of the Fund’s portfolio. Therefore, in the case of a Fund holding mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and similar types of securities, the average weighted maturity of the Fund is equivalent to its weighted average life. Weighted average life is the average weighted maturity of the cash flows in the securities held by the Fund given certain prepayment assumptions. Following the table is a more complete discussion of risk.

FUND NAME         FUND CODE
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust
                 1    
JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust
                 2    
JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust
                 3    
JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust
                 4    
JPMorgan Equity Index Trust
                 5    
 

INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans (ARMs): Loans in a mortgage pool which provide for a fixed initial mortgage interest rate for a specified period of time, after which the rate may be subject to periodic adjustments.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Market
Political
Prepayment
Asset-Backed Securities: Securities secured by company receivables, home equity loans, truck and auto loans, leases, credit card receivables and other securities backed by other types of receivables or other assets.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Market
Political
Prepayment
Auction Rate Securities: Auction rate securities consist of auction rate municipal securities and auction rate preferred securities issued by closed-end investment companies.
           
4
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Market
Bank Obligations: Bank obligations consist of bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit and time deposits. Bankers’ acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. Maturities are generally six months or less. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Borrowings: A Fund may borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of a Fund’s assets and may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. A Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage of 300% of the amount borrowed, with the exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of a Fund’s total assets made for temporary administrative purposes.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Market

JUNE 28, 2007   37



Investments (continued)

INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Brady Bonds: Brady bonds are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities in certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt restructurings.
           
4
   
Credit
Currency
Foreign Investment
Interest Rate
Market
Political
Call and Put Options: A call option gives the buyer the right to buy, and obligates the seller of the option to sell, a security at a specified price at a future date. A put option gives the buyer the right to sell, and obligates the seller of the option to buy a security at a specified price at a future date. A Fund will sell only covered call and secured put options.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Leverage
Liquidity
Management
Market
Commercial Paper: Secured and unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities generally vary from a few days to nine months.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Common Stock: Shares of ownership of a company.
           
5
   
Market
Common Stock Warrants and Rights: Securities, typically issued with preferred stock or bonds, that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price.
           
5
   
Credit
Market
Convertible Securities: Bonds or preferred stock that can convert to common stock.
           
4,5
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Valuation
Corporate Debt Securities: Corporate debt securities may include bonds and other debt securities of domestic and foreign issuers, including obligations of industrial, utility, banking and other corporate issuers.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Valuation
Credit Default Swaps: A swap agreement between two parties pursuant to which one party pays the other a fixed periodic coupon for the specified life of the agreement. The other party makes no payment unless a credit event, relating to a predetermined reference asset, occurs. If such an event occurs, the party will then make a payment to the first party, and the swap will terminate.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Leverage
Liquidity
Management
Market
Political
Valuation

38   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Custodial Receipts: Certain Funds may acquire securities in the form of custodial receipts that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain U.S. Treasury notes or bonds in connection with programs sponsored by banks and brokerage firms. These are not considered to be U.S. government securities. These notes and bonds are held in custody by a bank on behalf of the owners of the receipts.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Liquidity
Market
Demand Features: Securities that are subject to puts and standby commitments to purchase the securities at a fixed price (usually with accrued interest) within a fixed period of time following demand by a Fund.
           
1–4
   
Liquidity
Management
Market
Emerging Market Securities: Securities issued by issuers or governments in countries with emerging economies or securities markets may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries.
           
4
   
Foreign Investment
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): Ownership interest in unit investment trusts, depositary receipts, and other pooled investment vehicles that hold a portfolio of securities or stocks designed to track the price performance and dividend yield of a particular broad based, sector or international index. ETFs include a wide range of investments such as iShares, Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipts (SPDRs) and NASDAQ 100’s.
           
1–5
   
Market
Investment Company
Foreign Investments: Equity and debt securities (e.g., bonds and commercial paper) of foreign entities and obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks. Foreign securities may also include American Depositary Receipts, Global Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Securities.
           
1–4
   
Foreign Investment
Liquidity
Market
Political
Prepayment
Inflation-Linked Debt Securities: Inflation-linked securities include fixed and floating rate debt securities of varying maturities issued by the U.S. government as well as securities issued by other entities such as corporations, foreign governments and foreign issuers.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Inverse Floating Rate Instruments: Leveraged variable debt instruments with interest rates that reset in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Leverage
Market
Investment Company Securities: Shares of other investment companies, including money market funds for which the Adviser and/or its affiliates serve as investment adviser or administrator. The Adviser will waive certain fees when investing in funds for which it serves as investment adviser, to the extent required by law.
           
1–5
   
Market
Investment Company
Loan Participations and Assignments: Participations in, or assignments of all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments of less developed countries (LDCs).
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Extension
Foreign Investment
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Prepayment

JUNE 28, 2007   39



Investments (continued)

INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Mortgages (Directly Held): Mortgages are debt instruments secured by real property.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Environmental
Extension
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Natural Event
Political
Prepayment
Valuation
Mortgage-Backed Securities: Debt obligations secured by real estate loans and pools of loans including collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBs), and other asset-backed structures.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Extension
Interest Rate
Leverage
Market
Political
Prepayment
Tax
Mortgage Dollar Rolls: A transaction in which a Fund sells securities for delivery in a current month and simultaneously contracts with the same party to repurchase similar but not identical securities on a specified future date.
           
1–4
   
Currency
Extension
Interest Rate
Leverage
Liquidity
Market
Political
Prepayment
Municipal Securities: Securities issued by a state or political subdivision to obtain funds for various public purposes. Municipal securities include private activity bonds and industrial development bonds, as well as General Obligation Notes, Tax Anticipation Notes, Bond Anticipation Notes, Revenue Anticipation Notes, other short-term tax-exempt obligations, municipal leases, obligations of municipal housing authorities and single-family revenue bonds.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Market
Natural Event
Political
Prepayment
Tax
New Financial Products: New options and futures contracts and other financial products continue to be developed and a Fund may invest in such options, contracts and products.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Liquidity
Management
Market
Obligations of Supranational Agencies: Obligations of supranational agencies which are chartered to promote economic development and are supported by various governments and governmental agencies.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Foreign Investment
Options and Futures Transactions: A Fund may purchase and sell exchange traded and over the counter put and call options on securities, indexes of securities and futures contracts on securities.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Leverage
Liquidity
Management
Market
Preferred Stock: A class of stock that generally pays a dividend at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and in liquidation.
           
1,2,4,5
   
Market

40   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Private Placements, Restricted Securities and Other Unregistered Securities: Securities not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, such as privately placed commercial paper and Rule 144A securities.
           
1–5
   
Liquidity
Market
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Management
Market
Political
Prepayment
Tax
Valuation
Repurchase Agreements: The purchase of a security and the simultaneous commitment to return the security to the seller at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date. This is treated as a loan.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Liquidity
Market
Reverse Repurchase Agreements: The sale of a security and the simultaneous commitment to buy the security back at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date. This is treated as a borrowing by a Fund.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Leverage
Market
Securities Issued in Connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructurings: In connection with reorganizing or restructuring of an issuer, an issuer may issue common stock or other securities to holders of its debt securities.
           
1–5
   
Market
Securities Lending: The lending of up to 33-1/3% of a Fund’s total assets. In return, the Fund will receive cash, other securities, and/or letters of credit as collateral.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Leverage
Market
Short-Term Funding Agreements: Agreements issued by banks and highly rated U.S. insurance companies such as Guaranteed Investment Contracts (GICs) and Bank Investment Contracts (BICs).
           
1–4
   
Credit
Liquidity
Market
Sovereign Obligations: Investments in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government, or its agencies, authorities or political subdivisions.
           
1–4
   
Foreign Investment
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities: Derivative multi-class mortgage securities which are usually structured with two classes of shares that receive different proportions of the interest and principal from a pool of mortgage assets. These include Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO) securities issued outside a REMIC or CMO structure.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Market
Political
Prepayment
Structured Investments: A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Foreign Investment
Liquidity
Management
Market

JUNE 28, 2007   41



Investments (continued)

INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
Swaps and Related Swap Products: Swaps involve an exchange of obligations by two parties. Caps and floors entitle a purchaser to a principal amount from the seller of the cap or floor to the extent that a specified index exceeds or falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A Fund may enter into these transactions to manage its exposure to changing interest rates and other factors.
           
1–5
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Leverage
Liquidity
Management
Market
Political
Valuation
Synthetic Variable Rate Instruments: Synthetic variable rate instruments generally involve the deposit of a long-term tax exempt bond in a custody or trust arrangement and the creation of a mechanism to adjust the long-term interest rate on the bond to a variable short-term rate and a right (subject to certain conditions) on the part of the purchaser to tender it periodically to a third party at par.
           
4
   
Credit
Liquidity
Market
Temporary Defensive Positions: To respond to unusual circumstances a Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents for temporary defensive purposes. These investments may prevent a Fund from meeting its investment objective.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Treasury Receipts: A Fund may purchase interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. Treasury obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and that are created by depositing U.S. Treasury notes and U.S. Treasury bonds into a special account at a custodian bank. Receipts include Treasury Receipts (TRs), Treasury Investment Growth Receipts (TIGRs), and Certificates of Accrual on Treasury Securities (CATS).
           
1–5
   
Market
Trust Preferreds: Securities with characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Trust preferreds are generally long term securities that make periodic fixed or variable interest payments.
           
1-4
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Valuation
U.S. Government Agency Securities: Securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government. These include all types of securities issued by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including funding notes, subordinated benchmark notes, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (REMICs).
           
1–5
   
Credit
Gov’t Securities
Interest Rate
Market
U.S. Government Obligations: U.S. government obligations may include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, notes and bonds, all of which are backed as to principal and interest payments by the full faith and credit of the United States, and separately traded principal and interest component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the Federal book-entry system known as Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities (STRIPS) and Coupons Under Book Entry Safekeeping (CUBES).
           
1–5
   
Interest Rate
Market
Variable and Floating Rate Instruments: Obligations with interest rates which are reset daily, weekly, quarterly or some other period and which may be payable to a Fund on demand or at the expiration of a specified term.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Liquidity
Market

42   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



INSTRUMENT         FUND CODE     RISK TYPE
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments: Purchase or contract to purchase securities at a fixed price for delivery at a future date.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Leverage
Liquidity
Market
Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Deferred Payment Securities: Zero-coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest payments are not made during the life of the security. Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Deferred payment securities are zero coupon debt securities which convert on a specified date to interest bearing debt securities.
           
1–4
   
Credit
Currency
Interest Rate
Liquidity
Market
Political
Valuation
 

INVESTMENT RISKS

Below is a more complete discussion of the types of risks inherent in the securities and investment techniques listed above. Because of these risks, the value of the securities held by the Funds may fluctuate, as will the value of your investment in the Funds. Certain investments are more susceptible to these risks than others.

Risk related to certain investments held by the Funds:

Credit risk The risk a financial obligation will to be met by the issuer of a security or the counterparty to a contract, resulting in a loss to the purchaser.

Currency risk The risk currency exchange rate fluctuations may reduce gains or increase losses on foreign investments.

Environmental risk The risk that an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs associated with hazardous or toxic substances located on the property.

Extension risk The risk a rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage-backed security to a date later than the anticipated prepayment date, causing the value of the investment to fall.

Foreign investment risk The risk associated with higher transaction costs, delayed settlements, currency controls and adverse economic developments. This also includes the risk that fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may negatively affect an investment. Adverse changes in exchange rates may erode or reverse any gains produced by foreign currency denominated investments and may widen any losses. Exchange rate volatility also may affect the ability of an issuer to repay U.S. dollar denominated debt, thereby increasing credit risk.

Government securities risk The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (such as Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae or Freddie Mac securities). Although U.S. government securities issued directly by the U.S. government are guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, other U.S. government securities issued by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government may not be. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so by law.

Interest rate risk The risk a change in interest rates will adversely affect the value of an investment. The value of fixed income securities generally moves in the opposite direction of interest rates (decreases when interest rates rise and increases when interest rates fall).

Investment company risk If a Fund invests in shares of another investment company, shareholders would bear not only their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, but also similar expenses of the investment company. The price movement of an investment company that is an ETF may not track the underlying index and may result in a loss.

Leverage risk The risk that gains or losses will be disproportionately higher than the amount invested.

Liquidity risk The risk the holder may not be able to sell the security at the time or price its desires.

Management risk The risk that a strategy used by a Fund’s management may fail to produce the intended result. This includes the risk that changes in the value of a hedging instrument will not match those of the asset being hedged. Incomplete matching can result in unanticipated risks.

Market risk The risk that when the market as a whole declines, the value of a specific investment will decline proportionately. This systematic risk is common to all investments and the mutual funds that purchase them.

Natural event risk The risk a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or similar event, will cause severe economic losses and default in payments by the issuer of the security.

Political risk The risk governmental policies or other political actions will negatively impact the value of the investment.

Portfolio quality risk The risks associated with below investment grade securities including greater risk of default, greater sensitivity to interest rates and economic changes, potential valuation difficulties, and sudden and unexpected changes in credit quality.

Prepayment risk The risk declining interest rates will result in unexpected prepayments, causing the value of the investment to fall.

Tax risk The risk that the issuer of the securities will fail to comply with certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, which could cause adverse tax consequences. Also the risk that the tax treatment of municipal or other securities could be changed by Congress thereby affecting the value of outstanding securities.

Valuation risk The risk the estimated value of a security does not match the actual amount that can be realized if the security is sold.

JUNE 28, 2007   43



Risk and Reward Elements for the Funds

POTENTIAL RISKS         POTENTIAL REWARDS     POLICIES TO BALANCE RISK AND REWARD
 
Credit Quality
                                       
•  The default of an issuer would leave a Fund with unpaid interest or principal
           
•  Investment-grade bonds have a lower risk of default
   
•  Each Fund maintains its own policies for balancing credit quality against potential yields and gains in light of its investment goals lines a Fund’s policies toward various investments, including those that are designed to help certain Funds manage risk.
• The adviser develops its own ratings of unrated securities and makes a credit quality determination for unrated securities
 
Derivatives*
                                       
•  Derivatives such as futures, options, and swaps1 that are used for hedging the portfolio or specific securities may not fully offset the underlying positions and this could result in losses to a Fund that would not have otherwise occurred
• A Fund may have difficulty exiting a derivatives position
• Derivatives used for risk management or, (for certain Funds), to increase the Fund’s gain may not have the intended effects and may result in losses or missed opportunities
• The counterparty to a derivatives contract could default
• Derivatives that involve leverage could magnify losses
• Segregated or earmarked assets and collateral accounts established in connection with derivatives may limit a Fund’s investment flexibility
• Derivatives used for non-hedging purposes could cause losses that exceed the original investment
• Derivatives may, for tax purposes, affect the character of gain and loss realized by a Fund, accelerate recognition of income to a Fund, affect the holding period of a Fund’s assets and defer recognition of certain of a Fund’s losses
           
•  Hedges that correlate well with underlying positions can reduce or eliminate losses at low cost
• The Funds could make money and protect against losses if the investment analysis (management’s analysis) proves correct
• Derivatives that involve leverage could generate substantial gains at low cost
   
•  A Fund uses derivatives for hedging and for risk management (i.e., to establish or adjust exposure to particular securities, or markets); risk management may include management of such Fund’s exposure relative to its benchmark
• A Fund only establishes hedges that it expects will be highly correlated with underlying positions
• While a Fund may use derivatives that incidentally involve leverage, it does not use them for the specific purpose of leveraging its portfolio
• The Fund segregates or earmarks liquid assets to cover its derivatives and offset a portion of the leverage risk
 
*
  The Funds are not subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act because the Funds have claimed an exclusion from that definition.

1
  A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying instrument at a future date, or to make or receive a cash payment based on changes in the value of a securities index. An option is the right to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying instrument at a predetermined price. A swap is a privately negotiated agreement to exchange one stream of payments for another.

44   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



POTENTIAL RISKS         POTENTIAL REWARDS     POLICIES TO BALANCE RISK AND REWARD
 
Market Conditions
                                       
•  Adverse market, economic, political and other conditions may from time to time cause a Fund to take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies and may hinder a Fund from achieving its investment objective
• The value of most bonds will fall when interest rates rise; the longer a bond’s maturity and the lower its credit quality, the more its value typically falls
• Each Fund’s share price, yield and total return will fluctuate in response to bond market movements
• Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities (securities representing an interest in, or secured by, a pool of mortgages or other assets such as receivables) and direct mortgages could generate capital losses or periods of low yields if they are paid off substantially earlier or later than anticipated
• Each Fund’s share price and performance will fluctuate in response to stock and/or bond market movements
• The market value of convertible securities and other debt securities tends to fall when prevailing interest rates rise. The value of convertible securities also tends to change whenever the market value of the underlying common or preferred stock fluctuates
           
•  Stocks have generally outperformed more stable investments (such as bonds and cash equivalents) over the long-term
• Bonds have generally outperformed money market investments over the long term, with less risk than stocks
• Most bonds will rise in value when interest rates fall
• Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and direct mortgages can offer attractive returns
   
•  Each Fund seeks to limit risk and enhance performance through active management and/or diversification
• The Funds seek to limit risk and enhance total return or yields through careful management, sector allocations, individual securities selection and duration management
• During severe market downturns, each Bond Fund has the option of investing up to 100% of its assets in high-quality short-term instruments
• Under normal circumstances the Bond Funds plan to remain fully invested in bonds and other fixed-income securities and may invest uninvested cash in affiliated money market funds
• The adviser monitors interest rate trends, as well as geographic and demographic information related to mortgage-backed securities and mortgage prepayments
• Under normal circumstances each Fund plans to remain fully invested in accordance with its policies and each Fund may invest uninvested cash in affiliated money market funds; in addition to the securities described in the Fund Summary

JUNE 28, 2007   45



Risk and Reward Elements for the Funds (continued)

POTENTIAL RISKS         POTENTIAL REWARDS     POLICIES TO BALANCE RISK AND REWARD
 
When-Issued and Delayed
Delivery Securities
                                       
•  When a Fund buys securities before issue or for delayed delivery, it could be exposed to leverage risk if it does not segregate liquid assets
           
•  A Fund can take advantage of attractive transaction opportunities
   
•  Each Fund segregates liquid assets to offset leverage risk
 
Management Choices
                                       
•  A Fund could underperform its benchmark due to its sector, securities or duration choices
           
•  Each Fund could outperform its benchmark due to these same choices
   
•  The adviser focuses its management on those areas where it believes its commitment to research can most enhance returns and manage risks in a consistent way
 
Securities Lending
                                       
•  When a Fund lends a security, there is a risk that the loaned securities may not be returned if the borrower or the lending agent defaults
• The collateral will be subject to the risks of the securities in which it is invested
           
•  A Fund may enhance income through the investment of the collateral received from the borrower
   
•  The adviser maintains a list of approved borrowers
• Each Fund receives collateral equal to at least 100% of the current value of securities loaned plus accrued interest
• The lending agent indemnifies the Funds against borrower default
• The adviser’s collateral investment guidelines limit the quality and duration of collateral investment to minimize losses
• Upon recall, the borrower must return the securities loaned within the normal settlement period
 
Illiquid Holdings
                                       
•  A Fund could have difficulty valuing these holdings precisely
           
•  These holdings may offer more attractive yields or potential growth than comparable widely traded securities
   
•  A Fund could be unable to sell these holdings at the time or price it desires
• No Fund may invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid holdings
• To maintain adequate liquidity to meet redemptions, each Fund may hold high-quality short-term instruments (including repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements) and for temporary or extraordinary purposes, may borrow from banks up to 33-1/3% of the value of its total assets

46   JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST



POTENTIAL RISKS         POTENTIAL REWARDS     POLICIES TO BALANCE RISK AND REWARD
 
Short-Term Trading
                                       
•  Increased trading would raise a Fund’s brokerage and related costs
• Increased short-term capital gains distributions could raise shareholders’ income tax liability
• Increased short-term capital gains distributions could raise shareholders’ income tax liability; such an increase in transaction costs and/or tax liability, if not offset by gains from short-term trading, would reduce a Fund’s returns
           
•  A Fund could realize gains in a short period of time
• A Fund could protect against losses if a stock is overvalued and its value later falls
   
•  Each Fund generally avoids short-term trading, except to take advantage of attractive or unexpected opportunities or to meet demands generated by shareholder activity
 
ETFS and Other
Investment Companies
                                       
•  If the Fund invests in shares of another investment company, shareholders would bear not only their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, but also similar expenses of the investment company
• The price movement of an ETF may not track the underlying index, market, sector, regions or industries and may result in a loss
           
•  Investing in ETFs helps to manage smaller cash flows
• Investing in ETFs offers instant exposure to an index or a broad range of markets, sectors, geographic regions and industries
   
•  Generally, a Fund’s investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to the percentage limitations of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act)1
• Exemptive orders granted to various iShares funds (which are ETFs), other ETFs, and their investment advisers by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permit a Fund to invest beyond the 1940 Act limits, subject to certain terms and conditions, including a finding of the Board of Trustees that the advisory fees charged by the adviser are for services that are in addition to, and not duplicative of, the advisory services provided to those ETFs
• Under SEC Rule 12d1-1, a Fund may invest in both affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds without limit subject to a Fund’s investment policies and restrictions and the conditions of the rule
 
1
  Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may not own more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of another investment company. Additionally, a Fund’s aggregate investments in other investment companies are restricted as follows: no more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets when the Fund invests in another investment company; and no more than 10% of its total assets when the Fund invests in two or more investment companies

JUNE 28, 2007   47



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If you want more information about the Funds, the following documents are free upon request:

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports. Additional information about the Funds’ investments is available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In each Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Supplement. The Supplement provides more detailed information about the Funds and is incorporated into this Memorandum by reference.

How Can I Get More Information? You can get a free copy of the semi-annual/annual reports or the Supplement, request other information or discuss your questions about the Funds by contacting your client relationship or client service manager or by writing the Funds at:

JPMorgan Institutional Trust
245 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10167

You can also review and copy the Funds’ reports and the Supplement at the Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C. (For information about the SEC’s Public Reference Room call 1-202-551-8090.) You can also get reports and other information about the Funds from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a copying charge, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Room of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

The Investment Company Act File No. is 811-21638.

©JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved June 2007



CONFIDENTIAL OFFERING MEMORANDUM SUPPLEMENT

 

JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

 

JPMORGAN ULTRA SHORT-TERM BOND TRUST (THE “ULTRA SHORT-TERM BOND TRUST”)

JPMORGAN SHORT-TERM BOND TRUST (THE “SHORT-TERM BOND TRUST”)

JPMORGAN INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST (THE “INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST”)

JPMORGAN CORE BOND TRUST (THE “CORE BOND TRUST”)

JPMORGAN EQUITY INDEX TRUST (THE “EQUITY INDEX TRUST”)

 

(EACH A “FUND,” AND COLLECTIVELY THE “FUNDS”)

 

June 28, 2007

 

This Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement (the “Supplement”) should be read in conjunction with the Confidential Offering Memorandum of JPMorgan Institutional Trust, dated June 28, 2007, as amended or supplemented from time to time. Each Fund issues its shares only in private placement transactions in accordance with Regulation D or other applicable exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). This Supplement is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy, any security to the public within the meaning of the Securities Act.

Shares of the Funds may be purchased only by certain clients of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“JPMIM”) and its affiliates who maintain one or more separately managed private accounts, and who are also “accredited investors,” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. Eligible investors are institutional investors such as corporations, pension and profit sharing plans, financial institutions, endowments, and foundations. The Funds are not intended for individuals or accounts established for the benefit of individuals (other than certain pension and profit-sharing plans sponsored by employers or unions for the benefit of individual plan participants). Subscriptions may be accepted or rejected, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of JPMIM. Shares of the Funds may also be purchased by certain investors outside of the United States consistent with applicable regulatory requirements.

Shares of the Funds are subject to restrictions on transferability and resale and may not be transferred or resold except as permitted under the Securities Act. Shares may be redeemed in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Confidential Offering Memorandum.

This Supplement is intended for use only by the person to whom it has been issued. Reproduction of this Supplement is prohibited.

 

There shall be no sale of the shares referred to herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

 

SAI-INSTT-607

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE TRUST

1

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

1

 

Asset-Backed Securities

1

 

Auction Rate Securities

2

 

Bank Obligations

3

 

Commercial Paper

3

 

Convertible Securities

4

 

Custodial Receipts

4

 

Debt Instruments

4

 

Corporate Debt Securities

4

 

Inflation-Linked Debt Securities

5

 

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments

6

 

Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Deferred Payment Securities

7

 

Demand Features

7

 

Equity Securities, Warrants and Rights

8

 

Common Stock

8

 

Common Stock Warrants and Rights

8

 

Preferred Stock

8

 

Risks Associated with Intitial Public Offerings

8

 

Foreign Investments

8

 

Risk Factors of Foreign Investments

9

 

Brady Bonds

10

 

Obligations of Supranational Entities

10

 

Sovereign Obligations

10

 

Inverse Floaters and Interest Rate Caps

10

Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Funds

11

Investment Company Securities

11

 

Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs")

11

 

Index Investing by the Equity Index Trust

12

Loan Participations and Assignments

13

Miscellaneous Investment Strategies and Risks

13

Borrowings

13

 

New Financial Products

14

 

Private Placements, Restricted Securities and Other Unregistered Securities

14

 

Securities Issued in Connection With Reorganizations and Corporate Restructuring

15

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

16

 

Mortgage-Related Securities

16

Mortgages (Directly Held)

16

 

Limitations on the use of Mortgage-Backed Securities

18

 

Mortgage Dollar Rolls

19

 

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities

19

 

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans

20

 

Risks Factors of Mortgage-Related Securities

21

 

Municipal Securities

22

Risk Factors in Municipal Securities

26

 

Limitations on the use of Municipal Securities

27

 

Options and Futures Transactions

27

Purchasing Put and Call Options

28

 

Selling (Writing) Put and Call Options

28

 

Engaging in Straddles and Spreads

29

 

Options on Indexes

29

 

Exchange-Traded and OTC Options

29

 

i


 

Futures Contracts

29

 

 

Cash Equitization

30

 

 

Options on Futures Contracts

30

 

 

Combined Positions

31

 

 

Correlation of Price Changes

31

 

 

Liquidity of Options and Futures Contracts

31

 

 

Position Limits

31

 

 

Asset coverage for Futures Cotnracts and Options Positions

31

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

32

 

Repurchase Agreements

32

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

33

 

Securities Lending

33

 

Short-Term Funding Agreements

34

 

Structured Instruments

34

 

Swaps and Related Swap Products

35

 

Credit Default Swaps

36

 

 

Synthetic Variable Rate Instruments

37

 

Treasury Receipts

37

 

U.S. Government Obligations

38

 

When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments

38

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

39

 

 

FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

39

 

 

NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

40

 

 

Portfolio Turnover

41

 

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX MATTERS

41

 

 

Capital Loss Carryforwards

50

 

VALUATION

50

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CALCULATION OF PER SHARE NET ASSET VALUE

51

 

 

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

51

 

 

Purchases-in-Kind

52

 

Redemptions-in-Kind

52

 

Redemptions

52

 

Cut-Off Times for Purchase and Redemption Orders

52

 

MANAGEMENTOF THE TRUST

52

 

 

TRUSTEES

53

 

 

OFFICERS

55

 

 

THE ADVISER

58

 

 

CODES OF ETHICS

63

 

 

Portfolio Transactions

63

 

Administrator

65

 

Placement Agent

66

 

Custodian, Transfer Agent, Accounting Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent

67

 

Securities Lending Agent

68

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

68

 

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

68

 

Description of Shares

69

 

Shareholder and Trustee Liability

70

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

70

 

Miscellaneous

71

 

Financial Statements

74

 

APPENDIX A - DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS

A-1

 

ii


THE TRUST

JPMorgan Institutional Trust is an open-end management investment company. The Trust was formed as a Delaware statutory trust on September 14, 2004. The Trust consists of five series of units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) each representing interests in one of the following separate investment portfolios (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

Equity Fund: The JPMorgan Equity Index Trust (this Fund is referred to as the “Equity Fund”).

Bond Funds: The JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust, the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust, the JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust and the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (these four Funds are collectively referred to as the “Bond Funds”).

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

The following policies supplement each Fund’s investment objective and policies as set forth in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. The Funds are advised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“JPMIM” or the “Adviser”).

Asset-Backed Securities

 

Asset-backed securities consist of securities secured by company receivables, home equity loans, truck and auto loans, leases, or credit card receivables. Asset-backed securities also include other securities backed by other types of receivables or other assets, including collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which include collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. Such assets are generally securitized through the use of trusts or special purpose corporations. Asset-backed securities are backed by a pool of assets often representing the obligations of a number of different parties. Certain of such securities may be illiquid.

 

Asset-backed securities are generally subject to the risks of the underlying assets. In addition, asset-backed securities, in general, are subject to certain additional risks including depreciation, damage or loss of the collateral backing the security, failure of the collateral to generate the anticipated cash flow or in certain cases more rapid prepayment because of events affecting the collateral, such as accelerated prepayment of loans backing these securities or destruction of equipment subject to equipment trust certificates. In addition, the underlying assets (for example, the underlying credit card debt) may be refinanced or paid off prior to maturity during periods of declining interest rates. Changes in prepayment rates can result in greater price and yield volatility. If asset-backed securities are pre-paid, a Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more limited than potential market gains on a comparable security that is not subject to prepayment risk. Under certain prepayment rate scenarios, a Fund may fail to recover additional amounts paid (i.e., premiums) for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected loss.

 

A CBO is a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) which is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities). A CLO is a trust or other SPE that is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Although certain CDOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect a Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDOs may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this Supplement. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of a Fund.

 

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For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the SPE are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the first loss from defaults from the bonds or loans in the SPE and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default (though such protection is not absolute). Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO or CLO typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying securities, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as investor aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class. Interest on certain tranches of a CDO may be paid in kind (paid in the form of obligations of the same type rather than cash), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments.

 

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities and asset-backed securities generally discussed elsewhere in this Supplement, CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may default or decline in value; (iii) a Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results; and (v) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.

 

Total annual operating expenses set forth in the fee table section of the Confidential Offering Memorandum do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on exceptions to the definition of “investment company” provided by section 3(c) (1) and 3(c) (7) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).

 

Auction Rate Securities

 

Auction rate securities consist of auction rate municipal securities and auction rate preferred securities sold through an auction process issued by closed-end investment companies, municipalities and governmental agencies. For more information on risks associated with municipal securities, see “Municipal Securities” below.

 

Provided that the auction mechanism is successful, auction rate securities generally permit the holder to sell the securities in an auction at par value at specified intervals. The dividend is reset by “Dutch” auction in which bids are made by broker-dealers and other institutions for a certain amount of securities at a specified minimum yield. The dividend rate set by the auction is the lowest interest or dividend rate that covers all securities offered for sale. While this process is designed to permit auction rate securities to be traded at par value, there is the risk that an auction will fail due to insufficient demand for the securities.

 

Dividends on auction rate preferred securities issued by a closed-end fund may be designated as exempt from federal income tax to the extent they are attributable to tax-exempt interest income earned by the closed-end fund on the securities in its portfolio and distributed to holders of the preferred securities. However, such designation may be made only if the closed-end fund treats preferred securities as equity securities for federal income tax purposes and the closed-end fund complies with certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

A Fund’s investment in auction rate preferred securities of closed-end funds is subject to limitations on investments in other U.S. registered investment companies, which limitations are prescribed under the 1940 Act. Except as permitted by rule or exemptive order, a Fund is generally prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the voting securities of any other such investment company, and investing more than 5% of

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a Fund’s assets in securities of any one such investment company or more than 10% of its assets in securities of all such investment companies. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by such closed-end funds in addition to the advisory fee payable directly by the Fund.

 

Bank Obligations

Bank obligations consist of bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit, and time deposits.

Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange typically drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. To be eligible for purchase by a Fund, a bankers’ acceptance must be guaranteed by a domestic or foreign bank or savings and loan association having, at the time of investment, total assets in excess of $1 billion (as of the date of its most recently published financial statements).

Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank or a savings and loan association for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. To be eligible for purchase by a Fund, a certificate of deposit must be issued by (i) a domestic or foreign branch of a U.S. commercial bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve System or the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or (ii) a domestic savings and loan association, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provided that, in each case, at the time of purchase, such institution has total assets in excess of $1 billion (as of the date of their most recently published financial statements). Certificates of deposit may also include those issued by foreign banks outside the United States with total assets at the time of purchase in excess of the equivalent of $1 billion.

Some of the Funds may also invest in Eurodollar certificates of deposit, which are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by branches of foreign and domestic banks located outside the United States. The Funds may also invest in yankee certificates of deposit, which are certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank denominated in U.S. dollars and held in the United States. Certain Funds may also invest in obligations (including banker’s acceptances and certificates of deposit) denominated in foreign currencies (see “Foreign Investments” herein).

Time deposits are interest-bearing non-negotiable deposits at a bank or a savings and loan association that have a specific maturity date. A time deposit earns a specific rate of interest over a definite period of time. Time deposits cannot be traded on the secondary market and those exceeding seven days and with a withdrawal penalty are considered to be illiquid. Time deposits will be maintained only at banks or savings and loan associations from which a Fund could purchase certificates of deposit. All of the Funds may utilize demand deposits in connection with their day-to-day operations.

Commercial Paper

Commercial paper is defined as short-term obligations with maturities from 1 to 270 days issued by banks or bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies. Although commercial paper is generally unsecured, the Funds may also purchase secured commercial paper. In the event of a default of an issuer of secured commercial paper, a Fund may hold the securities and other investments that were pledged as collateral even if it does not invest in such securities or investments. In such a case, the Fund would take steps to dispose of such securities or investments in a commercially reasonable manner. Commercial paper includes master demand obligations. See "Variable and Floating Rate Instruments" below. The Funds only purchase commercial paper that meets the following criteria:

 

Bond Funds . The Bond Funds may purchase commercial paper consisting of issues rated at the time of purchase in the highest or second highest rating category by at least one Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (“NRSRO”) (such as A-2 or better by Standard & Poor’s Rating Service (“S&P”), Prime-2 or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), F2 or better by Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), or

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R-2 or better by Dominion Bond Rating Service (“DBRS”)) or if unrated, determined by JPMIM to be of comparable quality.

Equity Fund. The Equity Fund may purchase commercial paper consisting of issues rated at the time of purchase in the highest or second highest rating category by at least one NRSRO (such as A-2 or better by S&P, Prime-2 or better by Moody’s, F-2 or better by Fitch or R-2 or better by DBRS) or if unrated, determined by JPMIM to be of comparable quality.

Some of the above Funds may also invest in Canadian commercial paper, which is commercial paper issued by a Canadian corporation or a Canadian counterpart of a U.S. corporation, and in Europaper which is U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper of a foreign issuer. See “Risk Factors of Foreign Investments” below.

Convertible Securities

 

Subject to a Fund's investment restrictions, objective and strategy, the Funds may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include any debt securities or preferred stock which may be converted into common stock or which carry the right to purchase common stock. Generally, convertible securities entitle the holder to exchange the securities for a specified number of shares of common stock, usually of the same company, at specified prices within a certain period of time.

 

The terms of any convertible security determine its ranking in a company’s capital structure. In the case of subordinated convertible debentures, the holders’ claims on assets and earnings are subordinated to the claims of other creditors, and are senior to the claims of preferred and common shareholders. In the case of convertible preferred stock, the holders’ claims on assets and earnings are subordinated to the claims of all creditors and are senior to the claims of common shareholders.

 

Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. Due to the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to move together with the market value of the underlying common stock. As a result, selection of convertible securities, to a great extent, is based on the potential for capital appreciation that may exist in the underlying stock. The value of convertible securities is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer, and any call provisions. In some cases, the issuer may cause a convertible security to convert to common stock. In other situations, it may be advantageous for a Fund to cause the conversion of convertible securities to common stock. If a convertible security converts to common stock, a Fund may hold such common stock in its portfolio even if it does not ordinarily invest in common stock.

 

Custodial Receipts

 

Certain Funds may acquire securities in the form of custodial receipts that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain U.S. Treasury notes or bonds in connection with programs sponsored by banks and brokerage firms. These are not considered U.S. government securities and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. These notes and bonds are held in custody by a bank on behalf of owners of the receipts.

 

Debt Instruments

 

Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities may include bonds and other debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including obligations of industrial, utility, banking and other corporate issuers. All debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as fluctuation of market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.

 

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Inflation-Linked Debt Securities. Inflation-linked securities include fixed and floating rate debt securities of varying maturities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, such as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”), as well as securities issued by other entities such as corporations, municipalities, foreign governments and foreign issuers, including foreign issuers from emerging markets. See also “Foreign Investments.” Typically, such securities are structured as fixed income investments whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The following two structures are common: (i) the U.S. Treasury and some other issuers issue inflation-linked securities that accrue inflation into the principal value of the security and (ii) other issuers may pay out the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) accruals as part of a semi-annual coupon. Other types of inflation-linked securities exist which use an inflation index other than the CPI.

 

Inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, such as TIPS, have maturities of approximately five, ten, twenty, or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. Typically, TIPS pay interest on a semi-annual basis equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if a Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and the rate of inflation over the first six months was 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in an annual inflation rate of 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semi-annual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).

 

If the periodic adjustment rate that measures inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of TIPS, even during a period of deflation, although the inflation-adjusted principal received could be less than the inflation-adjusted principal that had accrued to the bond at the time of purchase. The current market value of the bonds, however, is not guaranteed and may fluctuate. Other inflation-related bonds exist which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

 

The value of inflation-linked securities is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if the rate of inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-linked securities.

 

While inflation-linked securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.

 

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-linked securities is tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is not seasonably adjusted and which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-linked securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or a foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

 

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Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

 

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments. Certain obligations purchased by the Funds may carry variable or floating rates of interest, may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature and may include variable amount master demand notes. Variable and floating rate instruments are issued by a wide variety of issuers and may be issued for a wide variety of purposes, including as a method of reconstructing cash flows.

 

Subject to their investment objective policies and restrictions, certain Funds may acquire variable and floating rate instruments. A variable rate instrument is one whose terms provide for the adjustment of its interest rate on set dates and which, upon such adjustment, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its par value. The Funds may purchase extendable commercial notes. Extendable commercial notes are variable rate notes which normally mature within a short period of time (e.g., 1 month) but which may be extended by the issuer for a maximum maturity of thirteen months.

 

A floating rate instrument is one whose terms provide for the adjustment of its interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes and which, at any time, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its par value. Floating rate instruments are frequently not rated by credit rating agencies; however, unrated variable and floating rate instruments purchased by a Fund will be determined by the Fund’s Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase to rated instruments eligible for purchase under the Fund’s investment policies. In making such determinations, a Fund’s Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuers of such instruments (such issuers include financial, merchandising, bank holding and other companies) and will continuously monitor their financial condition. There may be no active secondary market with respect to a particular variable or floating rate instrument purchased by a Fund. The absence of such an active secondary market could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of the variable or floating rate instrument involved in the event the issuer of the instrument defaults on its payment obligations, and the Fund could, for this or other reasons, suffer a loss to the extent of the default. Variable or floating rate instruments may be secured by bank letters of credit or other assets. A Fund may purchase a variable or floating rate instrument to facilitate portfolio liquidity or to permit investment of the Fund’s assets at a favorable rate of return.

 

As a result of the floating and variable rate nature of these investments, the Funds’ yields may decline, and they may forego the opportunity for capital appreciation during periods when interest rates decline; however, during periods when interest rates increase, the Funds’ yields may increase, and they may have reduced risk of capital depreciation.

 

Past periods of high inflation, together with the fiscal measures adopted to attempt to deal with it, have seen wide fluctuations in interest rates, particularly “prime rates” charged by banks. While the value of the underlying floating or variable rate securities may change with changes in interest rates generally, the nature of the underlying floating or variable rate should minimize changes in value of the instruments. Accordingly, as interest rates decrease or increase, the potential for capital appreciation and the risk of potential capital depreciation is less than would be the case with a portfolio of fixed rate securities. A Fund’s portfolio may contain floating or variable rate securities on which stated minimum or maximum rates, or maximum rates set by state law limit the degree to which interest on such floating or variable rate securities may fluctuate; to the extent it does, increases or decreases in value may be somewhat greater than would be the case without such limits. Because the adjustment of interest rates on the floating or variable rate securities is made in relation to movements of the applicable banks’ “prime rates” or other short-term rate securities adjustment indices, the floating or variable rate securities are not comparable to long-term fixed rate securities. Accordingly, interest rates on the floating or variable rate securities may be higher or lower than current market rates for fixed rate obligations of comparable quality with similar maturities.

 

Variable Amount Master Demand Notes. Variable amount master demand notes are demand notes that permit the indebtedness to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the

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terms of the instrument. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and the issuer, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in such notes, a Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest. While the notes are not typically rated by credit rating agencies, issuers of variable amount master demand notes (which are normally manufacturing, retail, financial, brokerage, investment banking and other business concerns) must satisfy the same criteria as those set forth with respect to commercial paper, if any. A Fund’s Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the issuers of such notes and will continuously monitor their financial status and ability to meet payment on demand. In determining average weighted portfolio maturity, a variable amount master demand note will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the period of time remaining until the principal amount can be recovered from the issuer through demand.

 

Limitations on the Use of Variable and Floating Rate Notes.   Variable and floating rate instruments for which no readily available market exists (e.g., illiquid securities) will be purchased in an amount which, together with securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale or for which no readily available market exists (including repurchase agreements providing for settlement more than seven days after notice), exceeds 15% of a Fund’s net assets only if such instruments are subject to a demand feature that will permit the Fund to demand payment of the principal within seven days after demand by the Fund. There is no limit on the extent to which a Fund may purchase demand instruments that are not illiquid or deemed to be liquid in accordance with the Adviser’s liquidity determination procedures. If not rated, such instruments must be found by the Fund’s Adviser to be of comparable quality to instruments in which the Fund may invest. A rating may be relied upon only if it is provided by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization that is not affiliated with the issuer or guarantor of the instruments.

 

Zero-Coupon , Pay-in-Kind and Deferred Payment Securities. Zero-coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest payments are not made during the life of the security. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the par value of the security. Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. A Fund accrues income with respect to zero-coupon and pay-in-kind securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. Deferred payment securities are securities that remain zero-coupon securities until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals. While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received “phantom income.” Because a Fund will distribute “phantom income” to shareholders, to the extent that shareholders elect to receive dividends in cash rather than reinvesting such dividends in additional shares, the applicable Fund will have fewer assets with which to purchase income-producing securities. Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities paying cash interest at regular interest payment periods.

 

Demand Features

Some of the Funds may acquire securities that are subject to puts and standby commitments (“Demand Features”) to purchase the securities at their principal amount (usually with accrued interest) within a fixed period (usually seven days) following a demand by the Fund. The Demand Feature may be issued by the issuer of the underlying securities, a dealer in the securities or by another third party, and may not be transferred separately from the underlying security. The underlying securities subject to a put may be sold at any time at market rates. The Funds expect that they will acquire puts only where the puts are available without the payment of any direct or indirect consideration. However, if advisable or necessary, a premium may be paid for put features. A premium paid will have the effect of reducing the yield otherwise payable on the underlying security.

Under a “Stand-by Commitment,” a dealer would agree to purchase, at a Fund’s option, specified securities at a specified price. A Fund will acquire these commitments solely to facilitate portfolio liquidity and does not intend to exercise its rights thereunder for trading purposes. Stand-by commitments may also be

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referred to as put options. A Fund will generally limit its investments in stand-by commitments to 25% of its total assets.

The purpose of engaging in transactions involving puts is to maintain flexibility and liquidity to permit the Fund to meet redemption requests and remain as fully invested as possible.

Equity Securities, Warrants and Rights

 

Common Stock. Common stock represents a share of ownership in a company and usually carries voting rights and may earn dividends. Unlike preferred stock, common stock dividends are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors. Common stock occupies the most junior position in a company's capital structure. As with all equity securities, the price of common stock fluctuates based on changes in a company's financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.

 

Common Stock Warrants and Rights. Common stock warrants entitle the holder to buy common stock from the issuer of the warrant at a specific price (the “strike price”) at any time during a specific period of time. The market price of warrants may be substantially lower than the current market price of the underlying common stock, yet warrants are subject to similar price fluctuations. Warrants may in fact be more volatile investments than the underlying common stock. If a warrant is exercised, a Fund may hold common stock in its portfolio even if it does not ordinarily invest in common stock.

 

Rights are similar to warrants but normally have a shorter duration and are typically distributed directly by the issuers to existing shareholders, while warrants are typically attached to new debt or preferred stock issuances.

 

Warrants and rights generally do not entitle the holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying common stock and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer company. Warrants and rights will expire if not exercised on or prior to the expiration date.

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock is a class of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred stock generally does not carry voting rights. As with all equity securities, the price of preferred stock fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.

 

Risks Associated with Initial Public Offerings. The Funds may purchase securities in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). These securities are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. The prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, a Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. Similarly, as the number of Funds to which IPO securities are allocated increases, the number of securities issued to any one Fund may decrease. The investment performance of a Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as a Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease.

 

Foreign Investments

 

Some of the Funds may invest in certain obligations or securities of foreign issuers. Possible investments include equity securities and debt securities (e.g., bonds and commercial paper) of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks, including, without limitation, Eurodollar Certificates of Deposit, Eurodollar Time Deposits, Eurodollar Bankers’ Acceptances, Canadian Time Deposits and Yankee Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper, and

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Europaper. Securities of foreign issuers may include sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). Sponsored ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange; unsponsored ADRs are not. Therefore, there may be less information available about the issuers of unsponsored ADRs than the issuers of sponsored ADRs. Unsponsored ADRs are restricted securities. EDRs and GDRs are not listed on the New York Stock Exchange. As a result, it may be difficult to obtain information about EDRs and GDRs.

Risk Factors of Foreign Investments

Political and Exchange Risks. Foreign investments may subject a Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source, greater fluctuations in value due to changes in exchange rates, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations.

Higher Transaction Costs. Foreign investments may entail higher custodial fees and sales commissions than domestic investments.

 

Accounting and Regulatory Differences.   Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting treatment and engage in business practices that are different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. In addition, foreign issuers may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as domestic issuers, and their securities may trade on relatively small markets, causing their securities to experience potentially higher volatility and more limited liquidity than securities of domestic issuers. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks are not regulated by U.S. banking authorities and may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. In addition, foreign banks generally are not bound by accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. banks. Dividends and interest paid by foreign issuers may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes which may decrease the net return on foreign investments as compared to dividends and interest paid to a Fund by domestic companies.

 

Currency Risk.   Foreign securities may be denominated in foreign currencies, although foreign issuers may also issue securities denominated in U.S. dollars. The value of a Fund’s investments denominated in foreign currencies and any funds held in foreign currencies will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates, the relative strength of those currencies and the U.S. dollar, and exchange-control regulations.

 

Changes in the foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by a Fund. The exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies are determined by the forces of supply and demand in foreign exchange markets. Accordingly, the ability of a Fund that invests in foreign securities as part of its principal investment strategies to achieve its investment objective may depend, to a certain extent, on exchange rate movements.

 

In addition, while the volume of transactions effected on foreign stock exchanges has increased in recent years, in most cases it remains appreciably below that of domestic securities exchanges. Accordingly, a Fund’s foreign investments may be less liquid and their prices may be more volatile than comparable investments in securities of U.S. companies. Moreover, the settlement periods for foreign securities, which are often longer than those for securities of U.S. issuers, may affect Fund liquidity. In buying and selling securities on foreign exchanges, purchasers normally pay fixed commissions that are generally higher than the negotiated commissions charged in the United States. In addition, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and issuers located in foreign countries than in the United States.

 

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Limitations on the Use of Foreign Investments. Investments in all types of foreign obligations or securities will not exceed 25% of the net assets of the Core Bond Trust and the Short-Term Bond Trust.

Brady Bonds. Brady bonds are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities in certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt restructurings. Brady bonds have been issued since 1989. In light of the history of defaults of countries issuing Brady bonds on their commercial bank loans, investments in Brady bonds may be viewed as speculative and subject to the same risks as emerging market securities. Brady bonds may be fully or partially collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (but primarily the dollar) and are actively traded in over-the counter (“OTC”) secondary markets. Incomplete collateralization of interest or principal payment obligations results in increased credit risk. Dollar-denominated collateralized Brady bonds, which may be either fixed-rate or floating rate bonds, are generally collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities.

 

Obligations of Supranational Entities. Obligations of supranational entities include securities designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and of international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”), the European Coal and Steel Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Each supranational entity’s lending activities are limited to a percentage of its total capital (including “callable capital” contributed by its governmental members at the entity’s call), reserves and net income. There is no assurance that participating governments will be able or willing to honor their commitments to make capital contributions to a supranational entity.

 

Sovereign Obligations. An investment in sovereign debt obligations involves special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. Sovereign debt includes investments in securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government or its agencies, authorities or political subdivisions. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt, and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), may be more volatile than prices of U.S. debt obligations. In the past, certain emerging markets have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts.

 

A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts.

 

Inverse Floaters and Interest Rate Caps

 

Inverse floaters are instruments whose interest rates bear an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. The market value of an inverse floater will vary inversely with changes in market interest rates and will be more volatile in response to interest rate changes than that of a fixed rate obligation. Interest rate caps are financial instruments under which payments occur if an interest rate index exceeds a certain predetermined interest rate level, known as the cap rate, which is tied to a

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specific index. The price of these financial products may be more volatile than securities that do not include such a structure.

 

Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Funds

 

Investment Company Securities . A Fund may acquire the securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and consistent with its investment objective and strategies. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that a Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. The 1940 Act currently requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of a Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company, (ii) not more than 10% of the aggregate value of its total assets will be invested in securities of investment companies and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by a fund.

 

Effective July 31, 2006, under SEC Rule 12d1-1, any of the Funds may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds without limit subject to the acquiring Fund’s investment policies and restrictions and the conditions of the rule.

 

Pursuant to exemptive rules under the 1940 Act effective as of July 31, 2006, funds of funds that previously were permitted only to invest in affiliated funds, government securities and short-term paper are now permitted under certain circumstances to invest in: (1) unaffiliated investment companies (subject to certain limits), (2) other types of securities (such as stocks, bonds and other securities) not issued by an investment company that are consistent with the fund's investment policies and (3) affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds as part of "cash sweep" arrangements. One consequence of these new rules is that any fund, whether or not previously designated as a fund of funds, may invest without limit in affiliated funds if the acquisition is consistent with the investment policies of the fund and the restrictions of the rules. A Fund investing in affiliated funds under these new rules could not invest in a Fund that did not have a policy prohibiting it from investing in shares of other funds in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(f) and (g) of the 1940 Act.

 

Exchange Traded Funds . Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) are ownership interests in unit investment trusts, depositary receipts, and other pooled investment vehicles that hold a portfolio of securities or stocks designed to track the price performance and dividend yield of a particular broad-based, sector or international index. Broad based ETFs typically track a broad group of stocks from different industries and market sectors. For example, iShares S&P 500 Index Fund and Standard and Poor’s Depositary Receipts are ETFs that track the S&P 500 Index. Sector ETFs track companies represented in related industries within a sector of the economy. International ETFs track a group of stocks from a specific country.

 

ETFs may also hold a portfolio of debt securities. For example, iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond Fund invests in a portfolio of publicly issued, U.S. Treasury securities designed to track the Lehman Brothers 1-3 Year Treasury Index. Similarly, iShares GS $ Investor Corporate Bond Fund is designed to track a segment of the U.S. investment grade corporate bond market as defined by the GS $ InvesTop Index.

 

ETFs invest in a portfolio of securities that includes substantially all of the securities (in substantially the same weights) as the securities included in the designated index. ETFs are traded on an exchange and, in some cases may not be redeemed. The results of ETFs will not match the performance of the designated index due to reductions in the performance attributable to transaction and other expenses, including fees paid by the ETF to service providers. ETFs are subject to risks specific to the performance of a few component securities if such securities represent a highly concentrated weighting in the designated index. ETFs are eligible to receive their portion of dividends, if any, accumulated on the securities held in trust, less fees and expenses of the trust.

 

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The investment vehicles issuing ETFs may not be actively managed. Rather, the investment vehicle’s objective is to track the performance of a specified index. Therefore, securities may be purchased, retained and sold at times when an actively managed fund would not do so. This may result in a greater risk of loss (and a correspondingly greater prospect of gain) from changes in the value of securities that are heavily weighted in the index than would be the case if the investment vehicle was not fully invested in such securities.

 

Select sector ETFs and other types of ETFs continue to be developed. As new products are developed, the Funds may invest in them to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions.

 

Unless permitted by the 1940 Act or an order or rule issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Fund’s investments in unaffiliated ETFs are subject to certain percentage limitations of the 1940 Act regarding investments in other investment companies. As a general matter, these percentage limitations currently require a Fund to limit its investments in any one issue of ETFs to 5% of the Fund’s total assets and 3% of the outstanding voting securities of the ETF issue. Moreover, a Fund’s investments in all ETFs may not currently exceed 10% of the Fund’s total assets, when aggregated with all other investments in investment companies.

 

SEC exemptive orders granted to various iShares funds (which are ETFs) and other ETFs and their investment advisers permit the Funds to invest beyond the 1940 Act limits, subject to certain terms and conditions, including a finding by the Board of Trustees that the advisory fees charged by the adviser are for services that are in addition to, and not duplicative of, the advisory services provided by such ETFs.

 

Index Investing by the Equity Index Trust

The Equity Index Trust attempts to track the performance of the S&P 500 Index (the “Index”) to achieve a correlation between the performance of the Fund and that of the Index of at least 0.95, without taking into account expenses. A correlation of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation, which would be achieved when the Fund’s net asset value, including the value of its dividend and capital gains distributions, increases or decreases in exact proportion to changes in the Index. The Fund’s ability to correlate its performance with the Index, however, may be affected by, among other things, changes in securities markets, the manner in which the Index is calculated by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) and the timing of purchases and redemptions. In the future, the Trustees of the Trust, subject to the approval of Shareholders, may select another index if such a standard of comparison is deemed to be more representative of the performance of common stocks.

S&P chooses the stocks to be included in the Index largely on a statistical basis. Inclusion of a stock in the Index in no way implies an opinion by S&P as to its attractiveness as an investment. The Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to the Equity Index Trust. S&P is neither a sponsor of, nor in any way affiliated with the Equity Index Trust, and S&P makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied on the advisability of investing in the Equity Index Trust or as to the ability of the Index to track general stock market performance, and S&P disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index or any data included in the Index. “S&P 500” is a service mark of S&P.

The weights of stocks in the Index are based on each stock’s relative total market value, i.e., market price per share times the number of Shares outstanding. Because of this weighting, approximately 50% of the Index is currently composed of the 50 largest companies in the Index, and the Index currently represents over 65% of the market value of all U.S. common stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Typically, companies included in the Index are the largest and most dominant firms in their respective industries.

JPMIM generally selects stocks for the Equity Index Trust in the order of their weights in the Index beginning with the heaviest weighted stocks. The percentage of the Equity Index Trust’s assets to be invested

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in each stock is approximately the same as the percentage it represents in the Index. No attempt is made to manage the Equity Index Trust in the traditional sense using economic, financial and market analysis. The Equity Index Trust is managed using a computer program to determine which stocks are to be purchased and sold to replicate the Index to the extent feasible. From time to time, administrative adjustments may be made in the Fund because of changes in the composition of the Index, but such changes should be infrequent.

Loan Participations and Assignments

Some of the Funds may invest in fixed and floating rate loans (“Loans”). Loans are typically arranged through private negotiations between borrowers (which may be corporate issuers or issuers of sovereign debt obligations) and one or more financial institutions (“Lenders”). Generally, the Funds invest in Loans by purchasing Loan Participations (“Participations”) or assignments of all or a portion of Loans (“Assignments”) from third parties.

Typically, a Fund will have a contractual relationship only with the Lender and not with the borrower when it purchases a Participation. In contrast, a Fund has direct rights against the borrower on the Loan when it purchases an Assignment. Because Assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, however, the rights and obligations acquired by a Fund as the purchaser of an Assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning Lender.

Loan Participations and assignments include synthetic letters of credit. In a synthetic letter of credit transaction, the Lender typically creates a special purpose entity or a credit linked deposit account for the purpose of funding a letter of credit to the borrower. When a Fund invests in a synthetic letter of credit, the Fund is typically paid a rate based on the Lender’s borrowing costs and the terms of the synthetic letter of credit. Synthetic letters of credit are typically structured as Assignments with the Fund acquiring direct rights against the borrower.

 

Limitations on Investments in Loan Participations and Assignments. Loan participations and assignments may be illiquid. As a result, a Fund will invest no more than 15% of its net assets in these investments. If a government entity is a borrower on a Loan, the Fund will consider the government to be the issuer of a Participation or Assignment for purposes of a Fund’s fundamental investment policy that it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (i.e., foreign government).

Risk Factors of Loan Participations and Assignments. A Fund may have difficulty disposing of Assignments and Participations because to do so it will have to assign such securities to a third party. Because there is no liquid market for such securities, the Funds anticipate that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such securities and a Fund’s ability to dispose of particular Assignments or Participations when necessary to meet a Fund’s liquidity needs in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. The lack of a liquid secondary market for Assignments and Participations also may make it more difficult for a Fund to assign a value to those securities when valuing the Fund’s securities and calculating its net asset value.

Miscellaneous Investment Strategies and Risks

 

Borrowings. A Fund may borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of a Fund’s assets and may cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require a Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary administrative or emergency purposes. Any borrowings for temporary administrative purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets must

13


maintain continuous asset coverage. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, a Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of a Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. A Fund may also be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

Certain types of investments are considered to be borrowings under precedents issued by the SEC. Such investments are subject to the limitations as well as asset segregation requirements.

 

New Financial Products. New options and futures contracts and other financial products, and various combinations thereof, including OTC products, continue to be developed. These various products may be used to adjust the risk and return characteristics of certain Funds’ investments. These various products may increase or decrease exposure to security prices, interest rates, commodity prices, or other factors that affect security values, regardless of the issuer’s credit risk. If market conditions do not perform as expected, the performance of a Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these products were not used. In addition, losses may occur if counterparties involved in transactions do not perform as promised. These products may expose the Fund to potentially greater return as well as potentially greater risk of loss than more traditional fixed income investments.

 

Private Placements, Restricted Securities and Other Unregistered Securities. Subject to its policy limitation, a Fund may acquire investments that are illiquid or have limited liquidity, such as commercial obligations issued in reliance on the so-called “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) under the Securities Act, and cannot be offered for public sale in the United States without first being registered under the Securities Act. An illiquid investment is any investment that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the normal course of business at approximately the amount at which it is valued by a Fund. The price a Fund pays for illiquid securities or receives upon resale may be lower than the price paid or received for similar securities with a more liquid market. Accordingly the valuation of these securities will reflect any limitations on their liquidity.

 

A Fund is subject to a risk that should the Fund decide to sell illiquid securities when a ready buyer is not available at a price the Fund deems representative of their value, the value of the Fund’s net assets could be adversely affected. Where an illiquid security must be registered under the Securities Act before it may be sold, a Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses, and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, a Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to sell.

 

The Funds may invest in commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and other restricted securities (i.e., other securities subject to restrictions on resale). Section 4(2) commercial paper (“4(2) Paper”) is restricted as to disposition under federal securities law and is generally sold to institutional investors, such as the Funds, that agree that they are purchasing the paper for investment purposes and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale by the purchaser must be in an exempt transaction. 4(2) Paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in 4(2) Paper, thus providing liquidity. The Funds believe that 4(2) paper and possibly certain other restricted securities which meet the criteria for liquidity established by the Trustees are quite liquid. The Funds intend, therefore, to treat restricted securities that meet the liquidity criteria established by the Board of Trustees, including 4(2) Paper and securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act, as determined by the Fund’s Adviser, as liquid and not subject to the investment limitation applicable to illiquid securities.

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The ability of the Trustees to determine the liquidity of certain restricted securities is permitted under an SEC Staff position set forth in the adopting release for Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144A”). Rule 144A is a nonexclusive safe-harbor for certain secondary market transactions involving securities subject to restrictions on resale under federal securities laws. Rule 144A provides an exemption from registration for resales of otherwise restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A was expected to further enhance the liquidity of the secondary market for securities eligible for resale. The Funds believe that the Staff of the SEC has left the question of determining the liquidity of all restricted securities to the Trustees. The Trustees have directed each Fund’s Adviser to consider the following criteria in determining the liquidity of certain restricted securities:

 

 

the frequency of trades and quotes for the security;

 

 

the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell;

 

 

the security and the number of other potential buyers;

 

 

dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and

 

 

the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades.

 

Certain 4(2) Paper programs cannot rely on Rule 144A because, among other things, they were established before the adoption of the rule. However, the Trustees may determine for purposes of the Trust’s liquidity requirements that an issue of 4(2) Paper is liquid if the following conditions, which are set forth in a 1994 SEC no-action letter, are met:

 

 

The 4(2) Paper must not be traded flat or in default as to principal or interest;

 

 

The 4(2) Paper must be rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two NRSROs, or if only one NRSRO rates the security, by that NRSRO, or if unrated, is determined by a Fund’s Adviser to be of equivalent quality;

 

 

The Fund’s Adviser must consider the trading market for the specific security, taking into account all relevant factors, including but not limited to, whether the paper is the subject of a commercial paper program that is administered by an issuing and paying agent bank and for which there exists a dealer willing to make a market in that paper, or is administered by a direct issuer pursuant to a direct placement program;

 

 

The Fund’s Adviser shall monitor the liquidity of the 4(2) Paper purchased and shall report to the Board of Trustees promptly if any such securities are no longer determined to be liquid if such determination causes a Fund to hold more than 10% of its net assets in illiquid securities in order for the Board of Trustees to consider what action, if any, should be taken on behalf of the Trust, unless the Fund’s Adviser is able to dispose of illiquid assets in an orderly manner in an amount that reduces the Fund’s holdings of illiquid assets to less than 10% of its net assets; and

 

 

The Fund’s Adviser shall report to the Board of Trustees on the appropriateness of the purchase and retention of liquid restricted securities under these guidelines no less frequently than quarterly.

 

Securities Issued in Connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructuring. Debt securities may be downgraded and issuers of debt securities including investment grade securities may default in the payment of principal or interest or be subject to bankruptcy proceedings. In connection with reorganizing or restructuring of an issuer, an issuer may issue common stock or other securities to holders of its debt securities. A Fund may hold such common stock and other securities even though it does not ordinarily invest in such securities.

 

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Temporary Defensive Positions. To respond to unusual market conditions, certain of the Funds may invest their assets in cash or cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid, high quality instruments with maturities of three months or less on the date they are purchased (“Cash Equivalents”). These investments may result in a lower yield than lower-quality or longer term investments and may prevent the Funds from meeting their investment objectives. The percentage of Fund assets that a Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents is described in the Fund’s Confidential Offering Memorandum. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements with maturities of 7 days or less (other than equity repurchase agreements), certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper (rated in one of the two highest rating categories), variable rate master demand notes, money market mutual funds (including affiliated money market funds), and bank money market deposit accounts.

 

Mortgage-Related Securities

Mortgages (Directly Held). Mortgages are debt instruments secured by real property. Unlike mortgage-backed securities, which generally represent an interest in a pool of mortgages, direct investments in mortgages involve prepayment and credit risks of an individual issuer and real property. Consequently, these investments require different investment and credit analysis by a Fund’s Adviser.

 

Directly placed mortgages may include residential mortgages, multifamily mortgages, mortgages on cooperative apartment buildings, commercial mortgages, and sale-leasebacks. These investments are backed by assets such as office buildings, shopping centers, retail stores, warehouses, apartment buildings and single-family dwellings. In the event that a Fund forecloses on any non-performing mortgage, and acquires a direct interest in the real property, such Fund will be subject to the risks generally associated with the ownership of real property. There may be fluctuations in the market value of the foreclosed property and its occupancy rates, rent schedules and operating expenses. There may also be adverse changes in local, regional or general economic conditions, deterioration of the real estate market and the financial circumstances of tenants and sellers, unfavorable changes in zoning, building, environmental and other laws, increased real property taxes, rising interest rates, reduced availability and increased cost of mortgage borrowings, the need for unanticipated renovations, unexpected increases in the cost of energy, environmental factors, acts of God and other factors which are beyond the control of a Fund or the Fund’s Adviser. Hazardous or toxic substances may be present on, at or under the mortgaged property and adversely affect the value of the property. In addition, the owners of property containing such substances may be held responsible, under various laws, for containing, monitoring, removing or cleaning up such substances. The presence of such substances may also provide a basis for other claims by third parties. Costs of clean up or of liabilities to third parties may exceed the value of the property. In addition, these risks may be uninsurable. In light of these and similar risks, it may be difficult to profitably dispose of properties in foreclosure.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMOs and REMICs). Mortgage-backed securities include collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”). (A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the Code and invests in certain mortgages principally secured by interests in real property and other permitted investments).

Mortgage-backed securities represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by:

 

various governmental agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”);

 

 

government-related organizations such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”); and

 

 

non-governmental issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, and private mortgage insurance companies. (Non-governmental mortgage securities cannot be treated as U.S. government securities for purposes of investment policies).

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There are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue.

Ginnie Mae Securities. Mortgage-related securities issued by Ginnie Mae include Ginnie Mae Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by Ginnie Mae. Ginnie Mae’s guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned U.S. government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Mae certificates also are supported by the authority of Ginnie Mae to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee.

Fannie Mae Securities. Mortgage-related securities issued by Fannie Mae include Fannie Mae Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates which are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States. Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored organization owned entirely by private stockholders. Fannie Mae Certificates are guaranteed as to timely payment of the principal and interest by Fannie Mae.

Freddie Mac Securities. Mortgage-related securities issued by Freddie Mac include Freddie Mac Mortgage Participation Certificates. Freddie Mac is a corporate instrumentality of the United States, created pursuant to an Act of Congress, which is owned entirely by private stockholders. Freddie Mac Certificates are not guaranteed by the United States or by any Federal Home Loan Bank and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Freddie Mac Certificates entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. When Freddie Mac does not guarantee timely payment of principal, Freddie Mac may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable.

CMOs and guaranteed REMIC pass-through certificates (“REMIC Certificates”) issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and private issuers are types of multiple class pass-through securities. Investors may purchase beneficial interests in REMICs, which are known as “regular” interests or “residual” interests. The Funds do not currently intend to purchase residual interests in REMICs. The REMIC Certificates represent beneficial ownership interests in a REMIC Trust, generally consisting of mortgage loans or Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae guaranteed mortgage pass-through certificates (the “Mortgage Assets”). The obligations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae under their respective guaranty of the REMIC Certificates are obligations solely of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae, respectively.

Fannie Mae REMIC Certificates. Fannie Mae REMIC Certificates are issued and guaranteed as to timely distribution of principal and interest by Fannie Mae. In addition, Fannie Mae will be obligated to distribute the principal balance of each class of REMIC Certificates in full, whether or not sufficient funds are otherwise available.

Freddie Mac REMIC Certificates. Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest, and also guarantees the payment of principal as payments are required to be made on the underlying mortgage participation certificates (“PCs”). PCs represent undivided interests in specified residential mortgages or participation therein purchased by Freddie Mac and placed in a PC pool. With respect to principal payments on PCs, Freddie Mac generally guarantees ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans without offset or deduction. Freddie Mac also guarantees timely payment of principal on certain PCs referred to as “Gold PCs.”

Ginnie Mae REMIC Certificates. Ginnie Mae guarantees the full and timely payment of interest and principal on each class of securities (in accordance with the terms of those classes as specified in the related offering circular supplement). The Ginnie Mae guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America.

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REMIC Certificates issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae are treated as U.S. Government securities for purposes of investment policies.

CMOs and REMIC Certificates provide for the redistribution of cash flow to multiple classes. Each class of CMOs or REMIC Certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. This reallocation of interest and principal results in the redistribution of prepayment risk across different classes. This allows for the creation of bonds with more or less risk than the underlying collateral exhibits. Principal prepayments on the mortgage loans or the Mortgage Assets underlying the CMOs or REMIC Certificates may cause some or all of the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates to be retired substantially earlier than their final distribution dates. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates on a monthly basis.

The principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in various ways. In certain structures (known as “sequential pay” CMOs or REMIC Certificates), payments of principal, including any principal prepayments, on the Mortgage Assets generally are applied to the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made on any class of sequential pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.

Additional structures of CMOs and REMIC Certificates include, among others, principal only structures, interest only structures, inverse floaters and “parallel pay” CMOs and REMIC Certificates. Certain of these structures may be more volatile than other types of CMO and REMIC structures. Parallel pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates are those which are structured to apply principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets to two or more classes concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class.

A wide variety of REMIC Certificates may be issued in the parallel pay or sequential pay structures. These securities include accrual certificates (also known as “Z-BONDS”), which only accrue interest at a specified rate until all other certificates having an earlier final distribution date have been retired and are converted thereafter to an interest-paying security, and planned amortization class (“PAC”) certificates, which are parallel pay REMIC Certificates which generally require that specified amounts of principal be applied on each payment date to one or more classes of REMIC Certificates (the “PAC Certificates”), even though all other principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets are then required to be applied to one or more other classes of the certificates. The scheduled principal payments for the PAC Certificates generally have the highest priority on each payment date after interest due has been paid to all classes entitled to receive interest currently. Shortfalls, if any, are added to the amount of principal payable on the next payment date. The PAC Certificate payment schedule is taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class of PAC. In order to create PAC tranches, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of the volatility in the underlying Mortgage Assets. These tranches tend to have market prices and yields that are much more volatile than the PAC classes. The Z-Bonds in which the Funds may invest may bear the same non-credit-related risks as do other types of Z-Bonds. Z-Bonds in which the Fund may invest will not include residual interest.

Limitations on the use of Mortgage-Backed Securities

Bond Funds. The Bond Funds invest in mortgage-backed securities may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers including Guaranteed CMOs and REMIC pass-through securities. The Bond Funds may also invest in mortgage-backed securities that are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least one NRSRO at the time of investment or, if unrated, determined by JPMIM to be of comparable quality.

Mortgage Dollar Rolls. Some of the Funds may enter into Mortgage Dollar Rolls in which the Funds sell securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contract with the same

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counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. When a Fund enters into mortgage dollar rolls, the Fund will hold and maintain a segregated account until the settlement date. The segregated account will contain cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the forward purchase price. The Funds benefit to the extent of:

 

any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”); or

 

 

fee income plus the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase.

Unless such benefits exceed the income, capital appreciation or gains on the securities sold as part of the mortgage dollar roll, the investment performance of a Fund will be less than what the performance would have been without the use of mortgage dollar rolls. The benefits of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon JPMIM’s ability to predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates. There is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed. The Funds currently intend to enter into mortgage dollar rolls that are accounted for as a financing transaction. For purposes of diversification and investment limitations, mortgage dollar rolls are considered to be mortgage-backed securities.

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (“SMBS”) are derivative multi-class mortgage securities issued outside the REMIC or CMO structure. SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving all of the interest from the mortgage assets (“IOs”), while the other class will receive all of the principal (“POs”). Mortgage IOs receive monthly interest payments based upon a notional amount that declines over time as a result of the normal monthly amortization and unscheduled prepayments of principal on the associated mortgage POs.

In addition to the risks applicable to Mortgage-Related Securities in general, SMBS are subject to the following additional risks:

Prepayment/Interest Rate Sensitivity. SMBS are extremely sensitive to changes in prepayments and interest rates. Even though these securities have been guaranteed by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government, under certain interest rate or prepayment rate scenarios, the Funds may lose money on investments in SMBS.

Interest Only SMBS. Changes in prepayment rates can cause the return on investment in IOs to be highly volatile. Under extremely high prepayment conditions, IOs can incur significant losses.

Principal Only SMBS. POs are bought at a discount to the ultimate principal repayment value. The rate of return on a PO will vary with prepayments, rising as prepayments increase and falling as prepayments decrease. Generally, the market value of these securities is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates.

Yield Characteristics. Although SMBS may yield more than other mortgage-backed securities, their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that any premium paid will not be fully recouped. JPMIM will seek to manage these risks (and potential benefits) by investing in a variety of such securities and by using certain analytical and hedging techniques.

The Bond Funds may invest in SMBS to enhance revenues or hedge against interest rate risk. The Funds invest in SMBS issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (“Agency SMBS”). To the extent that Non Agency SMBS are issued, the Funds may buy them to the extent such investment is consistent with the applicable Fund’s investment objective, strategies and policies.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans . The Bond Funds may invest in adjustable rate mortgage loans (“ARMs”). ARMs eligible for inclusion in a mortgage pool will generally provide for a fixed initial

19


mortgage interest rate for a specified period of time. Thereafter, the interest rates (the “Mortgage Interest Rates”) may be subject to periodic adjustment based on changes in the applicable index rate (the “Index Rate”). The adjusted rate would be equal to the Index Rate plus a gross margin, which is a fixed percentage spread over the Index Rate established for each ARM at the time of its origination.

Adjustable interest rates can cause payment increases that some borrowers may find difficult to make. However, certain ARMs may provide that the Mortgage Interest Rate may not be adjusted to a rate above an applicable lifetime maximum rate or below an applicable lifetime minimum rate for such ARM. Certain ARMs may also be subject to limitations on the maximum amount by which the Mortgage Interest Rate may adjust for any single adjustment period (the “Maximum Adjustment”). Other ARMs (“Negatively Amortizing ARMs”) may provide instead or as well for limitations on changes in the monthly payment on such ARMs. Limitations on monthly payments can result in monthly payments which are greater or less than the amount necessary to amortize a Negatively Amortizing ARM by its maturity at the Mortgage Interest Rate in effect in any particular month. In the event that a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay the interest accruing on a Negatively Amortizing ARM, any such excess interest is added to the principal balance of the loan, causing negative amortization and will be repaid through future monthly payments. It may take borrowers under Negatively Amortizing ARMs longer periods of time to achieve equity and may increase the likelihood of default by such borrowers. In the event that a monthly payment exceeds the sum of the interest accrued at the applicable Mortgage Interest Rate and the principal payment which would have been necessary to amortize the outstanding principal balance over the remaining term of the loan, the excess (or “accelerated amortization”) further reduces the principal balance of the ARM. Negatively Amortizing ARMs do not provide for the extension of their original maturity to accommodate changes in their Mortgage Interest Rate. As a result, unless there is a periodic recalculation of the payment amount (which there generally is), the final payment may be substantially larger than the other payments. These limitations on periodic increases in interest rates and on changes in monthly payment protect borrowers from unlimited interest rate and payment increases.

Certain adjustable rate mortgage loans may provide for periodic adjustments of scheduled payments in order to amortize fully the mortgage loan by its stated maturity. Other adjustable rate mortgage loans may permit their stated maturity to be extended or shortened in accordance with the portion of each payment that is applied to interest as affected by the periodic interest rate adjustments.

There are two main categories of indices which provide the basis for rate adjustments on ARMs: those based on U.S. Treasury securities and those derived from a calculated measure such as a cost of funds index or a moving average of mortgage rates. Commonly utilized indices include the one-year, three-year and five-year constant maturity Treasury bill rates, the three-month Treasury bill rate, the 180-day Treasury bill rate, rates on longer-term Treasury securities, the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds, the National Median Cost of Funds, the one-month, three-month, six-month or one-year London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), the prime rate of a specific bank, or commercial paper rates. Some indices, such as the one-year constant maturity Treasury rate, closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels. Others, such as the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds index, tend to lag behind changes in market rate levels and tend to be somewhat less volatile. The degree of volatility in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio and therefore in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares will be a function of the length of the interest rate reset periods and the degree of volatility in the applicable indices.

In general, changes in both prepayment rates and interest rates will change the yield on Mortgage-Backed Securities. The rate of principal prepayments with respect to ARMs has fluctuated in recent years. As is the case with fixed mortgage loans, ARMs may be subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment. For example, if prevailing interest rates fall significantly, ARMs could be subject to higher prepayment rates than if prevailing interest rates remain constant because the availability of fixed rate mortgage loans at competitive interest rates may encourage mortgagors to refinance their ARMs to “lock-in” a lower fixed interest rate. Conversely, if prevailing interest rates rise significantly, ARMs may prepay at lower rates than if prevailing rates remain at or below those in effect at the time such ARMs were originated. As with fixed rate mortgages, there can be no certainty as to the rate of prepayments on the

20


ARMs in either stable or changing interest rate environments. In addition, there can be no certainty as to whether increases in the principal balances of the ARMs due to the addition of deferred interest may result in a default rate higher than that on ARMs that do not provide for negative amortization.

Other factors affecting prepayment of ARMs include changes in mortgagors’ housing needs, job transfers, unemployment, mortgagors’ net equity in the mortgage properties and servicing decisions.

Risk Factors of Mortgage-Related Securities

Guarantor Risk. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac if necessary in the future. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured.

Interest Rate Sensitivity. If a Fund purchases a mortgage-related security at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying mortgage collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. However, though the value of a mortgage-related security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the securities are prone to prepayment. For this and other reasons, a mortgage-related security’s stated maturity may be shortened by unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgages and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security’s return to the Funds. In addition, regular payments received in respect of mortgage-related securities include both interest and principal. No assurance can be given as to the return the Funds will receive when these amounts are reinvested.

Market Value. The market value of the Fund’s adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities may be adversely affected if interest rates increase faster than the rates of interest payable on such securities or by the adjustable rate mortgage loans underlying such securities. Furthermore, adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities or the mortgage loans underlying such securities may contain provisions limiting the amount by which rates may be adjusted upward and downward and may limit the amount by which monthly payments may be increased or decreased to accommodate upward and downward adjustments in interest rates.

Prepayments. Adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities have less potential for capital appreciation than fixed rate Mortgage-Backed Securities because their coupon rates will decline in response to market interest rate declines. The market value of fixed rate Mortgage-Backed Securities may be adversely affected as a result of increases in interest rates and, because of the risk of unscheduled principal prepayments, may benefit less than other fixed rate securities of similar maturity from declining interest rates. Finally, to the extent Mortgage-Backed Securities are purchased at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and unscheduled principal prepayments may result in some loss of the Fund’s principal investment to the extent of the premium paid. On the other hand, if such securities are purchased at a discount, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income.

Yield Characteristics. The yield characteristics of Mortgage-Backed Securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences typically include more frequent interest and principal payments, usually monthly, and the possibility that prepayments of principal may be made at any time. Prepayment rates are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors and cannot be predicted with certainty. As with fixed rate mortgage loans, adjustable rate mortgage loans may be subject to a greater prepayment rate in a declining interest rate environment. The yields to maturity of the Mortgage-Backed Securities in which the Funds invest will be affected by the actual rate of payment (including prepayments) of principal of the underlying mortgage loans. The mortgage loans underlying such securities generally may be prepaid at any time without penalty. In a fluctuating interest rate environment, a predominant factor affecting the prepayment rate on a pool of mortgage loans is the difference between the interest rates on the mortgage loans and prevailing mortgage

21


loan interest rates (giving consideration to the cost of any refinancing). In general, if mortgage loan interest rates fall sufficiently below the interest rates on fixed rate mortgage loans underlying mortgage pass-through securities, the rate of prepayment would be expected to increase. Conversely, if mortgage loan interest rates rise above the interest rates on the fixed rate mortgage loans underlying the mortgage pass-through securities, the rate of prepayment may be expected to decrease.

Municipal Securities

 

Municipal Securities are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as:

 

 

1.

bridges,

 

 

2.

highways,

 

 

3.

roads,

 

 

4.

schools,

 

 

5.

waterworks and sewer systems, and

 

 

6.

other utilities.

 

Other public purposes for which Municipal Securities may be issued include:

 

 

1.

refunding outstanding obligations,

 

 

2.

obtaining funds for general operating expenses, and

 

 

3.

obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities.

 

In addition, certain debt obligations known as “Private Activity Bonds” may be issued by or on behalf of municipalities and public authorities to obtain funds to provide:

 

 

1.

water, sewage and solid waste facilities,

 

 

2.

qualified residential rental projects,

 

 

3.

certain local electric, gas and other heating or cooling facilities,

 

 

4.

qualified hazardous waste facilities,

 

 

5.

high-speed intercity rail facilities,

 

 

6.

governmentally-owned airports, docks and wharves and mass transportation facilities,

 

 

7.

qualified mortgages,

 

 

8.

student loan and redevelopment bonds, and

 

 

9.

bonds used for certain organizations exempt from Federal income taxation.

 

Certain debt obligations known as “Industrial Development Bonds” under prior Federal tax law may have been issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide:

 

22


 

1.

privately operated housing facilities,

 

 

2.

sports facilities,

 

 

3.

industrial parks,

 

 

4.

convention or trade show facilities,

 

 

5.

airport, mass transit, port or parking facilities,

 

 

6.

air or water pollution control facilities,

 

 

7.

sewage or solid waste disposal facilities, and

 

 

8.

facilities for water supply.

 

Other private activity bonds and industrial development bonds issued to fund the construction, improvement, equipment or repair of privately-operated industrial, distribution, research, or commercial facilities may also be Municipal Securities, but the size of such issues is limited under current and prior Federal tax law. The aggregate amount of most private activity bonds and industrial development bonds is limited (except in the case of certain types of facilities) under federal tax law by an annual “volume cap.” The volume cap limits the annual aggregate principal amount of such obligations issued by or on behalf of all governmental instrumentalities in the state.

 

The two principal classifications of Municipal Securities consist of “general obligation” and “limited” (or revenue) issues. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from the issuer’s general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or source. The characteristics and method of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer, and payment may be dependent upon appropriation by the issuer’s legislative body. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Private activity bonds and industrial development bonds generally are revenue bonds and thus not payable from the unrestricted revenues of the issuer. The credit and quality of such bonds is generally related to the credit of the bank selected to provide the letter of credit underlying the bond. Payment of principal of and interest on industrial development revenue bonds is the responsibility of the corporate user (and any guarantor).

 

The Funds may also acquire “moral obligation” issues, which are normally issued by special purpose authorities, and in other tax-exempt investments including pollution control bonds and tax-exempt commercial paper. Each Fund that may purchase municipal bonds may purchase:

 

 

1.

Short-term tax-exempt General Obligations Notes,

 

 

2.

Tax Anticipation Notes,

 

 

3.

Bond Anticipation Notes,

 

 

4.

Revenue Anticipation Notes,

 

 

5.

Project Notes, and

 

 

6.

Other forms of short-term tax-exempt loans.

 

23


Such notes are issued with a short-term maturity in anticipation of the receipt of tax funds, the proceeds of bond placements, or other revenues. Project Notes are issued by a state or local housing agency and are sold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While the issuing agency has the primary obligation with respect to its Project Notes, they are also secured by the full faith and credit of the United States through agreements with the issuing authority which provide that, if required, the Federal government will lend the issuer an amount equal to the principal of and interest on the Project Notes.

 

There are, of course, variations in the quality of Municipal Securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications. Also, the yields on Municipal Securities depend upon a variety of factors, including:

 

 

general money market conditions,

 

 

coupon rate,

 

 

the financial condition of the issuer,

 

 

general conditions of the municipal bond market,

 

 

the size of a particular offering,

 

 

the maturity of the obligations, and

 

 

the rating of the issue.

 

The ratings of Moody’s and S&P represent their opinions as to the quality of Municipal Securities. However, ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Municipal Securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields while Municipal Securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of Municipal Securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the Fund. JPMIM will consider such an event in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the obligations.

 

Municipal Securities may include obligations of municipal housing authorities and single-family mortgage revenue bonds. Weaknesses in Federal housing subsidy programs and their administration may result in a decrease of subsidies available for payment of principal and interest on housing authority bonds. Economic developments, including fluctuations in interest rates and increasing construction and operating costs, may also adversely impact revenues of housing authorities. In the case of some housing authorities, inability to obtain additional financing could also reduce revenues available to pay existing obligations.

 

Single-family mortgage revenue bonds are subject to extraordinary mandatory redemption at par in whole or in part from the proceeds derived from prepayments of underlying mortgage loans and also from the unused proceeds of the issue within a stated period which may be within a year from the date of issue.

 

Municipal leases are obligations issued by state and local governments or authorities to finance the acquisition of equipment and facilities. Municipal leases may be considered to be illiquid. They may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase contract, a conditional sales contract, or a participation interest in any of the above. The Board of Trustees is responsible for determining the credit quality of unrated municipal leases, on an ongoing basis, including an assessment of the likelihood that the lease will not be canceled.

 

24


Risk Factors in Municipal Securities

 

Tax Risk. The Code imposes certain continuing requirements on issuers of tax-exempt bonds regarding the use, expenditure and investment of bond proceeds and the payment of rebates to the United States of America. Failure by the issuer to comply subsequent to the issuance of tax-exempt bonds with certain of these requirements could cause interest on the bonds to become includable in gross income retroactive to the date of issuance.

 

Housing Authority Tax Risk. The exclusion from gross income for Federal income tax purposes for certain housing authority bonds depends on qualification under relevant provisions of the Code and on other provisions of Federal law. These provisions of Federal law contain requirements relating to the cost and location of the residences financed with the proceeds of the single-family mortgage bonds and the income levels of tenants of the rental projects financed with the proceeds of the multi-family housing bonds. Typically, the issuers of the bonds, and other parties, including the originators and servicers of the single-family mortgages and the owners of the rental projects financed with the multi-family housing bonds, covenant to meet these requirements. However, there is no assurance that the requirements will be met. If such requirements are not met:

 

 

the interest on the bonds may become taxable, possibly retroactively from the date of issuance;

 

 

the value of the bonds may be reduced;

 

 

you and other Shareholders may be subject to unanticipated tax liabilities;

 

 

a Fund may be required to sell the bonds at the reduced value;

 

 

it may be an event of default under the applicable mortgage;

 

 

the holder may be permitted to accelerate payment of the bond; and

 

 

the issuer may be required to redeem the bond.

 

In addition, if the mortgage securing the bonds is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), the consent of the FHA may be required before insurance proceeds would become payable.

 

Information Risk. Information about the financial condition of issuers of Municipal Securities may be less available than about corporations having a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Securities Exchange Act”).

 

State and Federal Laws. An issuer’s obligations under its Municipal Securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. These laws may extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or restrict the Fund’s ability to collect payments due on Municipal Securities. In addition, recent amendments to some statutes governing security interests (e.g., Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code) change the way in which security interests and liens securing Municipal Securities are perfected. These amendments may have an adverse impact on existing Municipal Securities (particularly issues of Municipal Securities that do not have a corporate trustee who is responsible for filing UCC financing statements to continue the security interest or lien).

 

Litigation and Current Developments. Litigation or other conditions may materially adversely affect the power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on and principal of its Municipal Securities. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for tax-exempt obligations, or may materially affect the credit risk with respect to

25


particular bonds or notes. Adverse economic, business, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of a Fund’s Municipal Securities in the same manner.

 

New Legislation. From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on tax exempt bonds, and similar proposals may be introduced in the future. The Supreme Court has held that Congress has the constitutional authority to enact such legislation. It is not possible to determine what effect the adoption of such proposals could have on (i) the availability of Municipal Securities for investment by the Funds, and (ii) the value of the investment portfolios of the Funds.

 

Limitations on the Use of Municipal Securities

 

The Funds may invest in Municipal Securities if JPMIM determines that such Municipal Securities offer attractive yields. The Funds may invest in Municipal Securities either by purchasing them directly or by purchasing certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing direct ownership of interest payments or principal payments, or both, on Municipal Securities, provided that, in the opinion of counsel to the initial seller of each such certificate or instrument, any discount accruing on such certificate or instrument that is purchased at a yield not greater than the coupon rate of interest on the related Municipal Securities will to the same extent as interest on such Municipal Securities be exempt from federal income tax and state income tax (where applicable) and not treated as a preference item for individuals for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

The Funds may also invest in Municipal Securities by purchasing from banks participation interests in all or part of specific holdings of Municipal Securities. Such participation may be backed in whole or in part by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of the selling bank. The selling bank may receive a fee from a Fund in connection with the arrangement. A Fund will not purchase participation interests unless it receives an opinion of counsel or a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service that interest earned by it on Municipal Securities in which it holds such participation interest is exempt from federal income tax and state income tax (where applicable) and not treated as a preference item for individuals for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. Each Fund will limit its investment in municipal leases to no more than 5% of its total assets.

 

Options and Futures Transactions

 

A Fund may purchase and sell (a) exchange traded and OTC put and call options on securities, indexes of securities and futures contracts on securities and indexes of securities and (b) futures contracts on securities and indexes of securities. Each of these instruments is a derivative instrument as its value derives from the underlying asset or index.

 

Subject to its investment objective and policies, a Fund may use futures contracts and options for hedging and risk management purposes and to seek to enhance portfolio performance. A Fund may not use futures contracts and options for speculation.

 

Options and futures contracts may be used to manage a Fund’s exposure to changing interest rates and/or security prices. Some options and futures strategies, including selling futures contracts and buying puts, tend to hedge a Fund’s investments against price fluctuations. Other strategies, including buying futures contracts and buying calls, tend to increase market exposure. Options and futures contracts may be combined with each other or with forward contracts in order to adjust the risk and return characteristics of a Fund’s overall strategy in a manner deemed appropriate by the Fund’s Adviser and consistent with the Fund’s objective and policies. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.

 

The use of options and futures is a highly specialized activity that involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, and there can be no

26


guarantee that their use will increase a Fund’s return. While the use of these instruments by a Fund may reduce certain risks associated with owning its portfolio securities, these techniques themselves entail certain other risks. If a Fund’s Adviser applies a strategy at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions or trends incorrectly, options and futures strategies may lower a Fund’s return. Certain strategies limit a Fund’s opportunities to realize gains, as well as its exposure to losses. A Fund may also experience losses if the prices of its options and futures positions were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid secondary market. In addition, the Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions and option premiums, in connection with its futures and options transactions, and these transactions may significantly increase the Fund’s turnover rate.

 

The Funds have filed a 4.5 notice under the Commodity Exchange Act and are operated by a person who has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, who is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

Purchasing Put and Call Options. By purchasing a put option, a Fund obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, a Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indexes of securities, indexes of securities prices, and futures contracts. A Fund may terminate its position in a put option it has purchased by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. A Fund may also close out a put option position by entering into an offsetting transaction, if a liquid market exists. If the option is allowed to expire, a Fund will lose the entire premium it paid. If a Fund exercises a put option on a security, it will sell the instrument underlying the option at the strike price. If a Fund exercises an option on an index, settlement is in cash and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. If an option is American style, it may be exercised on any day up to its expiration date. A European style option may be exercised only on its expiration date.

 

The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the value of the underlying instrument falls substantially. However, if the price of the instrument underlying the option does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss (limited to the amount of the premium paid, plus related transaction costs).

 

The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the purchaser of a call option obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the instrument underlying the option at the option’s strike price. A call buyer typically attempts to participate in potential price increases of the instrument underlying the option with risk limited to the cost of the option if security prices fall. At the same time, the buyer can expect to suffer a loss if security prices do not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.

 

Selling (Writing) Put and Call Options. When a Fund writes a put option, it takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option’s purchaser. In return for the receipt of the premium, a Fund assumes the obligation to pay the strike price for the instrument underlying the option if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. A Fund may seek to terminate its position in a put option it writes before exercise by purchasing an offsetting option in the market at its current price. If the market is not liquid for a put option a Fund has written, however, it must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes, and must continue to post margin as discussed below.

 

If the price of the underlying instrument rises, a put writer would generally expect to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it received. If security prices remain the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If security prices fall, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing and holding the underlying instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should offset a portion of the decline.

 

27


Writing a call option obligates a Fund to sell or deliver the option’s underlying instrument in return for the strike price upon exercise of the option. The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if prices remain the same or fall. Through receipt of the option premium a call writer offsets part of the effect of a price decline. At the same time, because a call writer must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, even if its current value is greater, a call writer gives up some ability to participate in security price increases.

 

The writer of an exchange traded put or call option on a security, an index of securities or a futures contract is required to deposit cash or securities or a letter of credit as margin and to make mark to market payments of variation margin as the position becomes unprofitable.

 

Engaging in Straddles and Spreads. In a straddle transaction, a Fund either buys a call and a put or sells a call and a put on the same security. In a spread, a Fund purchases and sells a call or a put. A Fund will sell a straddle when the Fund’s Adviser believes the price of a security will be stable. The Fund will receive a premium on the sale of the put and the call. A spread permits a Fund to make a hedged investment that the price of a security will increase or decline.

 

Options on Indexes. Options on securities indexes are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options is settled by cash payment and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, these options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security. A Fund, in purchasing or selling index options, is subject to the risk that the value of its portfolio securities may not change as much as an index because a Fund’s investments generally will not match the composition of an index.

 

For a number of reasons, a liquid market may not exist and thus a Fund may not be able to close out an option position that it has previously entered into. When a Fund purchases an OTC option (as defined below), it will be relying on its counterparty to perform its obligations and the Fund may incur additional losses if the counterparty is unable to perform.

 

Exchange-Traded and OTC Options. All options purchased or sold by a Fund will be traded on a securities exchange or will be purchased or sold by securities dealers (“OTC options”) that meet creditworthiness standards approved by the Board of Trustees. While exchange-traded options are obligations of the Options Clearing Corporation, in the case of OTC options, a Fund relies on the dealer from which it purchased the option to perform if the option is exercised. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the dealer from which it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying securities. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by a Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.

 

Provided that a Fund has arrangements with certain qualified dealers who agree that a Fund may repurchase any option it writes for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula, a Fund may treat the underlying securities used to cover written OTC options as liquid. In these cases, the OTC option itself would only be considered illiquid to the extent that the maximum repurchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option.

 

Futures Contracts . When a Fund purchases a futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified future date or to make a cash payment based on the value of a securities index. When a Fund sells a futures contract, it agrees to sell a specified quantity of the underlying instrument at a specified future date or to receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when a Fund enters into the contract. Futures can be held until their delivery dates or the position can be (and normally is) closed out before then. There is no assurance, however, that a liquid market will exist when the Fund wishes to close out a particular position.

 

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When a Fund purchases a futures contract, the value of the futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a Fund’s exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if it had purchased the underlying instrument directly. When a Fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the value of the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the underlying instrument had been sold.

 

The purchaser or seller of a futures contract is not required to deliver or pay for the underlying instrument unless the contract is held until the delivery date. However, when a Fund buys or sells a futures contract it will be required to deposit “initial margin” with a futures commission merchant (“FCM”). Initial margin deposits are typically equal to a small percentage of the contract’s value. If the value of either party’s position declines, that party will be required to make additional “variation margin” payments equal to the change in value on a daily basis. The party that has a gain may be entitled to receive all or a portion of this amount. A Fund may be obligated to make payments of variation margin at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so. Furthermore, it may not always be possible for a Fund to close out its futures positions. Until it closes out a futures position, a Fund will be obligated to continue to pay variation margin. Initial and variation margin payments do not constitute purchasing on margin for purposes of a Fund’s investment restrictions. In the event of the bankruptcy of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of a Fund, the Fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM’s other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Each Fund will earmark and reserve Fund assets, in cash or liquid securities, in connection with its use of options and futures contracts to the extent required by the staff of the SEC. Such assets cannot be sold while the futures contract or option is outstanding unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. As a result, there is a possibility that earmarking and reservation of a large percentage of a Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or a Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

The Funds only invest in futures contracts to the extent they could invest in the underlying instrument directly.

 

Cash Equitization. The objective where equity futures are used to “equitize” cash is to match the notional value of all futures contracts to a Fund’s cash balance. The notional values of the futures contracts and of the cash are monitored daily. As the cash is invested in securities and/or paid out to participants in redemptions, the Adviser simultaneously adjusts the futures positions. Through such procedures, a Fund not only gains equity exposure from the use of futures, but also benefits from increased flexibility in responding to client cash flow needs. Additionally, because it can be less expensive to trade a list of securities as a package or program trade rather than as a group of individual orders, futures provide a means through which transaction costs can be reduced. Such non-hedging risk management techniques are not speculative, but because they involve leverage include, as do all leveraged transactions, the possibility of losses as well as gains that are greater than if these techniques involved the purchase and sale of the securities themselves rather than their synthetic derivatives.

 

Options on Futures Contracts. Futures contracts obligate the buyer to take and the seller to make delivery at a future date of a specified quantity of a financial instrument or an amount of cash based on the value of a securities index. Currently, futures contracts are available on various types of securities, including but not limited to U.S. Treasury bonds, notes and bills, Eurodollar certificates of deposit and on indexes of securities. Unlike a futures contract, which requires the parties to buy and sell a security or make a cash settlement payment based on changes in a financial instrument or securities index on an agreed date, an option on a futures contract entitles its holder to decide on or before a future date whether to enter into such a contract. If the holder decides not to exercise its option, the holder may close out the option position by entering into an offsetting transaction or may decide to let the option expire and forfeit the premium thereon. The purchaser of an option on a futures contract pays a premium for the option but makes no initial margin payments or daily payments of cash in the nature of “variation margin” payments to reflect the change in the value of the underlying contract as does a purchaser or seller of a futures contract.

 

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The seller of an option on a futures contract receives the premium paid by the purchaser and may be required to pay initial margin. Amounts equal to the initial margin and any additional collateral required on any options on futures contracts sold by a Fund are earmarked by a Fund and set aside by the Fund, as required by the 1940 Act and the SEC’s interpretations thereunder.

 

Combined Positions. Certain Funds may purchase and write options in combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, a Fund may purchase a put option and write a call option on the same underlying instrument, in order to construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, in order to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.

 

Correlation of Price Changes. Because there are a limited number of types of exchange-traded options and futures contracts, it is likely that the standardized options and futures contracts available will not match a Fund’s current or anticipated investments exactly. A Fund may invest in options and futures contracts based on securities with different issuers, maturities, or other characteristics from the securities in which it typically invests, which involves a risk that the options or futures position will not track the performance of a Fund’s other investments.

 

Options and futures contracts prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments match the Fund’s investments well. Options and futures contracts prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect correlation may also result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, or from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. A Fund may purchase or sell options and futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge or intends to purchase in order to attempt to compensate for differences in volatility between the contract and the securities, although this may not be successful in all cases. If price changes in a Fund’s options or futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments, the positions may fail to produce anticipated gains or result in losses that are not offset by gains in other investments.

 

Liquidity of Options and Futures Contracts. There is no assurance that a liquid market will exist for any particular option or futures contract at any particular time even if the contract is traded on an exchange. In addition, exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for options and futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract’s price moves up or down more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the price fluctuation limit is reached or a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible for a Fund to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or otherwise, it could prevent prompt liquidation of unfavorable positions, and could potentially require a Fund to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value. As a result, a Fund’s access to other assets held to cover its options or futures positions could also be impaired. (See “Exchange-Traded and OTC Options” above for a discussion of the liquidity of options not traded on an exchange.)

 

Position Limits. Futures exchanges can limit the number of futures and options on futures contracts that can be held or controlled by an entity. If an adequate exemption cannot be obtained, a Fund or the Fund’s Adviser may be required to reduce the size of its futures and options positions or may not be able to trade a certain futures or options contract in order to avoid exceeding such limits.

 

Asset Coverage for Futures Contracts and Options Positions. Although the Funds will not be commodity pools, certain derivatives subject the Funds to the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading

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Commission which limit the extent to which a Fund can invest in such derivatives. A Fund may invest in futures contracts and options with respect thereto for hedging purposes without limit.

 

A Fund will comply with guidelines established by the SEC with respect to coverage of options and futures contracts by mutual funds, and if the guidelines so require, will set aside appropriate liquid assets in the amount prescribed. Such assets cannot be sold while the futures contract or option is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. As a result, there is a possibility that the reservation of a large percentage of a Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or a Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

Certain of the Funds may invest in equity interests or debt obligations issued by REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses incurred by REITs in which a Fund invests in addition to the expenses incurred directly by a Fund.

Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.

REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investment in such loans will gradually align themselves to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.

Investment in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. These risks include:

 

limited financial resources;

 

 

infrequent or limited trading; and

 

 

more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities.

In addition, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, historically have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500 Index.

Repurchase Agreements

The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements with brokers, dealers or banks that meet the Adviser’s credit guidelines. A Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with member banks of the Federal

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Reserve System and securities dealers believed creditworthy, and only if the agreement is collateralized by securities in which the Fund is permitted to invest. In a repurchase agreement, a Fund buys a security from a seller that has agreed to repurchase the same security at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The resale price normally is in excess of the purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon interest rate. This interest rate is effective for the period of time a Fund is invested in the agreement and is not related to the coupon rate on the underlying security. A repurchase agreement may also be viewed as a fully collateralized loan of money by a Fund to the seller. Except in the case of a tri-party agreement, the maximum maturity of a repurchase agreement will be seven days. In the case of a tri-party agreement, the maximum maturity of a repurchase agreement will be 95 days, or as limited by the specific repurchase agreement. The securities which are subject to repurchase agreements, however, may have maturity dates in excess of 95 days from the effective date of the repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days are treated as illiquid for purposes of the Funds’ restrictions on purchases of illiquid securities. The Funds will always receive securities as collateral during the term of the agreement whose market value is at least equal to 100% of the dollar amount invested by the Funds in each agreement plus accrued interest. The repurchase agreements further authorize the Funds to demand additional collateral in the event that the value of the collateral falls below 100%. The Funds will make payment for such securities only upon physical delivery or upon evidence of book entry transfer to the account of the Custodian.

 

A repurchase agreement is subject to the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. In the event of default by the seller under a repurchase agreement construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities would not be owned by the Fund, but would only constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price. Therefore, a Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs in connection with the disposition of the collateral. The collateral underlying repurchase agreements may be more susceptible to claims of the seller’s creditors than would be the case with securities owned by the Fund.

 

Certain of the Funds may invest in repurchase agreements where the underlying securities are non-governmental securities but only if the Funds would be permitted to invest in such securities directly. These repurchase securities are subject to additional risks.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Some of the Funds may borrow money for temporary purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, a Fund would sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers, and agree to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price. A Fund would enter into reverse repurchase agreements only to avoid otherwise selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. At the time a Fund entered into a reverse repurchase agreement, it would place in a segregated custodial account assets, such as cash or liquid securities consistent with the Fund’s investment restrictions and having a value equal to the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and would subsequently monitor the account to ensure that such equivalent value was maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered by the SEC to be borrowings by a Fund under the 1940 Act.

Securities Lending

To generate additional income, each of the Funds except the Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust, may lend up to 33-1/3% of such Fund’s total assets pursuant to agreements requiring that the loan be continuously secured by cash as collateral equal at all times to at least 100% of the market value plus accrued interest on the securities lent. The Funds receive payments from the borrowers equivalent to the dividends and interest which would have been earned on the securities lent while simultaneously seeking to earn interest on the investment of cash collateral in investments permitted by the Confidential Offering Memorandum and the investment guidelines approved by the Trust’s board of trustees. Collateral is marked to market daily to provide a level of collateral at least equal to the market value plus accrued interest of the securities lent. There may be risks of delay in recovery of the securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the

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borrower of the securities fail financially. There are no limits on the number of borrowers the Fund may use and the Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. However, loans will only be made to borrowers authorized pursuant to the Securities Lending Agreement with the Funds. Loans are subject to termination by the Funds or the borrower at any time, and are therefore, not considered to be illiquid investments. The Funds do not have the right to vote proxies for securities on loan. However, JPMIM will instruct the securities lending agent to terminate a loan and regain the right to vote if it were considered material with respect to an investment.

Short-Term Funding Agreements

To enhance yield, some Funds may make limited investments in short-term funding agreements issued by banks and highly rated U.S. insurance companies. Short-term funding agreements issued by insurance companies are sometimes referred to as Guaranteed Investment Contracts (“GICs”), while those issued by banks are referred to as Bank Investment Contracts (“BICs”). Pursuant to such agreements, the Funds make cash contributions to a deposit account at a bank or insurance company. The bank or insurance company then credits to the Funds on a monthly basis guaranteed interest at either a fixed, variable or floating rate. These contracts are general obligations of the issuing bank or insurance company (although they may be the obligations of an insurance company separate account) and are paid from the general assets of the issuing entity.

The Funds will purchase short-term funding agreements only from banks and insurance companies which, at the time of purchase, are rated in one of the three highest rating categories and have assets of $1 billion or more. Generally, there is no active secondary market in short-term funding agreements. Therefore, short-term funding agreements may be considered by the Funds to be illiquid investments. To the extent that a short-term funding agreement is determined to be illiquid, such agreements will be acquired by the Funds only if, at the time of purchase, no more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in short-term funding agreements and other illiquid securities.

Structured Instruments

A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security. This restructuring involves the deposit with or purchase by an entity, such as a corporation or trust, or specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans) and the issuance by that entity or one or more classes of securities (“structured securities”) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments. Because structured securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured securities are generally of a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured instruments include structured notes. In addition to the risks applicable to investments in structured investments and debt securities in general, structured notes bear the risk that the issuer may not be required to pay interest on the structured note if the index rate rises above or falls below a certain level. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Investments in government and government-related restructured debt instruments are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt and requests to extend additional loan amounts. Structured investments include a wide variety of instruments including, without limitation, CDOs.

 

Structured instruments that are registered under the federal securities laws may be treated as liquid. In addition, many structured instruments may not be registered under the federal securities laws. In that event, a Fund’s ability to resell such a structured instrument may be more limited than its ability to resell other Fund securities. The Funds will treat such instruments as illiquid, and will limit their investments in

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such instruments to no more than 15% of each Fund’s net assets, when combined with all other illiquid investments of each Fund.

Swaps and Related Swap Products

 

Swap transactions may include, but are not limited to, interest rate swaps, currency swaps, cross-currency interest rate swaps, forward rate agreements, contracts for differences, total return swaps, index swaps, basket swaps, specific security swaps, fixed income sectors swaps, commodity swaps, asset-backed swaps (ABX), credit default swaps, interest rate caps, floors and collars and swaptions (collectively defined as “swap transactions”).

 

A Fund may enter into swap transactions for any legal purpose consistent with its investment objective and policies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining that return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in cash markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, to protect against any increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in the most economical way possible.

 

Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional counterparties for periods ranging from a few weeks to several years. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) that would be earned or realized on specified notional investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated by reference to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or commodity, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. The purchaser of an interest rate cap or floor, upon payment of a fee, has the right to receive payments (and the seller of the cap or floor is obligated to make payments) to the extent a specified interest rate exceeds (in the case of a cap) or is less than (in the case of a floor) a specified level over a specified period of time or at specified dates. The purchaser of an interest rate collar, upon payment of a fee, has the right to receive payments (and the seller of the collar is obligated to make payments) to the extent that a specified interest rate falls outside an agreed upon range over a specified period of time or at specified dates. The purchaser of an option on an interest rate swap, upon payment of a fee (either at the time of purchase or in the form of higher payments or lower receipts within an interest rate swap transaction) has the right, but not the obligation, to initiate a new swap transaction of a pre-specified notional amount with pre-specified terms with the seller of the option as the counterparty.

 

The “notional amount” of a swap transaction is the agreed upon basis for calculating the payments that the parties have agreed to exchange. For example, one swap counterparty may agree to pay a floating rate of interest (e.g., 3 month LIBOR) calculated based on a $10 million notional amount on a quarterly basis in exchange for receipt of payments calculated based on the same notional amount and a fixed rate of interest on a semi-annual basis. In the event a Fund is obligated to make payments more frequently than it receives payments from the other party, it will incur incremental credit exposure to that swap counterparty. This risk may be mitigated somewhat by the use of swap agreements which call for a net payment to be made by the party with the larger payment obligation when the obligations of the parties fall due on the same date. Under most swap agreements entered into by a Fund, payments by the parties will be exchanged on a “net basis”, and a Fund will receive or pay, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.

 

The amount of a Fund’s potential gain or loss on any swap transaction is not subject to any fixed limit. Nor is there any fixed limit on a Fund’s potential loss if it sells a cap or collar. If a Fund buys a cap, floor or collar, however, the Fund’s potential loss is limited to the amount of the fee that it has paid. When measured against the initial amount of cash required to initiate the transaction, which is typically zero in the case of most conventional swap transactions, swaps, caps, floors and collars tend to be more volatile than many other types of instruments.

 

The use of swap transactions, caps, floors and collars involves investment techniques and risks that are different from those associated with portfolio security transactions. If a Fund’s Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates, and other applicable factors, the investment performance of the

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Fund will be less favorable than if these techniques had not been used. These instruments are typically not traded on exchanges. Accordingly, there is a risk that the other party to certain of these instruments will not perform its obligations to a Fund or that a Fund may be unable to enter into offsetting positions to terminate its exposure or liquidate its position under certain of these instruments when it wishes to do so. Such occurrences could result in losses to a Fund. A Fund’s Adviser will consider such risks and will enter into swap and other derivatives transactions only when it believes that the risks are not unreasonable.

 

A Fund will earmark and reserve Fund assets, in cash or liquid securities, in an amount sufficient at all times to cover its current obligations under its swap transactions, caps, floors and collars. If a Fund enters into a swap agreement on a net basis, it will earmark and reserve assets with a daily value at least equal to the excess, if any, of a Fund’s accrued obligations under the swap agreement over the accrued amount a Fund is entitled to receive under the agreement. If a Fund enters into a swap agreement on other than a net basis, or sells a cap, floor or collar, it will earmark and reserve assets with a daily value at least equal to the full amount of a Fund’s accrued obligations under the agreement. A Fund will not enter into any swap transaction, cap, floor, or collar, unless the counterparty to the transaction is deemed creditworthy by the Fund’s Adviser. If a counterparty defaults, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap markets in which many types of swap transactions are traded have grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the markets for certain types of swaps (e.g., interest rate swaps) have become relatively liquid. The markets for some types of caps, floors and collars are less liquid.

 

The liquidity of swap transactions, caps, floors and collars will be as set forth in guidelines established by a Fund’s Adviser and approved by the Trustees which are based on various factors, including: (1) the availability of dealer quotations and the estimated transaction volume for the instrument, (2) the number of dealers and end users for the instrument in the marketplace, (3) the level of market making by dealers in the type of instrument, (4) the nature of the instrument (including any right of a party to terminate it on demand) and (5) the nature of the marketplace for trades (including the ability to assign or offset a Fund’s rights and obligations relating to the instrument). Such determination will govern whether the instrument will be deemed within the applicable liquidity restriction on investments in securities that are not readily marketable.

 

During the term of a swap, cap, floor or collar, changes in the value of the instrument are recognized as unrealized gains or losses by marking to market to reflect the market value of the instrument. When the instrument is terminated, a Fund will record a realized gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction and a Fund’s basis in the contract.

 

The federal income tax treatment with respect to swap transactions, caps, floors, and collars may impose limitations on the extent to which a Fund may engage in such transactions.

 

Credit Default Swaps. As described above, swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In the case of a credit default swap (CDS), the contract gives one party (the buyer) the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of debt securities of the reference issuer if the credit event (a downgrade or default) occurs. This value is obtained by delivering a debt security of the reference issuer to the party in return for a previously agreed payment from the other party (frequently, the par value of the debt security).

 

Credit default swaps may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. A Fund will segregate assets necessary to meet any accrued payment obligations when it is the buyer of CDS. In cases where a Fund is a seller of a CDS, if the CDS is physically settled, the Fund will be required to segregate the full notional amount of the CDS.

 

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If a Fund is a seller of a CDS contract, the Fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporate issuer, with respect to debt obligations. In return, a Fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, a Fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

 

If a Fund is a buyer of a CDS contract, the Fund would have the right to deliver a referenced debt obligation and receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of such debt obligation from the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event (such as a credit downgrade) by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporation, with respect to its debt obligations. In return, the Fund would pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the counterparty would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligations to the Fund.

 

The use of CDSs, like all swap agreements, is subject to certain risks. If a counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap would likely decline. Moreover, there is no guarantee that a Fund could eliminate its exposure under an outstanding swap agreement by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same or another party.

 

Synthetic Variable Rate Instruments.

 

Synthetic variable rate instruments generally involve the deposit of a long-term tax exempt bond in a custody or trust arrangement and the creation of a mechanism to adjust the long-term interest rate on the bond to a variable short-term rate and a right (subject to certain conditions) on the part of the purchaser to tender it periodically to a third party at par. A Fund’s Adviser reviews the structure of synthetic variable rate instruments to identify credit and liquidity risks (including the conditions under which the right to tender the instrument would no longer be available) and will monitor those risks. In the event that the right to tender the instrument is no longer available, the risk to the Fund will be that of holding the long-term bond. In the case of some types of instruments credit enhancement is not provided, and if certain events occur, which may include (a) default in the payment of principal or interest on the underlying bond, (b) downgrading of the bond below investment grade or (c) a loss of the bond’s tax exempt status, then the put will terminate and the risk to the Fund will be that of holding a long-term bond.

 

Total Annual Operating Expenses set forth in the fee table and Financial Highlights section of the Fund’s Confidential Offering Memorandum do not include any expenses associated with investments in certain structured or synthetic products that may rely on the exception for the definition of “investment company” provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.

 

Treasury Receipts

 

A Fund may purchase interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. Treasury obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. Treasury notes and U.S. Treasury bonds into a special account at a custodian bank. Receipts include Treasury Receipts (“TRs”), Treasury Investment Growth Receipts (“TIGRs”), and Certificates of Accrual on Treasury Securities (“CATS”). Receipts in which an entity other than the government separates the interest and principal components are not considered government securities unless such securities are issued through the Treasury Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities (“STRIPS”) program.

 

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U.S. Government Obligations

 

U.S. government obligations may include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, notes and bonds, all of which are backed as to principal and interest payments by the full faith and credit of the United States, and separately traded principal and interest component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the Federal book-entry system known as STRIPS and Coupon Under Book Entry Safekeeping (“CUBES”). The Funds may also invest in TIPS.

 

The principal and interest components of United States Treasury bonds with remaining maturities of longer than ten years are eligible to be traded independently under the STRIPS program. Under the STRIPS program, the principal and interest components are separately issued by the United States Treasury at the request of depository financial institutions, which then trade the component parts separately. The interest component of STRIPS may be more volatile than that of United States Treasury bills with comparable maturities.

 

Other obligations include those issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. These obligations may or may not be backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States include obligations of Ginnie Mae, the Farmers Home Administration, and the Export-Import Bank. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Funds must look principally to the federal agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments. Securities in which the Funds may invest that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States include, but are not limited to: (i) obligations of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Federal Home Loan Banks and the U.S. Postal Service, each of which has the right to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet its obligations; (ii) securities issued by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which are supported only by the credit of such securities, but for which the Secretary of the Treasury has discretionary authority to purchase limited amounts of the agency’s obligations; and (iii) obligations of the Federal Farm Credit System and the Student Loan Marketing Association, each of whose obligations may be satisfied only by the individual credits of the issuing agency.

 

When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments

Some Funds may purchase securities on a “when-issued” and forward commitment basis. When a Fund agrees to purchase securities on this basis, the Fund’s custodian will set aside cash or liquid portfolio securities equal to the amount of the commitment in a separate account. The Funds may purchase securities on a when-issued basis when deemed by JPMIM to present attractive investment opportunities. When-issued securities are purchased for delivery beyond the normal settlement date at a stated price and yield, thereby involving the risk that the yield obtained will be less than that available in the market at delivery. The Funds generally will not pay for such securities or earn interest on them until received. Although the purchase of securities on a when-issued basis is not considered to be leveraging, it has the effect of leveraging. When JPMIM purchases a when-issued security, the custodian will set aside cash or liquid securities to satisfy the purchase commitment. In such a case, a Fund may be required subsequently to place additional assets in the separate account in order to assure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund’s commitment. In addition, when a Fund engages in “when-issued” transactions, it relies on the seller to consummate the trade. Failure of the seller to do so may result in the Fund’s incurring a loss or missing the opportunity to obtain a price considered to be advantageous.

 

Each of the Funds may purchase securities on a forward commitment basis. In order to invest a Fund’s assets immediately while awaiting delivery of securities purchased on a forward commitment basis, short-term obligations that offer same-day settlement and earnings will normally be purchased. When a commitment to purchase a security on a forward commitment basis is made, procedures are established consistent with the General Statement of Policy of the SEC concerning such purchases. Since that policy currently recommends that an amount of a Fund’s assets equal to the amount of the purchase be held aside or

 

37


segregated to be used to pay for the commitment, cash or liquid securities equal to the amount of such Fund’s commitments will be reserved for payment of the commitment. For the purpose of determining the adequacy of the securities reserved for payment of commitments, the reserved securities will be valued at market value. If the market value of such securities declines, additional cash, cash equivalents or highly liquid securities will be reserved for payment of the commitment so that the value of the Fund’s assets reserved for payment of a commitment will equal the amount of such commitments purchased by the respective Fund.

 

Although it is not intended that such purchases would be made for speculative purposes, purchases of securities on a forward commitment basis may involve more risk than other types of purchases. Securities purchased on a forward commitment basis and the securities held in the respective Fund’s portfolio are subject to changes in value based upon the public’s perception of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment basis can involve the risk that the yields available in the market when the delivery takes place may actually be higher or lower than those obtained in the transaction itself. On the settlement date of the forward commitment transaction, the respective Fund will meet its obligations from then available cash flow, sale of securities reserved for payment of the commitment, sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, sale of the forward commitment securities themselves (which may have a value greater or lesser than such Fund’s payment obligations). The sale of securities to meet such obligations may result in the realization of capital gains or losses. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment basis can also involve the risk of default by the other party on its obligation, delaying or preventing the Fund from recovering the collateral or completing the transaction.

 

To the extent a Fund engages in forward commitment transactions, it will do so for the purpose of acquiring securities consistent with its investment objective and policies and not for the purpose of investment leverage.

 

Limitations on the Use of When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments. No Fund intends to purchase “when-issued” securities for speculative purposes but only for the purpose of acquiring portfolio securities. Because a Fund will set aside cash or liquid portfolio securities to satisfy its purchase commitments in the manner described, the Fund’s liquidity and the ability of JPMIM to manage the Fund might be affected in the event its commitments to purchase when-issued securities ever exceeded 40% of the value of its assets. Commitments to purchase when-issued securities will not, under normal market conditions, exceed 25% of a Fund’s total assets. A Fund may dispose of a when-issued security or forward commitment prior to settlement if JPMIM deems it appropriate to do so.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The following investment restrictions are Fundamental and may be changed with respect to a particular Fund only by a vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of that Fund. See “Additional Information—Miscellaneous” in this Supplement. Additional investment restrictions may be found in the Confidential Offering Memorandum.

 

FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

The Funds have adopted certain investment restrictions that are fundamental and may not be changed without approval by a majority vote of the Funds’ shareholders. Such majority is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Funds present in person or by proxy at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds.

1.

Borrowing. The Funds may (i) borrow for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements, make other investments or engage in other transactions, that may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Funds’ investment objective and program, provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Funds’ total assets (including

 

38


 

 

the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. The Funds may borrow from banks or other persons to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

2.

Senior Securities. The Funds may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

3.

Underwriting. The Funds may not underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that the Funds may be deemed to be an underwriter, within the meaning of the 1933 Act, in connection with the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities in the ordinary course of pursuing its investment objective, policies and program.

 

4.

Purchases of Commodities. The Funds may not purchase or sell physical commodities, except that it may (i) enter into futures contracts and options thereon in accordance with applicable law and (ii) purchase or sell physical commodities if acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. The Funds will not consider stock index futures contracts, currency contracts, hybrid investments, swaps or other similar instruments to be commodities.

 

5.

Loans. The Funds may not lend any security or make any loan if, as a result, more than 33-1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities or money market instruments or to entering into repurchase agreements by the Funds.

 

6.

Concentration. The Funds may not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 25% of the Funds’ total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers, the principal business activities of which are in the same industry, provided that this limitation does not apply to investment in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, state or local governments, or their agencies or instrumentalities.

 

7.

Real Estate. The Funds may not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Funds may purchase (i) securities of issuers that invest or deal in real estate, (ii) securities that are directly or indirectly secured by real estate or interests in real estate, and (iii) securities that represent interests in real estate, and the Funds may acquire and dispose of real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of debt obligations secured by real estate or interests therein. In addition, the Funds may make direct investments in mortgages.

 

8.

Diversification. The Funds may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the Funds’ total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Funds would hold more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer.

 

NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

The following investment restrictions are Non-Fundamental except as noted otherwise and therefore can be changed by the Board of Trustees without prior shareholder approval.

The following policy applies to the Equity Index Trust:

 

The Fund may not invest more than 10% of its total assets in securities issued or guaranteed by the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities. Repurchase agreements held in margin deposits and segregated accounts for futures contracts are not considered issued or guaranteed by the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities for purposes of the 10% limitation.

 

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Portfolio Turnover

A portfolio turnover rate is, in summary, the percentage computed by dividing the lesser of a Fund’s purchases or sales of securities (excluding short-term securities) by the average market value of the Fund. The Adviser intends to manage each Fund’s assets by buying and selling securities to help attain its investment objective. The table below sets forth the Funds’ portfolio turnover rates for the last two fiscal years. A rate of 100% indicates that the equivalent of all of a Fund’s assets have been sold and reinvested in a year. High portfolio turnover may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions, and, as a result, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Higher portfolio turnover also results in higher transaction costs. To the extent that net short term capital gains are realized by a Fund, any distributions resulting from such gains are considered ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. See “Distribution and Tax Matters” below.

 

Funds

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2006

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2007

Core Bond Trust

12%

12%

Equity Index Trust

5

10

Intermediate Bond Trust

6

14

 

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX MATTERS

 

The following discussion is a brief summary of some of the important federal (and, where noted, state) income tax consequences affecting each Fund and its shareholders. Except as otherwise noted in Confidential Offering Memorandum, the Funds are not intended for foreign shareholders. As a result, this section does not address the tax consequences affecting any shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, foreign trust or estate, foreign corporation, or foreign partnership. This section is based on the Code, the regulations thereunder, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. The discussion is very general, and therefore prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors about the impact an investment in a Fund may have on their own tax situations and the possible application of foreign, state and local law.

 

Each Fund generally will be treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes, and thus the provisions of the Code generally will be applied to each Fund separately. Net long-term and short-term capital gains, net income and operating expenses therefore will be determined separately for each Fund.

 

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company. Each Fund intends to elect to be treated and qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders, each Fund must, among other things:

 

 

(a)

derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);

 

 

(b)

distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid—generally, taxable ordinary income and any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and net tax-exempt interest income, for such year; and

 

 

(c)

diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items,

 

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U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, that are limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than cash or cash items, or securities issued by the U.S. government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as defined below). In the case of a Fund’s investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat both the financial intermediary and the issuer of the underlying loan as an issuer for the purposes of meeting this diversification requirement.

 

In general, for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described in paragraph (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized by the regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (defined as a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in paragraph (a)(i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Finally, for purposes of paragraph (c) above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership.

 

Gains from foreign currencies (including foreign currency options, foreign currency futures and foreign currency forward contracts) currently constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% test. However, the Treasury Department has the authority to issue regulations (possibly retroactively) excluding from the definition of “qualifying income” a fund’s foreign currency gains to the extent that such income is not directly related to the fund’s principal business of investing in stock or securities.

 

If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, defined below).

 

Excise Tax on Regulated Investment Companies. If a Fund were to fail to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. The Funds intend to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax, although each Fund reserves the right to pay an excise tax rather than make an additional distribution when circumstances warrant (e.g., the payment of the excise tax amount is deemed by a Fund to be de minimis ). Certain derivative instruments give rise to ordinary income and loss. If a Fund has a taxable year that begins in one calendar year and ends in the next calendar year, the Fund will be required to make this excise tax distribution during its taxable year. There is a risk that a Fund could recognize income prior to making this excise tax distribution and could recognize losses after making this distribution. As a result, an excise tax distribution could constitute a return of capital (see discussion below).

 

Fund Distributions. The Funds anticipate distributing substantially all of their net investment income for each taxable year. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder may have owned shares in the Fund. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”)

 

41


 

will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, “qualified dividend income” received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, each Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (i) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (ii) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (iii) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (iv) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”).

 

In general, distributions of investment income designated by a Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s shares. In any event, if the qualified dividend income received by each Fund during any taxable year is 95% or more of its "gross income", then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term “gross income” is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.

 

If a Fund receives dividends from an underlying fund, and the underlying fund designates such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” then the Fund may, in turn, designate a portion of its distributions as “qualified dividend income” as well, provided the Fund meets the holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the underlying fund.

 

Long-term capital gain rates applicable to most individuals have been temporarily reduced to 15% (with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets) for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010.

 

Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received by the shareholder with respect to those shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other shares of such Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

A distribution paid to shareholders by a Fund in January of a year generally is deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31 of the preceding year, if the distribution was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. The Funds will provide federal tax information annually, including information about dividends and distributions paid during the preceding year to taxable investors and others requesting such information.

 

If a Fund makes a distribution to its shareholders in excess of its current and accumulated “earnings and profits” in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of each shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but

 

42


 

it reduces the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by such shareholder of the shares.

 

Dividends and distributions on a Fund’s shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such dividends and distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed.

 

For corporate shareholders (other than S corporations), the dividends-received deduction will generally apply (subject to a holding period requirement imposed by the Code) to a Fund’s dividends paid from investment income to the extent derived from dividends received from U.S. corporations. However, any distributions received by a Fund from real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and PFICs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

 

Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans.

 

Sale or Redemption of Shares. The sale, exchange, or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund will be considered capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received on (or undistributed capital gains credited with respect to) such shares. Capital gain of a non-corporate U.S. shareholder that is recognized in a taxable year beginning on or before December 31, 2010 is generally taxed at a maximum rate of 15% where the property is held by the shareholder for more than one year. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. Depending on a shareholder’s percentage ownership in the Fund, a partial redemption of Fund shares could cause the shareholder to be treated as receiving a dividend, taxable as ordinary income in an amount equal to the full amount of the distribution, rather than capital gain income.

 

Fund Investments. Certain investment and hedging activities of the Funds, including transactions in options, swaptions, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles, swaps, short sales, foreign currencies, inflation-linked securities and foreign securities will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). In a given case, these rules may accelerate income to a Fund, defer losses to a Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of a Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses, or otherwise affect the character of a Fund’s income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders and cause differences between a Fund’s book income and taxable income. Income earned as a result of these transactions would, in general, not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or for treatment as exempt-interest dividends when distributed to shareholders. The Funds will endeavor to make any available elections pertaining to such transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

The Fund’s participation in repurchase agreements and loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders. With respect to any security subject to a repurchase agreement or a securities loan, any (i) amounts received by the Fund in place of dividends earned on the security during the period that such security was not directly held by the Fund will not give rise to qualified dividend income and (ii) withholding taxes accrued on dividends during the period that such security was not directly held by the Fund will not qualify as a foreign tax paid by the Fund and therefore cannot be passed through to shareholders even if the Fund meets the requirements described in “Foreign Taxes,” below.

 

43


 

Certain debt securities purchased by the Funds are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments. Similarly, zero-coupon bonds do not make periodic interest payments. A Fund will be required to include as part of its current income for tax purposes the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because each Fund distributes substantially all of its net investment income to its shareholders (including such imputed interest), a Fund may have to sell portfolio securities in order to generate the cash necessary for the required distributions. Such sales may occur at a time when the Adviser would not otherwise have chosen to sell such securities and may result in a taxable gain or loss. Some of the Funds may invest in inflation-linked debt securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be original issue discount, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though the Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. Therefore, a Fund investing in such securities may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate tax at the Fund level.

 

A Fund may invest to a significant extent in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for a Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by each Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

 

Transactions of certain Funds in foreign currencies, foreign currency denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, future contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may result in ordinary income or loss to a Fund for federal income tax purposes which will be taxable to the shareholders as such when it is distributed to them.

 

Special tax considerations apply if a Fund invests in investment companies taxed as partnerships. In general, the Fund will not recognize income earned by such an investment company until the close of the investment company’s taxable year. However, the Fund will recognize such income as it is earned by the investment company for purposes of determining whether it is subject to the 4% excise tax. Therefore, if the Fund and such an investment company have different taxable years, the Fund may be compelled to make distributions in excess of the income recognized from such an investment company in order to avoid the imposition of the 4% excise tax. A Fund's receipt of a non-liquidating cash distribution from an investment company taxed as a partnership generally will result in recognized gain (but not loss) only to the extent that the amount of the distribution exceeds the Fund's adjusted basis in shares of such investment company before the distribution. A Fund that receives a liquidating cash distribution from an investment company taxable as a partnership will recognize capital gain or loss to the extent of the difference between the proceeds received by the Fund and the Fund's adjusted tax basis in shares of such investment company; however, the Fund will recognize ordinary income, rather than capital gain, to the extent that the Fund's allocable share of "unrealized receivables" (including any accrued but untaxed market discount) exceeds the shareholder's share of the basis in those unrealized receivables.

 

Some of the Funds may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Such investments in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. A Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT will generally not constitute qualified dividend income.

 

44


 

Some of the REITs in which the Funds may invest will be permitted to hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”). Under Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in REMIC (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. These regulations are also expected to provide that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Funds, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest directly.

 

In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions). Any investment in residual interests of a Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (a “CMO”) that has elected to be treated as a REMIC can create complex tax problems, especially if the Fund has state or local governments or other tax-exempt organizations as shareholders. Under current law, the Fund serves to block unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder will recognize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt shareholder may recognize UBTI if the Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income” derived from direct or indirect investments in REMIC residual interests or taxable mortgage pools if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Fund’s investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the Fund).

 

A charitable remainder trust ("CRT"), as defined in section 664 of the Code that realizes unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under recent IRS guidance, a CRT will not recognize UBTI as a result of investing in a Fund that recognizes “excess inclusion income.” Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in a Fund that recognizes “excess inclusion income,” then the Fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its “excess inclusion income” for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, each Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund. The Funds have not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the Fund.

 

A Fund’s investments in certain PFICs could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. In addition, certain interest charges may be imposed on the Fund as a result of such distributions.

 

A PFIC is any foreign corporation in which (i) 75% or more of the gross income for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets (generally by value, but by adjusted tax basis in certain cases) that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. Generally, passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest (including income equivalent to interest), royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gains over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains. Passive income for this purpose does not include rents and royalties received by the foreign corporation from active business and certain income received from related persons. If a Fund is in a position to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), the Fund will be required to include its share of the company’s income and net capital gain annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the company. Alternately, a Fund may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings “to the market” as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those

 

45


 

PFICs on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may have the effect of accelerating the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increasing the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total return. A fund that indirectly invests in PFICs by virtue of the fund’s investment in other investment companies may not make such elections; rather, the underlying investment companies directly investing in the PFICs would decide whether to make such elections. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.”

 

Investment in Other Funds. If a Fund invests in shares of other mutual funds, ETFs or other companies that are taxed as regulated investment companies, as well as certain investments in REITs (collectively, “underlying funds”) its distributable income and gains will normally consist, in part, of distributions from the underlying funds and gains and losses on the disposition of shares of the underlying funds. To the extent that an underlying fund realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the Fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses (so as to offset distributions of net income or capital gains from other underlying funds) until it disposes of shares of the underlying fund. Moreover, even when the Fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as a short-term capital loss or an ordinary deduction. In particular, the Fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of underlying fund shares against its ordinary income (including distributions of any net short-term capital gains realized by an underlying fund). As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that each Fund will be required to distribute to shareholders may be greater than such amounts would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds, rather than investing in shares of the underlying funds. For similar reasons, the character of distributions from the Fund (e.g., long-term capital gain, exempt interest, eligibility for dividends-received deduction, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds.

Depending on a Fund’s percentage ownership in an underlying fund, both before and after a redemption, a redemption of shares of an underlying fund by a Fund may cause the Fund to be treated as not receiving capital gain income on the amount by which the distribution exceeds the tax basis of the Fund in the shares of the underlying fund, but instead to be treated as receiving a dividend. Such a distribution may be treated as qualified dividend income and thus eligible to be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. If qualified dividend income treatment is not available, the distribution may be taxed at ordinary income rates. This could cause shareholders of the Fund to recognize higher amounts of ordinary income than if the shareholders had held the shares of the underlying funds directly.

Under current law, a Fund cannot pass through to shareholders foreign tax credits borne in respect of foreign securities income earned by an underlying fund. Each Fund is permitted to elect to pass through to its shareholders foreign income taxes it pays only if it directly holds more than 50% of its assets in foreign stock and securities at the close of its taxable year. Foreign securities held indirectly through an underlying fund do not contribute to this 50% threshold.

Backup Withholding. Each Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable dividends and other distributions paid to, and the proceeds of share sales, exchanges, or redemptions made by, any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”), who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. Pursuant to recently enacted tax legislation, the backup withholding rules may also apply to distributions that are properly designated as exempt-interest dividends. The backup withholding tax rate is 28% for amounts paid through 2010. The backup withholding rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2010, unless Congress enacts tax legislation providing otherwise.

 

46


 

Foreign Taxes. Certain Funds may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gain) received from sources within foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of a Fund’s assets at year end consists of the securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes.

 

If a Fund does not make the above election or if more than 50% of its assets at year end do not consist of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund’s net income will be reduced by the foreign taxes paid or withheld. In such cases, shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes.

 

The foregoing is only a general description of the treatment of foreign source income or foreign taxes under the United States federal income tax laws. Because the availability of a credit or deduction depends on the particular circumstances of each shareholder, shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors.

 

Withholding Taxes. Capital Gain Dividends and exempt-interest dividends generally will not be subject to withholding of federal income tax. However, distributions properly designated as exempt-interest dividends may be subject to backup withholding, as discussed above. In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends and exempt-interest dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or, subject to certain limitations, a lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, effective for taxable years of the Funds beginning before January 1, 2008, each Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that, in general, would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. The Funds have not determined whether to make such designations. Depending on the circumstances, the Funds may make such designations with respect to all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign person will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment. Foreign persons should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

 

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If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.

 

Exempt-Interest Dividends. Some of the Funds intend to qualify to pay exempt-interest dividends to their respective shareholders. In order to qualify to pay exempt-interest dividends, at least 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets must consist of tax-exempt municipal bonds at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year. An exempt-interest dividend is that part of a dividend that is properly designated as an exempt-interest dividend and that consists of interest received by a Fund on such tax-exempt securities. Shareholders of Funds that pay exempt-interest dividends would not incur any regular federal income tax on the amount of exempt-interest dividends received by them from a Fund but may be liable for federal and state alternative minimum tax and may be subject to state and local taxes.

 

Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued by a shareholder, whether a corporation or an individual, to purchase or carry shares of a Fund is not deductible to the extent it relates to exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder from that Fund. Any loss incurred on the sale or redemption of a Fund’s shares held six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares.

 

Interest on certain tax-exempt bonds that are private activity bonds within the meaning of the Code is treated as a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax, and any such interest received by a Fund and distributed to shareholders will be so treated for purposes of any alternative minimum tax liability of shareholders to the extent of the dividend’s proportionate share of a Fund’s income consisting of such interest. All exempt-interest dividends are subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax.

 

The exemption from federal income tax for exempt-interest dividends does not necessarily result in exemption for such dividends under the income or other tax laws of any state or local authority. Shareholders that receive social security or railroad retirement benefits should consult their tax advisor to determine what effect, if any, an investment in the Fund may have on the federal taxation of their benefits. Shareholders are also advised to consult with their own tax advisors about state and local tax matters.

 

State and Local Tax Matters. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions may also be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend income, ordinary income dividends and capital gain dividends from regulated investment companies may differ from the U.S. federal income tax rules in other respects. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Funds.

 

Most states provide that a regulated investment company may pass through (without restriction) to its shareholders state and local income tax exemptions available to direct owners of certain types of U.S. government securities (such as U.S. Treasury obligations). Thus, for residents of these states, distributions derived from a Fund’s investment in certain types of U.S. government securities should be free from state and local income taxes to the extent that the interest income from such investments would have been exempt from state and local taxes if such securities had been held directly by the respective shareholders. Certain states, however, do not allow a regulated investment company to pass through to its shareholders the state and local income tax exemptions available to direct owners of certain types of U.S. government securities unless a Fund holds at least a required amount of U.S. government securities. Accordingly, for residents of these states, distributions derived from a Fund’s investment in certain types of U.S. government securities may not be entitled to the exemptions from state and local income taxes that would be available if the shareholders had purchased U.S. government securities directly. The exemption from state and local income taxes does not preclude states from asserting other taxes on the ownership of U.S. government securities. To the extent that a Fund invests to a substantial degree in U.S. government securities which are subject to

 

48


 

favorable state and local tax treatment, shareholders of the Fund will be notified as to the extent to which distributions from the Fund are attributable to interest on such securities.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. If a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies.

 

Capital Loss Carryforwards

 

For Federal income tax purposes, the following Funds had capital loss carryforwards for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2007 (amounts in thousands):

 

Fund

Capital Loss
Carryforwards

Expiration Date

Core Bond Trust

$969

2/28/2014

 

5,377

2/28/2015

Total

6,346

 

 

 

 

Intermediate Bond Trust

1,000

2/28/2014

 

1,123

2/28/2015

Total

2,123

 

 

VALUATION

 

Equity securities listed on a North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchange shall generally be valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded that is reported before the time when the net assets of the Funds are valued. The value of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. shall generally be the NASDAQ Official Closing Price.

 

Generally, trading of foreign securities on most foreign markets is completed before the close in trading in U.S. markets. Additionally, trading on foreign markets may also take place on days on which the U.S. markets, and the Funds, are closed. The Funds have implemented fair value pricing on a daily basis for equity securities, except for North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean equity securities, held by the Funds. The fair value pricing utilizes the quotations of an independent pricing service, unless the Adviser determines in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, that use of another fair valuation methodology is appropriate. To the extent that foreign equity securities are not fair valued utilizing quotations of an independent pricing service, such securities shall generally be valued using the price of the last sale or official close of the primary exchange on which the security is purchased that is reported before the time when the net assets of the Funds are valued.

 

For purposes of calculating net asset value (“NAV”), all assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates from an approved independent pricing service as of 4:00 PM EST.

 

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Swaps shall generally be valued by a Board approved independent or affiliated pricing service or at an evaluated price provided by a counterparty or third-party broker. Futures, options and other derivatives are valued on the basis of available market quotations.

 

Securities of other open-end investment companies are valued at their respective NAVs.

 

Fixed income securities with a remaining maturity of 61 days or more are valued using market quotations available from and supplied daily by a Board approved independent or affiliated third party pricing services or brokers/dealers of comparable securities. It is anticipated that such pricing services and brokers/dealers will provide bid-side quotations. Emerging market debt securities, in accordance with the Funds’ pricing procedures, may be valued using market quotations provided by Emerging Markets Research, a pricing product supplied by JPMorgan Securities, Inc., an affiliate of the Funds’ Adviser. This product is supplied to other affiliated and non-affiliated entities for pricing purposes. All parties, including the Funds, are provided access to this product at no charge and the prices reflected are the same prices used to price the securities that comprise the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Indices. Generally, short-term investments which mature in 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less, or by amortizing their value on the 61st day prior to maturity if their original maturity when acquired by the Fund was more than 60 days.

 

Securities or other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or for which market quotations do not represent the value at the time of pricing (including certain illiquid securities) are fair valued in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision and responsibility of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established a Valuation Committee to assist the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities. The Funds’ Administrator has established a Fair Valuation Committee (“FVC”) to (1) make fair value determinations in certain pre-determined situations as outlined in the procedures approved by the Board and (2) provide recommendations to the Board’s Valuation Committee in other situations. This FVC includes senior representatives from Funds management as well as the Funds’ investment adviser. Fair value situations could include, but are not limited to: (1) a significant event that affects the value of a Fund’s securities (e.g., news relating to natural disasters affecting an issuer’s operations or earnings announcements); (2) illiquid securities; (3) securities that may be defaulted or de-listed from an exchange and are no longer trading; or (4) any other circumstance in which the FVC believes that market quotations do not accurately reflect the value of a security.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CALCULATION OF PER SHARE NET ASSET VALUE

 

The net asset value of each Fund is determined as of the times specified in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. The net asset value per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the securities and other assets of the Fund, less the liabilities allocable only to such Fund, and dividing such amount by the number of Shares of the Fund outstanding.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc. (“JPMII”) serves as the placement agent (“Placement Agent”) of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a placement agency agreement (“Placement Agency Agreement”) with the Trust, which is subject to annual approval by the Board. The Placement Agent is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Placement Agent, located at 245 Park Avenue, 22rd Floor, New York, NY 10167, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC.

Shares of the Funds may be purchased only by certain clients of JPMIM and its affiliates who maintain separately managed private accounts, and who are also “accredited investors,” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. Eligible investors are institutional investors such as corporations, pension and profit sharing plans, financial institutions, endowments, and foundations. The Funds are not intended for individuals or accounts established for the benefit of individuals (other than certain pension and profit-sharing plans sponsored by employers or unions for the benefit of individual plan participants). Subscriptions may be accepted or rejected, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of JPMIM. Shares of the Funds may also be purchased by certain investors outside of the United States consistent with applicable regulatory requirements.

 

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Purchases-in-Kind

The Funds may, at their own option, accept securities in payment for shares. The securities delivered in such a transaction are valued in the same manner as they would be valued for purposes of computing a Fund’s NAV, as described in the section entitled “Valuation.” This is a taxable transaction to the shareholder. Purchases by means of in-kind contributions of securities will only be accepted if a variety of conditions are satisfied, including without limitation the following:: (i) the securities must be traded on a public securities market or have quoted bid and asked prices available; (ii) JPMIM must determine that acceptance is in the best interest of the Fund and conforms with the applicable Fund’s fundamental objectives, policies and restrictions; and (iii) a Fund may not accept unregistered securities which, if transferred, would be required to be registered.

 

Redemptions-in-Kind

Subject to compliance with applicable regulations, each Fund has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of its shares, either totally or partially, by a distribution in-kind of readily marketable portfolio securities (instead of cash). The securities so distributed would be valued at the same amount as that assigned to them in calculating the NAV of the shares being sold. If a Shareholder received a distribution in-kind, the Shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash. The Trust has not filed an election under Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act.

Redemptions

The Trust may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment for Shares during any period when:

 

trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “EXCHANGE”) is broadly restricted by the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC;


 

the Exchange is closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closing;


 

the SEC has by order permitted such suspension; or


 

the SEC has declared a market emergency.


Cut-Off Times for Purchase and Redemption Orders

Orders to purchase, exchange or redeem shares received by the Funds by the cut-off times indicated in the Confidential Offering Memorandum will be processed at the NAV next calculated after the order is received by the Fund.

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

The management and affairs of the Trust are supervised by the Board of Trustees under Delaware law. The Trustees and Officers of the Trust and their principal occupations during the past five years, addresses and year of birth are set forth below. Each may have held other positions with the named companies during that period. The Trust pays the fees to unaffiliated Trustees for their service as trustees. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee and each officer is 245 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10167.

 

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TRUSTEES

The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the management and supervision of each Fund. The Trustees approve all significant agreements with those companies that furnish services to the Funds. These companies are as follows:

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

Investment Adviser

J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc.

Placement Agent

JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.

Administrator

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Custodian, Fund Accountant, and Securities Lending Agent

 

The names of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, together with information regarding the year of their birth, positions with the Trust, principal occupations and other board memberships in any company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act or any company registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, are shown below. The contact address for each of the Trustees is 245 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10167.

The following table contains basic information regarding the Trustees that oversee operations of the Trust and other investment companies within the JPMorgan Fund Complex.

 

NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH); POSITIONS WITH THE FUNDS (SINCE)

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING PAST 5 YEARS

NUMBER OF PORTFOLIOS/FUNDS IN JPMORGAN FUNDS COMPLEX 1 OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE

OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD OUTSIDE JPMORGAN FUNDS COMPLEX

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

Cheryl Ballenger (1956),

Chairperson and Trustee (since 2005)

Mathematics Teacher, Vernon Hills High School (August 2004 – Present); Mathematics Teacher, Round Lake High School (2003-2004) and formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Galileo International Inc. (travel technology)

12

None

Jerry B. Lewis (1939), Trustee (since 2005)

 

Retired; formerly President, Lewis Investments Inc. (registered investment adviser); previously, various managerial and executive positions at Ford Motor Company (Treasurer’s Office, Controller’s Office, Auditing and Corporate Strategy)

12

None

John B. Rettberg (1937), Trustee (since 2005)

Retired; formerly Corporate Vice President and Treasurer, Northrop Grumman Corporation (defense contractor)

12

None

 

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NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH); POSITIONS WITH THE FUNDS (SINCE)

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING PAST 5 YEARS

NUMBER OF PORTFOLIOS/FUNDS IN JPMORGAN FUNDS COMPLEX 1 OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE

OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD OUTSIDE JPMORGAN FUNDS COMPLEX

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

Ken Whipple (1934), Trustee (since 2005)

Chairman (1999-Present) and CEO (1999-2004), CMS Energy

12

Director of CMS Energy and Korn Ferry International (executive recruitment)

INTERESTED TRUSTEE 2

John F. Ruffle (1937), Trustee (since 2005)

Retired; formerly Vice Chairman, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc. and Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. of NY

12

Trustee of Johns Hopkins University and Director of American Shared Hospital Services

1 A Fund Complex means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services, or have a common investment adviser or have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other investment companies. The JPMorgan Fund Complex for which the Trustees serve included three investment companies as of February 28, 2007.

2 The Board has designated Mr. Ruffle as an “interested person” at his request because, until his retirement in 1993, he was an executive officer of the parent company of the Trust’s investment adviser.

 

The following table shows the dollar range of each Trustee’s beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2006, in each fund, including the Funds, that the Trustee oversees and each Trustee’s aggregate ownership in any funds that the Trustee oversees in the JPMorgan Funds complex:

NAME OF TRUSTEE

DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY SECURITIES IN THE FUNDS

AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY SECURITIES IN JPMORGAN FUNDS COMPLEX

Cheryl Ballenger

None

None

Jerry B. Lewis

None

None

John B. Rettberg

None

None

John F. Ruffle

None

None

Kenneth Whipple, Jr.

None

None

 

Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term, subject to the Fund’s current retirement policy, which is age 73, except Mr. Whipple, for whom it is age 74. The Trustees decide upon general policies and are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s business affairs.

 

Committees of the Board

There are three standing committees of the Board: the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Valuation Committee. The duties of these Committees are described below.

Audit Committee . Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust serves as a member of the Audit Committee. The function of the Audit Committee is to recommend independent auditors and monitor accounting and financial matters. The Audit Committee pre-approves any services to be provided by the independent auditors to the Trust. In addition, the Audit Committee considers and approves any non-audit services, and the fees to be charged for such non-audit services, to be provided by the independent auditors to any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with JPMIM that provides ongoing

 

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services to the Trust. Pre-approval considerations include whether the proposed services are compatible with maintaining the auditor’s independence. The Audit Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2007.

Nominating Committee. Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust serves as a member of the Nominating Committee. The function of the Nominating Committee is to select and nominate persons who will continue to contribute to the independence and effectiveness of the Board. The Nominating Committee will consider and evaluate candidates on the basis of the candidate’s relevant knowledge, experience, and expertise, the candidate’s ability to carry out his or her duties in the best interests of the Trust and its shareholders and the candidate’s ability to qualify as a non-interested Trustee. The Nominating Committee does not have a charter. The Nominating Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2007.

Valuation Committee. Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust serves as a member of the Valuation Committee. The function of the Valuation Committee is to oversee the implementation of the Trust’s valuation procedures and to review fair value determinations outside of regularly scheduled Board meetings. The Chairperson of the Valuation Committee, in consultation with the full Committee as the Chairperson deems appropriate, is authorized to review and approve fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2007.

Trustee Compensation

The aggregate amount of compensation paid to each Trustee by the Trust and JPMorgan Fund Complex for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2007 was as follows:

NAME OF TRUSTEE

TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM TRUST

TOTAL COMPENSATION
FROM “FUND COMPLEX”1

Cheryl Ballenger

$26,264

$36,000

Jerry B. Lewis

26,264

36,000

John B. Rettberg

26,264

36,000

John F. Ruffle

26,264

36,000

Kenneth Whipple, Jr.

26,264

36,000

 

1 A Fund Complex means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services, or have a common investment adviser or have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any other of the investment companies. The JPMorgan Funds Complex for which the Trustees currently oversee includes twelve (12) investment companies.

 

Each Trustee will receive total annual compensation of $36,000 for their services as Trustees of the Trust, JPMorgan Series Trust II and JPMorgan Fleming Series Trust (collectively, “JPMorgan Funds Complex”). Fees are allocated to each trust within the JPMorgan Funds Complex pro rata, on the basis of relative net assets.

 

The Funds’ executive officers (listed below) are generally employees of JPMIM or one of its affiliates. The officers conduct and supervise the business operations of the Funds. As of December 31, 2006, the Trust has no employees and as of this date, did not provide any compensation to any non-employees of the Trust..

OFFICERS

The officers of the Funds, together with their year of birth, information regarding their positions held with the Funds, principal occupations are shown below. The contact address for each of the officers unless otherwise noted is 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167.

 

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NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH), POSITIONS HELD WITH THE FUNDS (SINCE)

 

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
DURING PAST 5 YEARS

 

 

George C.W. Gatch (1962),
President (2005)

Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.: Director and President, JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. and JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. since 2005. Mr. Gatch is CEO and President of JPMorgan Funds. Mr. Gatch has been an employee of JPMorgan since 1986 and has held positions such as President and CEO of DKB Morgan, a Japanese mutual fund company, which was a joint venture between J.P. Morgan and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, as well as positions in business management, marketing, and sales.

 

Robert L. Young (1963),

Senior Vice President (2005)*

 

Director and Vice President, JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. and JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer, JPMorgan Funds since 2005, and One Group Mutual Funds from 2001 until 2005. Mr. Young was Vice President and Treasurer, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. (formerly One Group Administrative Services) and Vice President and Treasurer, JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. (formerly One Group Dealer Services, Inc.) from 1999 to 2005.

 

Patricia A. Maleski (1960),
Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (2005)

Managing Director, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.; Head of Funds Administration and Board Liaison; previously, Treasury, JPMorgan Funds. Ms. Maleski has been with JPMorgan Funds since 2001.

 

Stephanie J. Dorsey (1969),

Treasurer (2005)*

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.; Director of Mutual Fund Administration, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. (formerly One Group Administrative Services), from 2004 to 2005; Ms. Dorsey worked for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (formerly Bank One Corporation) from 2003 to 2004; prior to joining Bank One Corporation, she was a Senior Manager specializing in Financial Services audits at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from 1992 through 2002.

 

Scott E. Richter (1956),
Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (2005)*

From April 2005 to present, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; from February 2003 to April 2005, Senior Associate General Counsel, Bank One Corporation (now known as JPMorgan Chase & Co.); from November 1998 to January 2003,

 

Stephen M. Ungerman (1953),
Chief Compliance Officer (2005)

Vice President, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Mr. Ungerman was head of Fund Administration-Pooled Vehicles from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Ungerman has been with JPMorgan Chase & Co. since 2000.

 

 

55


 

NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH), POSITIONS HELD WITH THE FUNDS (SINCE)

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
DURING PAST 5 YEARS

 

 

Susan M. Canning (1969), Assistant Secretary (2005)*

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Member of Law Department since 1991.

 

Paul L. Gulinello (1950), AML Compliance Officer (2005)

Vice President and Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer for JPMorgan Asset Management Americas, additionally responsible for personal trading and compliance testing since 2004; Treasury Services Operating Risk Management and Compliance Executive supporting all JPMorgan Treasury Services business units from July 2000 to 2004.

 

Stephan M. Benham (1959), Assistant Secretary (2005)

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., since 2004; Vice President (Legal Advisory) of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P from 2000 to 2004

 

Elizabeth A. Davin (1964), Assistant Secretary (2005)*

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co. since 2004; Senior Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (formerly Bank One Corporation) from 2004 to 2005; Assistant General Counsel and Associate General Counsel and Vice President, Gartmore Global Investments, Inc. 1999 to 2004.

 

Jessica K. Ditullio (1962), Assistant Secretary (2005)*

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co. since 2005: Ms. Ditullio has served as attorney with various titles for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (formerly Bank One Corporation) since 1990.

 

Nancy E. Fields (1949), Assistant Secretary (2005)*

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. and JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. from 1999 to 2005; Director, Mutual Fund Administration, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. (formerly One Group Administrative Services, Inc.) and Senior Project Management, Mutual Funds, JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. (formerly One Group Dealer Services, Inc.).

 

Ellen W. O’Brien (1957), Assistant Secretary (2005)**

Assistant Vice President, JPMorgan Investor Services, Co. responsible for Blue Sky registration. Ms. O’Brien has served in this capacity since joining the firm in 1991.

 

Laura S. Melman (1966)

Assistant Treasurer (2006)

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. since August 2006, responsible for Taxation; Vice President of Structured Products, Bank of New York Co., Inc. from 2001 until 2006.

 

Arthur A. Jensen (1966),

Assistant Secretary (2004)*

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. since April 2005: formerly, Vice President, Financial Services of BISYS Fund Services, Inc. from June 2001 until 2005.

 

Jeffrey D. House (1972)

Assistant Treasurer (2006)*

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. since July 2006; formerly, Senior Manager of Financial Services at BISYS Fund Services, Inc. from 1995 until 2006.

 

 

56


 

NAME (YEAR OF BIRTH), POSITIONS HELD WITH THE FUNDS (SINCE)

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS
DURING PAST 5 YEARS

 

 

 

Francesco Tango (1971)

Assistant Treasurer (2007)

 

Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. since January 2003; Associate, JPMorgan Funds Management Inc. since 1999.

* The contact address for the officer is 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240.

** The contact address for the officer is 73 Tremont Street, Floor 1, Boston MA 02108.

 

As of December 31, 2006, the officers and Trustees as a group owned less than 1% of the shares of each Fund.

 

THE ADVISER

The Trust has retained JPMIM as investment adviser to provide investment advice and portfolio management services to the Funds, pursuant to an advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the Advisory Agreement, JPMIM manages the investment of the assets of each Fund and obtains and evaluates economic, statistical and financial information to formulate and implement investment policies for each Fund. Any investment program undertaken by JPMIM is and will at all times be subject to the policies and control of the Trustees. JPMIM also provides certain administrative services to each Fund.

The Advisory Agreement provides that JPMIM shall not be protected against any liability to the Funds’ shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

Effective October 1, 2003, JPMIM became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Asset Management Holdings, Inc., which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JPMorgan Chase”). JPMIM is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. JPMIM acts as investment adviser to individuals, governments, corporations, employee benefit plans, labor unions and state and local governments, mutual funds and other institutional investors. JPMIM is located at 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167.

Effective July 1, 2004, Bank One Corporation merged with and into JPMorgan Chase & Co., a bank holding company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. JPMorgan Chase has a long history of offering a wide range of banking and investment services to customers throughout the United States and the world. The firm, through its predecessor companies, has been in business for over a century.

The investment advisory services JPMIM provides to the Funds are not exclusive under the terms of the Advisory Agreement. JPMIM is free to and does render similar investment advisory services to others. JPMIM serves as investment adviser to personal investors and other investment companies and acts as fiduciary for trusts, estates and employee benefit plans. Investors in the Funds are required to maintain separately managed private accounts with JPMIM or its affiliates. Certain of the assets of trusts and estates under management are invested in common trust funds for which JPMIM serves as trustee. The accounts which are managed or advised by JPMIM have varying investment objectives, and JPMIM invests assets of such accounts in investments substantially similar to, or the same as, those which are expected to constitute the principal investments of the Funds. Such accounts are supervised by employees of JPMIM who may also be acting in similar capacities for the Funds. See the “Portfolio Transactions” section.

As compensation for the services rendered and related expenses such as salaries of advisory personnel borne by JPMIM under the Advisory Agreement, the Fund has agreed to pay JPMIM a fee, which is computed daily and may be paid monthly, equal to a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets specified in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. In the interest of limiting total expenses of the Fund, JPMIM and the Administrator have entered into an expense limitation agreement with the Trust (“Expense

 

57


 

Limitation Agreement”), pursuant to which JPMIM and the Administrator have agreed to waive or limit their fees and to assume other expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses (other than interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, placement related expenses (if any), and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) are limited to the following amounts with respect to each Fund: 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust, JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust, and JPMorgan Equity Index Trust, and 0.15% of the average daily net assets of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust and JPMorgan Core Bond Trust, for the period through June 30, 2007.

For the fiscal year end as indicated, the operational Funds of the Trust paid the following investment advisory fees to JPMIM and JPMIM waived investment advisory fees as follows:

ADVISORY FEES

(in 000’s)

 

Fund

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2005

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2006*

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2007

 

Paid

Waived

Paid

Waived

Paid

Waived

 

 

Core Bond Trust

$1,295

$1,832

$2,514

$3,241

$3,281

$4,866

Equity Index Trust

63

311

148

548

223

834

Intermediate Bond Trust

155

325

293

434

283

656

 

The fiscal year end changed from June 30 to the last day in February.

 

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers of Funds.

 

The following tables show information regarding other accounts managed by Portfolio managers of the Funds listed in this Confidential Offering Supplement as of February 28, 2007:

 

 

 

Non-Performance Based Fee Advisory Accounts

 

Registered Investment Companies

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

 

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Core Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Swanson

6

$6,351.56

4

$1,899.88

49

$7,054.61

Christopher Nauseda

3

3,715.26

0

0

41

2,398.07

Equity Index Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bala Iyer

10

12,725.48

3

591,03

38

1,411.69

Michael Loeffler

8

10,557.21

2

515.00

33

1,256.60

Intermediate Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Swanson

6

8,813.10

4

1,899.88

49

7,054.61

Scott Grimshaw

6

2,648.36

0

0

42

2,998.16

Short-Term Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg F. Hrivnak

2

2,303.50

0

0

20

2,177.31

Richard Figuly

3

3,239.78

1

1,016.24

19

2,217.76

 

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Non-Performance Based Fee Advisory Accounts

 

Registered Investment Companies

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

 

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Sais

4

3,839.85

1

1,477.24

3

2,761.61

Gregg F. Hrivnak

2

2,303.50

0

0

20

2,177.31

Richard Figuly

3

3,239.78

0

1,016.24

19

2,217.76

 

 

Performance Based Fee Advisory Accounts

 

Registered Investment Companies

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

 

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets ($millions)

Core Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Swanson

0

0

0

0

0

0

Christopher Nauseda

0

0

0

0

0

0

Equity Index Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bala Iyer

0

0

0

0

0

0

Michael Loeffler

0

0

0

0

0

0

Intermediate Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Swanson

0

0

0

0

0

0

Scott Grimshaw

0

0

0

0

0

0

Short-Term Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg F. Hrivnak

0

0

0

0

0

0

Richard Figuly

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Sais

0

0

0

0

0

0

Gregg F. Hrivnak

0

0

0

0

0

0

Richard Figuly

0

0

0

0

0

0

 

Potential Conflict of Interest

 

The chart above shows the number, type and market value as of February 28, 2007 of the accounts other than the Fund that are managed by the Funds’ portfolio managers. The potential for conflicts of interest exists when portfolio managers manage other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies as the Funds ("Similar Accounts"). Potential conflicts may include, for example, conflicts between investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities.

 

Responsibility for managing the Adviser’s and its affiliates’ clients’ portfolios is organized according to investment strategies within asset classes. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by portfolio managers in the same portfolio management group using the same objectives, approach and philosophy. Underlying sectors or strategy allocations within a larger portfolio are likewise managed by portfolio managers who use the same approach and philosophy as similarly managed portfolios. Therefore, portfolio holdings, relative position sizes and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios and strategies, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

 

59


 

JPMIM and/or its affiliates may receive more compensation with respect to certain Similar Accounts than that received with respect to the Funds or may receive compensation based in part on the performance of certain Similar Accounts. This may create a potential conflict of interest for JPMIM and its affiliates or the portfolio managers by providing an incentive to favor these Similar Accounts when, for example, placing securities transactions. In addition, JPMIM or its affiliates could be viewed as having a conflict of interest to the extent that JPMIM or an affiliate has a proprietary investment in Similar Accounts, the portfolio managers have personal investments in Similar Accounts or the Similar Accounts are investment options in JPMIM’s or its affiliates’ employee benefit plans. Potential conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of investment opportunities because of market factors or investment restrictions imposed upon the Adviser and its affiliates by law, regulation, contract or internal policies. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due to limited availability and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest, as JPMIM or its affiliates may have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to favored accounts. Initial public offerings, in particular, are frequently of very limited availability. JPMIM and its affiliates may be perceived as causing accounts they manage to participate in an offering to increase JPMIM’s and its affiliates’ overall allocation of securities in that offering. A potential conflict of interest also may be perceived to arise if transactions in one account closely follow related transactions in a different account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities previously purchased by another account, or when a sale in one account lowers the sale price received in a sale by a second account. If JPMIM or its affiliates manage accounts that engage in short sales of securities of the type in which the Fund invests, JPMIM or its affiliates could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall.

 

As an internal policy matter, the Adviser may from time to time maintain certain overall investment limitations on the securities positions or positions in other financial instruments the Adviser or its affiliates will take on behalf of its various clients due to, among other things, liquidity concerns and regulatory restrictions. It should be recognized that such policies may preclude a Fund from purchasing particular securities or financial instruments, even if such securities or financial instruments would otherwise meet the Fund’s objectives.

 

The goal of JPMIM and its affiliates is to meet their fiduciary obligation with respect to all clients. JPMIM and its affiliates have policies and procedures designed to manage the conflicts. JPMIM and its affiliates monitor a variety of areas, including compliance with fund guidelines, review of allocation decisions and compliance with the Advisers’ Codes of Ethics and JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Code of Conduct. With respect to the allocation of investment opportunities, JPMIM and its affiliates also have certain policies designed to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities among its clients over time. For example:

 

Orders for the same equity security traded through a single trading desk or system are aggregated on a continual basis throughout each trading day consistent with JPMIM’s and its affiliates’ duty of best execution for its clients. If aggregated trades are fully executed, accounts participating in the trade will be allocated their pro rata share on an average price basis. Partially completed orders generally will be allocated among the participating accounts on a pro-rata average price basis, subject to certain limited exceptions. For example, accounts that would receive a de minimis allocation relative to their size may be excluded from the order. Another exception may occur when thin markets or price volatility require that an aggregated order be completed in multiple executions over several days. If partial completion of the order would result in an uneconomic allocation to an account due to fixed transaction or custody costs, JPMIM and its affiliates may exclude small orders until 50% of the total order is completed. Then the small orders will be executed. Following this procedure, small orders will lag in the early execution of the order, but will be completed before completion of the total order.

 

Purchases of money market instruments and fixed income securities cannot always be allocated pro-rata across the accounts with the same investment strategy and objective. However, JPMIM and its affiliates

 

60


 

attempt to mitigate any potential unfairness by basing non-pro rata allocations traded through a single trading desk or system upon an objective predetermined criteria for the selection of investments and a disciplined process for allocating securities with similar duration, credit quality and liquidity in the good faith judgment of JPMIM or its affiliates so that fair and equitable allocation will occur over time.

 

Portfolio Manager Compensation

 

JPMIM’s portfolio managers participate in a competitive compensation program that is designed to attract and retain outstanding people and closely link the performance of investment professionals to client investment objectives. The total compensation program includes a base salary fixed from year to year and a variable performance bonus consisting of cash incentives and restricted stock and may include mandatory notional investments (as described below) in selected mutual funds advised by the Adviser and its affiliates. These elements reflect individual performance and the performance of JPMIM’s business as a whole.

 

Each portfolio manager’s performance is formally evaluated annually based on a variety of factors including the aggregate size and blended performance of the portfolios such portfolio manager manages. Individual contribution relative to client goals carries the highest impact. Portfolio manager compensation is primarily driven by meeting or exceeding clients’ risk and return objectives, relative performance to competitors or competitive indices and compliance with firm policies and regulatory requirements. In evaluating each portfolio manager’s performance with respect to the mutual funds he or she manages, the funds’ pre-tax performance is compared to the appropriate market peer group and to each fund’s benchmark index listed in the Fund’s Confidential Offering Memorandum over one, three and five year periods (or such shorter time as the portfolio manager has managed the fund). Investment performance is generally more heavily weighted to the long-term.

 

Awards of restricted stock are granted as part of an employee’s annual performance bonus and comprise from 0% to 35% of a portfolio manager’s total bonus. As the level of incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in restricted stock also increases. Up to 50% of the restricted stock portion of a portfolio manager’s bonus may instead be subject to a mandatory notional investment in selected mutual funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. When these awards vest over time, the portfolio manager receives cash equal to the market value of the notional investment in the selected mutual funds.

 

Investment Personnel Holdings

 

The following table indicates for each Fund the dollar range of shares beneficially owned by the Fund personnel identified in the Confidential Offering Memorandum, as of February 28, 2007. Due to the nature of these Funds, Portfolio Managers typically will not own shares of the Funds.

 

 

 

Dollar Range of Shares in the Fund

Fund

Name

None

$1– $10,000

$10,001– $50,000

$50,001– $100,000

$100,001–$500,000

$500,001–$1,000,000

over $1,000.000

Core Bond Trust

Douglas Swanson

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher Nauseda

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity Index Trust

Bala Iyer

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Loeffler

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediate Bond Trust

Douglas Swanson

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Grimshaw

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

61


 

 

 

Dollar Range of Shares in the Fund

Fund

Name

None

$1– $10,000

$10,001– $50,000

$50,001– $100,000

$100,001–$500,000

$500,001–$1,000,000

over $1,000.000

Short-Term Bond Trust

Gregg F. Hrivnak

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Figuly

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

Michael Sais

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg F. Hrivnak

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard D. Figuly

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust, JPMIM and the Placement Agent have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Each of these codes permits personnel subject to such code to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. Such purchases, however, are subject to procedures reasonably necessary to prevent access persons from engaging in any unlawful conduct set forth in Rule 17j-1.

Portfolio Transactions

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, JPMIM determines, subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective and restrictions, which securities are to be purchased and sold by each such Fund and which brokers are to be eligible to execute its portfolio transactions. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities with respect to the Bond Funds usually are principal transactions in which portfolio securities are purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Purchases from underwriters of portfolio securities generally include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers serving as market makers may include the spread between the bid and asked price. Transactions on stock exchanges (other than certain foreign stock exchanges) involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Transactions in the over-the-counter market are generally principal transactions with dealers. With respect to the over-the-counter market, the Trust, where possible, will deal directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved except in those circumstances where better price and execution are available elsewhere. While JPMIM generally seeks competitive spreads or commissions, the Trust may not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available on each transaction, for reasons discussed below.

Allocation of transactions, including their frequency, to various broker-dealers is determined by JPMIM, with respect to the Funds each serves, based on their best judgment and in a manner deemed fair and reasonable to Shareholders. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders in an effective manner at the most favorable price. Subject to this consideration, in selecting broker-dealers to execute a particular transaction, and in evaluating the best overall terms available, JPMIM is authorized to consider the brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“1934 Act”)) provided to the Funds and/or other accounts over which JPMIM or their affiliates exercise investment discretion. JPMIM may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer that furnishes brokerage and research services a higher commission than that which might be charged by another broker-dealer for effecting the same transaction, provided that JPMIM, as applicable, determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or the overall responsibilities of JPMIM to the Funds. Such brokerage and research services might consist of reports and statistics on specific

 

62


 

companies or industries, general summaries of groups of bonds and their comparative earnings and yields, or broad overviews of the securities markets and the economy. Shareholders of the Funds should understand that the services provided by such brokers may be useful to JPMIM in connection with their services to other clients.


Supplementary research information so received is in addition to, and not in lieu of, services required to be performed by JPMIM, as the case may be, and does not reduce the advisory fees payable to JPMIM by the Funds. It is possible that certain of the supplementary research or other services received will primarily benefit one or more other investment companies or other accounts for which investment discretion is exercised. Conversely, a Fund may be the primary beneficiary of the research or services received as a result of portfolio transactions effected for such other account or investment company.

Under JPMIM’s policy, “soft dollar” services refer to arrangements that fall within the safe harbor requirements of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which allow JPMIM to allocate client brokerage transactions to a broker-dealer in exchange for products or services that are research and brokerage-related and enhance the investment decision-making process. These services include third party research, market data services, and proprietary broker-dealer research.

 

The Trust will not execute portfolio transactions through, acquire portfolio securities issued by, make savings deposits in, or enter into repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements with its investment advisors or their affiliates except as may be permitted under the 1940 Act, and will not give preference to correspondents of JPMorgan Chase subsidiary banks with respect to such transactions, securities, savings deposits, repurchase agreements, and reverse repurchase agreements.

 

For the fiscal year end as indicated, the Funds of the Trust that paid brokerage commissions and the amounts paid for such period were as follows (amounts in thousands):

BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

Funds

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2006

Fiscal Year Ended February 28, 2007

Core Bond Trust

N/A

N/A

Intermediate Bond Trust

N/A

—^

Equity Index Trust

$72,077

$48

 

^ Amount rounds to less than $1,000.

 

During the last fiscal year, the Funds did not incur any brokerage commissions with broker/dealers affiliated with JPMIM.

 

As of February 28, 2007, certain Funds owned securities of their regular broker dealers (or parents) as shown below:

 

Fund

Name of Broker-Dealer

Value of Securities Owned
$(000’s)

Core Bond Trust

ABN AMRO Inc.

$3,701

 

Banc of America Securities LLC

68,087

 

Bank of America Corporation

17,872

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

10,000

 

Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.

24,841

 

Citigroup Global markets Inc.

52,133

 

Credit Suisse First Boston LLC

6,504

 

Deutsche Bank AG

9,750

 

HSBC Securities Inc.

18,350

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

3,992

 

Merrill Lynch & Com. Inc.

16,367

 

 

 

 

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Intermediate Bond Trust

Banc of America Securities LLC

3,570

 

Bank of America Corporation

2,144

 

Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.

2,091

 

Citigroup Global markets Inc.

839,932

 

Credit Suisse First Boston LLC

2,234

 

Goldman Sachs and Company

2,342

 

HSBC Securities Inc.

3,504

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

3,274

 

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.

2,038

 

 

 

Equity Index Trust

Banc of America Securities LLC

5,058

 

Bank of America Corporation

7,555

 

Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.

4,841

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

8,990

 

Goldman Sachs and Company

2,841

 

JPMorgan Securities Inc.

5,668

*

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

5,536

 

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.

2,445

 

* Securities are of JPMorgan Chase & Co., the parent company of JPMorgan Securities, Inc. These securities are included in the S&P 500 Index.

 

Investment decisions for each Fund of the Trust are made independently from those for the other Funds. Other investment companies or accounts managed by JPMIM may also invest in the same securities as the Trust. When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of a given Fund and another Fund, investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price, and available investments allocated as to amount, in a manner which the Adviser of the given Fund believes to be equitable to the Fund(s) and such other investment company or account. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by a Fund or the size of the position obtained by a Fund. To the extent permitted by law, JPMIM may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased by it for a Fund with those to be sold or purchased by it for other Funds or for other investment companies or accounts in order to obtain best execution. As provided by the Investment Advisory Agreement, in making investment recommendations for the Trust, JPMIM will not inquire or take into consideration whether an issuer of securities proposed for purchase or sale by the Trust is a customer of JPMIM or their parents or subsidiaries or affiliates and, in dealing with its commercial customers, JPMIM and their respective parent, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not inquire or take into consideration whether securities of such customers are held by the Trust.

 

Administrator

 

JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc., 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43240 serves as administrator for the Trust (“JPMorgan Funds Management” or the “Administrator”) pursuant to an administration agreement (“Administration Agreement”). JPMorgan Funds Management is an affiliate of JPMIM, the Adviser of the Trust, and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase.

 

The Administrator assists in supervising all operations of each Fund to which it serves (other than those performed under the Advisory Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement for that Fund). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator has agreed to maintain the necessary office space for the Funds, to price the Fund securities of each Fund it serves and compute the net asset value and net income of the Funds on a daily basis, to maintain each Fund’s financial accounts and records, and to furnish certain other services required by the Funds with respect to each Fund. The Administrator prepares annual and semi-annual reports to the SEC, prepares federal and state tax returns, and generally assists in all aspects of the Trust’s operations other than those performed under the Advisory Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement. Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator

 

64


 

may, at its expense, subcontract with any entity or person concerning the provision of services under the Administration Agreement.

 

Unless sooner terminated, the Administration Agreement between the Trust and the Administrator will continue in effect through October 31, 2007. The Administration Agreement thereafter shall be renewed automatically for successive one year terms, unless written notice not to renew is given by the non-renewing party to the other party at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Administration Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Trust only upon mutual agreement of the parties to the Administration Agreement and for cause (as defined in the Administration Agreement) by the party alleging cause.

 

Effective July 1, 2005, J.P. Morgan Investor Services, Co (“JPMIS”) began serving as the Funds’ sub-administrator. For its services as sub-administrator, JPMIS receives a portion of the fees payable to the Administrator. Prior to July 1, 2005, BISYS Fund Services, L.P.(“BISYS”) served as the Fund’s sub-administrator. For its services as sub-administrator, BISYS received a portion of the fees payable to the Administrator.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

(in thousands)

 

The Administrator is entitled to a fee for its services, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the annual rate of ten-hundredths of one percent (.10%) of the aggregate daily net assets of all Funds. The Trust paid fees for administrative services to JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. as Administrator for the fiscal year end as indicated as follows:

 

Funds

Fiscal Year Ended
June 30, 2005

Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2006*

Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2007

 

Paid

Waived

Paid

Waived

Paid

Waived

Core Bond Trust

$1,042

$1,918

$2,715

Intermediate Bond Trust

160

278

423

Equity Index Trust

149

242

313

 

* The fiscal year end changed from June 30 to the last day of February.

 

The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or negligence in the performance of its duties, or from the reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties thereunder.

 

Placement Agent

 

J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc. (“JPMII”) serves as the placement agent (“Placement Agent”) of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a placement agency agreement (“Placement Agency Agreement”) with the Trust, which is subject to annual approval by the Board. The Placement Agent is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Placement Agent is located at 245 Park Avenue, 22 rd Floor, New York, NY 10167 is a broker-dealer and member of NASD.

The Placement Agency Agreement is terminable with respect to a Fund without penalty, at any time, by the Fund by not less than 30 days’ written notice to the Placement Agent, or by the Placement Agent upon not more than 30 days’ written notice to the Trust.

The Placement Agency Agreement will continue in effect with respect to each Fund for successive one-year periods, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no

 

65


 

direct or indirect financial interest in the Placement Agency Agreement; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. If the Placement Agency Agreement is terminated (or not renewed) with respect to one or more Funds, it may continue in effect with respect to any Fund as to which it has not been terminated (or has been renewed).


Custodian, Transfer Agent, Accounting Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent

Pursuant to a Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 4 Chase MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11245, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. serves as the Funds’ custodian and fund accounting agent and is responsible for holding portfolio securities and cash and maintaining the books of account and records of portfolio transactions. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is an affiliate of JPMIM.

For fund accounting services, each of the Bond Funds pays to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. the higher of (a) each Fund’s pro rata share of an annual complex-wide charge on the average daily net assets of all U.S. income funds in an asset category as follows:

 

U.S Equity Funds:

0.0085% of the first $10 billion

0.005% on the next $10 billion

0.0035% on the next $10 billion

0.0025% for such assets over $30 billion

 

U.S. Fixed Income Funds:

0.0090% of the first $10 billion

0.0050% on the next $10 billion

0.0035% on the next $10 billion

0.0020% for such assets over $30 billion

 

The minimum total annual fund accounting charge per Fund is $20,000.

 

For custodian services, each Fund pays to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. fees of between 0.001% and 0.6% of assets under management (depending on the domicile in which the asset is held), calculated monthly in arrears, for safekeeping and fees between $7.50 and $150 for securities trades (depending on the domicile in which the trade is settled).

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is also reimbursed for its reasonable out-of-pocket or incidental expenses, including, but not limited to, legal fees.

 

Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”) serves as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent for each Fund pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement with the Trust (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Under the Transfer Agency Agreement, BFDS has agreed:

 

 

(i)

to issue and redeem Shares of the Trust;

 

 

(ii)

to address and mail all communications by the Trust to its Shareholders, including reports to Shareholders, dividend and distribution notices, and proxy material for its meetings of Shareholders;

 

 

(iii)

to respond to correspondence or inquiries by Shareholders and others relating to its duties;

 

 

(iv)

to maintain Shareholder accounts and certain sub-accounts; and

 

 

(v)

to make periodic reports to the Trust’s Board of Trustees concerning the Trust’s operations.

 

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Securities Lending Agent

 

To generate additional income, certain funds may lend up to 33-1/3% of their assets pursuant to agreements (“borrower agreements”) requiring that the loan be continuously secured by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or its instrumentalities (“U.S. government securities”). JPMorgan chase bank, an affiliate of the funds, serves as lending agent pursuant to a securities lending agreement approved by the board of trustees (the “securities lending agreement”).

 

Under the Securities Lending Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank acting as agent for the Funds (except the Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust), loans securities to approved borrowers pursuant to approved Borrower Agreements in exchange for collateral equal to at least 100% of the market value of the loaned securities plus accrued interest. During the term of the loan, the Funds receive payments from borrowers equivalent to the dividends and interest that would have been earned on securities lent while simultaneously seeking to earn income on the investment of cash collateral in accordance with investment guidelines contained in the Securities Lending Agreement. For loans secured by cash, the Funds retain the interest on cash collateral investments but are required to pay the borrower a rebate for the use of cash collateral. For loans secured by U.S. government securities, the borrower pays a borrower fee to the lending agent on behalf of the Funds. The net income earned on the securities lending (after payment of rebates and the lending agent’s fee) is included in the Statement of Operations as income from securities lending (net in the Fund’s financial statements). Information on the investment of cash collateral is shown in the Schedule of Portfolio Investments (in the Fund’s financial statements).

 

Under the Securities Lending Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank is entitled to a fee equal to (i) 0.06% calculated on an annualized basis and accrued daily, based upon the value of collateral received from borrowers for each loan of U.S. securities outstanding during a given month; and (ii) 0.1142% calculated on an annualized basis and accrued daily, based upon the value of collateral received from borrowers for each loan of non-U.S. securities outstanding during a given month. JPMorgan Chase Bank has voluntarily reduced its fees to (i) 0.05% for each loan of U.S. securities and (ii) 0.10% for each loan of the non-U.S. securities, respectively. The purpose of these fees is to cover the custodial, administrative and related costs of securities lending including securities movement, settlement of trades involving cash received as collateral, custody of collateral and marking to market loans.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Funds’ investment adviser, JPMIM, proxy voting authority with respect to the Funds’ portfolio securities. To ensure that the proxies of portfolio companies are voted in the best interests of the Funds, the Funds’ Board of Trustees has adopted JPMIM’s detailed proxy voting procedures (the “Procedures”) that incorporate guidelines (“Guidelines”) for voting proxies on specific types of issues. The Guidelines have been developed with the objective of encouraging corporate action that enhances shareholder value. Except as noted below, proxy voting decisions will be made in accordance with the Guidelines covering a multitude of both routine and non-routine matters that JPMIM and its affiliated advisers have encountered globally, based on many years of collective investment management experience.

JPMIM and its affiliated advisers are part of a global asset management organization with the capability to invest in securities of issuers located around the globe. Because the regulatory framework and the business cultures and practices vary from region to region, the Guidelines are customized for each region to take into account such variations. Separate Guidelines cover the regions of (1) North America, (2) Europe, Middle East, Africa, Central America and South America (3) Asia (ex-Japan) and (4) Japan, respectively. Notwithstanding the variations among the Guidelines, all of the Guidelines have been designed with the uniform objective of encouraging corporate action that enhances shareholder value. As a general rule, in voting proxies of a particular security, JPMIM will apply the Guidelines of the region in which the issuer of such security is organized. Except as noted below, proxy voting decisions will be made in accordance with the Guidelines covering a multitude of both routine and non-routine matters that JPMIM and its affiliated advisers have encountered globally, based on many years of collective investment management experience.

To oversee and monitor the proxy-voting process, JPMIM has established a proxy committee and appointed a proxy administrator in each global location where proxies are voted. The primary function of each proxy committee is to review periodically general proxy-voting matters, review and approve the Guidelines annually, and provide advice and recommendations on general proxy-voting matters as well as on specific voting issues. The procedures permit an independent voting service, currently Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) in the United States, to perform certain services otherwise carried out or coordinated by the proxy administrator.

Although for many matters the Guidelines specify the votes to be cast, for many others, the Guidelines contemplate case-by-case determinations. In addition, there will undoubtedly be proxy matters that are not contemplated by the Guidelines. For both of these categories of matters and to override the Guidelines, the Procedures require a certification and review process to be completed before the vote is cast. That process is designed to identify actual or potential material conflicts of interest (between the Fund on the one hand, and the Fund’s investment adviser, placement agent or an affiliate of any of the foregoing, on the other hand) and ensure that the proxy vote is cast in the best interests of the Fund. When a potential material conflict of interest has been identified, the proxy administrator and a subgroup of proxy committee members

 

67


 

(composed of a member from the Investment Department and one or more members from the Legal, Compliance or Risk Management Departments) will evaluate the potential conflict of interest and determine whether such conflict actually exists, and if so, will recommend how JPMIM will vote the proxy. In addressing any material conflict, JPMIM may take one or more of the following measures (or other appropriate action): removing or “walling off” from the proxy voting process certain JPMIM personnel with knowledge of the conflict, voting in accordance with any applicable Guideline if the application of the Guideline would objectively result in the casting of a proxy vote in a predetermined manner, or deferring the vote to ISS, which will vote in accordance with its own recommendation.


The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the U.S. Guidelines:

JPMIM considers votes on director nominees on a case-by-case basis. Votes generally will be withheld from directors who: (a) attend less than 75% of board and committee meetings without a valid excuse; (b) implement or renew a dead-hand poison pill; (c) are affiliated directors who serve on audit, compensation or nominating committees or are affiliated directors and the full board serves on such committees or the company does not have such committees; or (d) ignore a shareholder proposal that is approved for two consecutive years by a majority of either the shares outstanding or the votes cast.

 

JPMIM votes proposals to classify boards on a case-by-case basis, but will vote in favor of such proposal if the issuer’s governing documents contain each of eight enumerated safeguards (for example, a majority of the board is composed of independent directors and the nominating committee is composed solely of such directors).

 

JPMIM also considers management poison pill proposals on a case-by-case basis, looking for shareholder-friendly provisions before voting in favor.

 

JPMIM votes against proposals for a super-majority vote to approve a merger.

 

JPMIM considers proposals to increase common and/or preferred shares and to issue shares as part of a debt restructuring plan on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the extent of dilution and whether the transaction will result in a change in control.

 

JPMIM votes proposals on a stock option plan, based primarily on a detailed, quantitative analysis that takes into account factors such as estimated dilution to shareholders’ equity and dilution to voting power. JPMIM generally considers other management compensation proposals on a case-by-case basis.

 

JPMIM Advisors also considers on a case-by-case basis proposals to change an issuer’s state of incorporation, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate restructuring proposals and certain social and environmental issue proposals.

 

The Funds’ proxy voting records for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by calling the following toll-free number 1-800-343-1113.

 

Description of Shares

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board of Trustees to establish one or more series of Shares of the Trust, and to classify or reclassify any series into one or more classes by setting or changing in any one or more respects the preferences, designations, conversion, or other rights, restrictions, or limitations as to dividends, conditions of redemption, qualifications, or other terms applicable to the Shares of such class, subject to those matters expressly provided for in the Declaration of Trust, as amended, with respect to the Shares of each series of the Trust. The Trust presently includes five series of Shares, which represent interests in the following:

 

68


 

 

1.

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust;

 

 

2.

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust;

 

 

3.

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust;

 

 

4.

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust; and

 

 

5.

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust.

 

Shares have no subscription or preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment as described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and this Supplement, the Trust’s Shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust, Shares of a Fund are entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to the Fund, and a proportionate distribution, based upon the relative asset values of the respective Funds, of any general assets not belonging to any particular Fund which are available for distribution.

 

Shareholder and Trustee Liability

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that Shareholders shall not be personally liable for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for, or otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or any series or class of Shares of the Trust. Under the Declaration of Trust, neither the Trust, the Trustees, nor any officer, employee, or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholders, nor, except as specifically provided therein, to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay. The Declaration of Trust grants to Shareholders the same limitation of personal liability as is extended to shareholders of a private corporation for profit incorporated in the State of Delaware.

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust states further that no Trustee of the Trust shall be personally liable to any person other than the Trust or a beneficial owner for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also states that a Trustee shall not be liable for any act or omission or any conduct whatsoever in his capacity as Trustee, unless the Trustee would be subject to liability to the Trust or to Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee thereunder.

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

 

No sooner than thirty days after the end of each month, each Fund will make available upon request a complete uncertified schedule of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of that month. Not later than sixty days after the end of each quarter, each Fund will make available a complete, certified schedule of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of that quarter. In addition to providing hard copies upon request, the Funds will post these quarterly schedules on the SEC’s EDGAR filing system at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may request portfolio holdings schedules at no charge by contacting their client relationship or client service manager.

 

The Funds’ publicly available uncertified complete list of portfolio holdings information, as described above, may also be provided regularly pursuant to a standing request, such as on a monthly or quarterly basis, to (i) third party service providers, rating and ranking agencies, financial intermediaries, and affiliated persons of the Funds and (ii) clients of JPMIM or its affiliates that invest in the Funds or such clients’ consultants. No compensation or other consideration is received by the Funds or JPMIM, or any other person for these disclosures. A list of the entities that receive the Funds’ portfolio holdings information on such basis and the frequency with which it is provided to them is provided below:

 

All Funds

 

 

Lipper, Inc.

Monthly

30 days after month end

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

 

 

Akzo Nobel

Monthly

30 days after month end

 

69


 

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Monthly

30 days after month end

New England Pension Consultants

Monthly

30 days after month end

St. Lawrence University

Monthly

30 days after month end

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

 

 

Brunswick Corporation

Monthly

30 days after month end

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust

 

 

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Monthly

30 days after month end

 

In addition, certain service providers to the Funds or JPMIM, Administrator, or the Placement Agent may for legitimate business purposes receive the Funds’ portfolio holdings information earlier than 30 days after month end, such as rating and ranking agencies, pricing services, proxy voting service providers, accountants, attorneys, custodians, securities lending agents, brokers in connection with Fund transactions and in providing price quotations, and transfer agents. These service providers include the following: The Bank of New York Company, Inc.; Bowne & Co., Inc.; Dechert LLP; R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company; FT Interactive Data; Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; J.J. Kenny; Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated; Moody’s Investors Service; and Fitch Ratings. Other service providers (e.g., the Fund’s administrator) are identified elsewhere in the registration statement. In addition, when a Fund redeems a shareholder in kind, the shareholder generally receives its proportionate share of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and, therefore, the shareholder and its agent may receive such information earlier than 30 days after month end. Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g., attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions). Disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio securities as an exception to the Fund’s normal business practice requires the business unit proposing such exception to identify a legitimate business purpose for the disclosure and submit the proposal to the Fund’s Treasurer for approval following business and compliance review. Additionally, no compensation or other consideration is received by a Fund or JPMIM, or any other person for these disclosures. The Fund’s Trustees will review annually a list of such entities that have received such information, the frequency of such disclosures and the business purpose therefore. These procedures are designed to address conflicts of interest between the Fund’s shareholders on the one hand and JPMIM or any affiliated person of the Fund or such entities on the other hand by creating a structured review and approval process which seeks to ensure that disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. There can be no assurance, however that a Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information will prevent the misuse of such information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.

 

Portfolio holdings of each Fund will be disclosed on a quarterly basis on forms required to be filed with the SEC as follows: (i) portfolio holdings as of the end of each fiscal year will be filed as part of the annual report filed on Form N-CSR; (ii) portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters will be filed on Form N-Q; and (iii) portfolio holdings as of the end of the six month period will be filed as part of the semi-annual report filed on Form N-CSR. The Trust’s Form N-CSRs and Form N-Qs will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

Finally, the Funds release information concerning any and all portfolio holdings when required by law. Such releases may include providing information concerning holdings of a specific security to the issuer of such security.

 

Miscellaneous

 

The Trust is not required to hold a meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees except that (i) the Trust is required to hold a Shareholders’ meeting for the election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by Shareholders and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, less than two-thirds of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the Shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the Shareholders. In addition, Trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of Shares representing two-thirds of the

 

70


 

outstanding Shares of the Trust at a meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of Shares representing not less than 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust. Except as set forth above, the Trustees may continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.

 

As used in the Trust’s Confidential Offering Memorandum and in this Supplement, “assets belonging to a Fund” means the consideration received by the Trust upon the issuance or sale of Shares in that Fund, together with all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds derived from the investment thereof, including any proceeds from the sale, exchange, or liquidation of such investments, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, and any general assets of the Trust not readily identified as belonging to a particular Fund that are allocated to that Fund by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may allocate such general assets in any manner it deems fair and equitable. It is anticipated that the factor that will be used by the Board of Trustees in making allocations of general assets to particular Funds will be the relative net asset values of the respective Funds at the time of allocation. Assets belonging to a particular Fund are charged with the direct liabilities and expenses in respect of that Fund, and with a share of the general liabilities and expenses of the Trust not readily identified as belonging to a particular Fund that are allocated to that Fund in proportion to the relative net asset values of the respective Funds at the time of allocation. The timing of allocations of general assets and general liabilities and expenses of the Trust to particular Funds will be determined by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and will be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Determinations by the Board of Trustees of the Trust as to the timing of the allocation of general liabilities and expenses and as to the timing and allocable portion of any general assets with respect to a particular Fund are conclusive. As used in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and in this Supplement, a “vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares” of the Trust, a particular Fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (a) more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust or such Fund or (b) 67% or more of the Shares of the Trust or such Fund present at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust or such Fund are represented in person or by proxy.

 

The Trust is registered with the SEC as an open-end, management investment company. Such registration does not involve supervision by the SEC of the management or policies of the Trust.

 

The Confidential Offering Memorandum and this Supplement omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee.

 

The Confidential Offering Memorandum and this Supplement are not an offering of the securities herein described in any State in which such offering may not lawfully be made. No salesperson, dealer, or other person is authorized to give any information or make any representation other than those contained in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and this Supplement.

 

As of May 31, 2007, the following persons were the owners of more than 5% of the outstanding Shares of the following Funds. Shareholders designated by an asterisk holder 25% or more of a Fund. Such shareholders are “controlling persons” under the 1940 Act.

 

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TRUST1

NAME AND ADDRESS OF SHAREHOLDER

PERCENTAGE HELD

CORE BOND TRUST

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO FIRSTENERGY*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

12.55

 

 

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO ROCKWELL*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

9.05

 

 

 

STRAFE & CO*

BOIA-ONE GROUP OPERATIONS

1111 POLARIS PARKWAY

PO BOX 711234

COLUMBUS OH 43271-0001

44.46

 

 

 

EQUITY INDEX TRUST

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR FIRST ENERGY CORP NDT NON QUALIFIED EQUITIES*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

1111 POLARIS PKWY FL 3 # OH1-0213

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

13.08

 

 

 

 

STRAFE & CO*

BOIA-ONE GROUP OPERATIONS

1111 POLARIS PARKWAY

PO BOX 711234

COLUMBUS OH 43271-0001

81,47

 

 

 

 

INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO BRUNSWICK*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

23.94

 

 

 

 

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO SILVER CROSS*
ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER
1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F
COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

5.45

 

 

 

 

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO TEXTRON*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

MICHAEL P WAGNER

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

13.75

 

 

 

 

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FBO UHHS*

ATTN CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

BRETT D CAMBERN

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

10.77

 

 

 

 

 

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR POLYONE*

CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

1111 POLARIS PKWY STE 3F

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

8.71

 

 

 

 

 

72


 

TRUST1

NAME AND ADDRESS OF SHAREHOLDER

PERCENTAGE HELD

 

STRAFE & CO*

BOIA-ONE GROUP OPERATIONS

1111 POLARIS PARKWAY

PO BOX 711234

COLUMBUS OH 43271-0001

28.19

 

 

 

1 Shares of the Funds are offered only to certain clients of either JPMIM or its affiliates who maintain one or more separately managed private accounts, and who are “accredited investors,” within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act. Due to JPMIM or its affiliates voting or investment power with respect to the Funds, JPMorgan Chase & Co. may be deemed to be a “controlling person” of such shares under the 1940 Act.

* The shareholder of record is a subsidiary or affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (a “JPMorgan Affiliate”). Typically, the shares are held for the benefit of underlying accounts for which the JPMorgan Affiliate may have voting or investment power. To the extent that JPMorgan Affiliates own 25% or more of a class of shares of a Fund, JPMorgan Chase & Co. may be deemed to be a “controlling person” of such shares under the 1940 Act.

 

Financial Statements

 

The Financial Statements of the Trust for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2007 have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust, as indicated in their reports with respect thereto, and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

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APPENDIX A—DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS

 

The following is a summary of published ratings by major credit rating agencies. Credit ratings evaluate only the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of lower quality securities. Credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings to reflect subsequent events on a timely basis. Although JPMIM considers security ratings when making investment decisions, it also performs its own investment analysis and does not rely solely on the ratings assigned by credit agencies.

 

Unrated securities will be treated as non-investment grade securities unless JPMIM determines that such securities are the equivalent of investment grade securities. Securities that have received different ratings from more than one agency are considered investment grade if at least one agency has rated the security investment grade.

 

DESCRIPTION OF COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

 

Standard & Poor’s Rating Service (“S&P”)

 

A-1

Highest category of commercial paper. Capacity to meet financial commitment is strong. Obligations designated with a plus sign (+) indicate that capacity to meet financial commitment is extremely strong.

 

A-2

Issues somewhat more susceptible to adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the capacity to meet financial commitments is satisfactory.

 

A-3

Exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

B

Regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

C

Currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

D

In payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P Rating Service believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

 

Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”)

 

F1

HIGHEST CREDIT QUALITY. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

F2

GOOD CREDIT QUALITY. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

 

F3

FAIR CREDIT QUALITY. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.

 

A-1


 

B

SPECULATIVE. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

C

HIGH DEFAULT RISK. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

 

D

DEFAULT. Denotes actual or imminent payment default.

 

“+” or ”–”

may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories.

 

‘PIF’

denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.

 

‘NR’

indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.

 

‘Withdrawn’

A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.

 

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”)

 

Prime-1

Superior ability for repayment, often evidenced by such characteristics as: leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

Prime-2

Strong capacity for repayment. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

Prime-3

Acceptable capacity for repayment. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

Not Prime

Does not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

Dominion Bond Rating Service (“DBRS”)

 

R-1

Prime Credit Quality

 

R-2

Adequate Credit Quality

 

R-3

Speculative

 

D

Default

 

All three DBRS rating categories for short term debt use “high”, “middle” or “low” as subset grades to designate the relative standing of the credit within a particular rating category. The following comments provide separate definitions for the three grades in the Prime Credit Quality area.

 

A-2


 

R-1 (high)

Short term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality, and indicates an entity which possesses unquestioned ability to repay current liabilities as they fall due. Entities rated in this category normally maintain strong liquidity positions, conservative debt levels and profitability which is both stable and above average. Companies achieving an “R-1 (high)” rating are normally leaders in structurally sound industry segments with proven track records, sustainable positive future results and no substantial qualifying negative factors. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has established for an “R-1 (high)”, few entities are strong enough to achieve this rating.

 

R-1 (middle)

Short term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality and, in most cases, ratings in this category differ from “R-1 (high)” credits to only a small degree. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has for the “R-1 (high)” category (which few companies are able to achieve), entities rated “R-1 (middle)” are also considered strong credits which typically exemplify above average strength in key areas of consideration for debt protection.

 

R-1 (low)

Short term debt rated “R-1” (low) is of satisfactory credit quality. The overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt and profitability ratios is not normally as favorable as with higher rating categories, but these considerations are still respectable. Any qualifying negative factors which exist are considered manageable, and the entity is normally of sufficient size to have some influence in its industry.

 

R-2 (high);
R-2 (middle);
R-2 (low)

Short term debt rated “R-2” is of adequate credit quality and within the three subset grades, debt protection ranges from having reasonable ability for timely repayment to a level which is considered only just adequate. The liquidity and debt ratios of entities in the “R-2” classification are not as strong as those in the “R-1” category, and the past and future trend may suggest some risk of maintaining the strength of key ratios in these areas. Alternative sources of liquidity support are considered satisfactory; however, even the strongest liquidity support will not improve the commercial paper rating of the issuer. The size of the entity may restrict its flexibility, and its relative position in the industry is not typically as strong as an “R-1 credit”. Profitability trends, past and future, may be less favorable, earnings not as stabled, and there are often negative qualifying factors present which could also make the entity more vulnerable to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

R-3 (high);
R-3 (middle);
R-3 (low)

Short term debt rated “R-3” is speculative, and within the three subset grades, the capacity for timely payment ranges from mildly speculative to doubtful. “R-3” credits tend to have weak liquidity and debt ratios, and the future trend of these ratios is also unclear. Due to its speculative nature, companies with “R-3” ratings would normally have very limited access to alternative sources of liquidity. Earnings would typically be very unstable, and the level of overall profitability of the entity is also likely to be low. The industry environment may be weak, and strong negative qualifying factors are also likely to be present.

 

D

A security rated D implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment or the issuer has made it clear that it will be missing such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a D rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the D rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is suspended, discontinued, or reinstated by DBRS.

 

A-3


 

DESCRIPTION OF BANK RATINGS

 

Moody’s

 

Moody’s Bank Financial Strength Ratings (BFSRs) represent Moody’s opinion of a bank’s intrinsic safety and soundness and, as such, exclude certain external credit risks and credit support elements that are addressed by Moody’s Bank Deposit Ratings. In addition to commercial banks, Moody’s BFSRs may also be assigned to other types of financial institutions such as multilateral development banks, government-sponsored financial institutions and national development financial institutions.

 

A

These banks possess superior intrinsic financial strength. Typically they will be major financial institutions with highly valuable and defensible business franchises, strong financial fundamentals, and a very predictable and stable operating environment.

 

B

These banks possess strong intrinsic financial strength. Typically, they will be institutions with valuable and defensible business franchises, good financial fundamentals, and a predictable and stable operating environment.

 

C

These banks possess adequate intrinsic financial strength. Typically, they will be institutions with more limited but still valuable and defensible business franchises. These banks will display either acceptable financial fundamentals within a predictable and stable operating environment, or good financial fundamentals within a less predictable and stable operating environment.

 

D

Banks rated D display modest intrinsic financial strength, potentially requiring some outside support at times. Such institutions may be limited by one or more of the following factors; a weak business franchise; financial fundamentals that are deficient in one or more respects; or an unpredictable and unstable operating environment.

 

E

Banks rated E display very modest intrinsic financial strength, with a higher likelihood of periodic outside support or an eventual need for outside assistance. Such institutions may be limited by one or more of the following factors: a weak and limited business franchise; financial fundamentals that are materially deficient in one or more respects; or a highly unpredictable or unstable operating environment.

 

Where appropriate, a “+” modifier will be appended to ratings below the “A” category and a “–” modifier will be appended to ratings above the “E” category to distinguish those banks that fall in intermediate categories.

 

DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS

 

S&P

 

Corporate and Municipal Bond Ratings

 

Investment Grade

 

 

AAA

Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P Rating Service. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

 

AA

Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only to a small degree.

 

 

A-4


 

A

Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal; it is somewhat more susceptible, however, to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.

 

BBB

Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions, or changing circumstances are more likely to impair the obligor’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category in higher-rated categories.

 

Speculative Grade

 

Debt rated BB, CCC, CC, and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

 

BB

Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB– rating.

 

B

Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal.

 

 

The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB– rating.

 

CCC

Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B– rating.

 

CC

The rating CC is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.

 

C

The rating C is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC– debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.

 

C1

The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.

 

D

Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P Rating Service believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating will also be used upon the filing of bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

 

Plus(+) or Minus (–): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

A-5


 

c: The ‘c’ subscript is used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer’s bonds are deemed taxable.

 

p:  The letter “p” indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project being financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful and timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of, or the risk of default upon failure of, such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

 

*: Continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor’s receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows.

 

r: The “r” is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S&P Rating Service believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non-credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities whose principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest only and principal only mortgage securities.

 

The absence of an “r” symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.

 

N.R.

Not rated.

 

Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties.

 

Moody’s

 

Long-Term Ratings: Bonds and Preferred Stock

 

Investment Grade

 

Aaa

Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure.

 

Aa

Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than with Aaa securities.

 

A

Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

 

A-6


 

Baa

Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

 

Non-Investment Grade

 

Ba

Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well-assured. The protection of interest and principal payments may be no more than moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.

 

B

Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

 

Caa

Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.

 

Ca

Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.

 

C

Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment.

 

Moody’s applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa in its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

 

Corporate Short-Term Debt Ratings

 

Moody’s short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted

 

Moody’s employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

 

PRIME-1

Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics: leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

PRIME-2

Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

A-7


 

PRIME-3

Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

NOT PRIME: Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

Fitch

 

Investment Grade

 

AAA

HIGHEST CREDIT QUALITY. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA

VERY HIGH CREDIT QUALITY. ‘AA’ ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A

HIGH CREDIT QUALITY. ‘A’ ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB

GOOD CREDIT QUALITY. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.

 

 

Speculative Grade

 

BB

SPECULATIVE. ‘BB’ ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

 

B

HIGHLY SPECULATIVE. ‘B’ ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met: however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

 

CCC,
CC,
C

HIGH DEFAULT RISK. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A ‘CC’ rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. ‘C’ ratings signal imminent default.

RD

Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations.

 

D

Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.

 

A-8


 

DBRS

 

Bond and Long-Term Debt Rating Scale

 

The DBRS long-term debt rating scale is meant to give an indication of the risk that a borrower will not fulfill its full obligations in a timely manner, with respect to both interest and principal commitments. Every DBRS rating is based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the borrowing entity. Each rating category is denoted by the subcategories "high" and "low". The absence of either a "high" or "low" designation indicates the rating is in the "middle" of the category. The AAA and D categories do not utilize "high", "middle", and "low" as differential grades.

 

AAA

Bonds rated “AAA” are of the highest credit quality, with exceptionally strong protection for the timely repayment of principal and interest. Earnings are considered stable, the structure of the industry in which the entity operates is strong, and the outlook for future profitability is favorable. There are few qualifying factors present which would detract from the performance of the entity, the strength of liquidity and coverage ratios is unquestioned and the entity has established a creditable track record of superior performance. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has established for this category, few entities are able to achieve a AAA rating.

 

AA

Bonds rate “AA” are of superior credit quality, and protection of interest and principal is considered high. In many cases, they differ from bonds rated AAA only to a small degree. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has for the AAA category (which few companies are able to achieve), entities rated AA are also considered to be strong credits which typically exemplify above-average strength in key areas of consideration and are unlikely to be significantly affected by reasonably foreseeable events.

 

A

Bonds rated “A” are of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is still substantial, but the degree of strength is less than with AA rated entities. While a respectable rating, entities in the “A” category are considered to be more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and have greater cyclical tendencies than higher rated companies.

 

BBB

Bonds rated “BBB” are of adequate credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is considered adequate, but the entity is more susceptible to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions, or there may be other adversities present which reduce the strength of the entity and its rated securities.

 

BB

Bonds rated “BB” are defined to be speculative, where the degree of protection afforded interest and principal is uncertain, particularly during periods of economic recession. Entities in the BB area typically have limited access to capital markets and additional liquidity support and, in many cases, small size or lack of competitive strength may be additional negative considerations.

 

B

Bonds rated “B” are highly speculative and there is a reasonably high level of uncertainty which exists as to the ability of the entity to pay interest and principal on a continuing basis in the future, especially in periods of economic recession or industry adversity.

 

CCC/
CC/C

Bonds rated in any of these categories are very highly speculative and are in danger of default of interest and principal. The degree of adverse elements present is more severe than bonds rated “B”, Bonds rated below “B” often have characteristics which, if not remedied, may lead to default. In practice, there is little difference between the “C” to “CCC” categories, with “CC” and “C” normally used to lower ranking debt of companies where the senior debt is rated in the “CCC” to “B” range.

 

 

A-9


 

D

A security rated D implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment of interest or principal or that the issuer has made it clear that it will miss such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a D rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the D rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is suspended, discontinued, or reinstated by DBRS.

 

(“high,” “low”) grades are used to indicate the relative standing of a credit within a particular rating category. The lack of one of these designations indicates a rating which is essentially in the middle of the category. Note that “high” and “low” grades are not used for the AAA category.

 

DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE RATINGS

 

Moody’s

 

Insurance Financial Strength Ratings

 

Moody’s Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are opinions of the ability of insurance companies to repay punctually senior policyholder claims and obligations. Specific obligations are considered unrated unless they are individually rated because the standing of a particular insurance obligation would depend on an assessment of its relative standing under those laws governing both the obligation and the insurance company.

 

Moody’s rating symbols for Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are identical to those used to indicate the credit quality of long-term obligations. These rating gradations provide investors with a system for measuring an insurance company’s ability to meet its senior policyholder claims and obligations.

 

Aaa

Insurance companies rated in this category offer exceptional financial security. While the credit profile of these companies is likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair their fundamentally strong position.

 

Aa

These insurance companies offer excellent financial security. Together with the Aaa group, they constitute what are generally known as high grade companies. They are rated lower than Aaa companies because long-term risks appear somewhat larger.

 

A

Insurance companies rated in this category offer good financial security. However, elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

Baa

Insurance companies rated in this category offer adequate financial security. However, certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time.

 

Ba

Insurance companies rated in this category offer questionable financial security. Often the ability of these companies to meet policyholder obligations may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded in the future.

 

B

Insurance companies rated in this category offer poor financial security. Assurance of punctual payment of policyholder obligations over any long period of time is small.

 

 

A-10


 

Caa

Insurance companies rated in this category offer very poor financial security. They may be in default on their policyholder obligations or there may be present elements of danger with respect to punctual payment of policyholder obligations and claims.

 

Ca

Insurance companies rated in this category offer extremely poor financial security. Such companies are often in default on their policyholder obligations or have other marked shortcomings.

 

C

Insurance companies rated in this category are the lowest rated class of insurance company and can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever offering financial security.

 

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. Numeric modifiers are used to refer to the ranking within a group — with 1 being the highest and 3 being the lowest. However, the financial strength of companies within a generic rating symbol (Aa, for example) is broadly the same.

 

Short-Term Insurance Financial Strength Ratings

 

These ratings represents Moody’s opinions of the ability of the insurance company to repay punctually its short-term senior policyholder claims and obligations. The ratings apply to senior policyholder obligations that mature or are payable within one year or less.

 

Specific obligations are considered unrated unless individually rated because the standing of a particular insurance obligation would depend on an assessment of its relative standing under those laws governing both the obligation and the insurance company.

 

P-1

Insurers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations.

 

P-2

Insurers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations.

 

P-3

Insurers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations.

 

NP

Insurers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime (NP) do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

S&P

 

An insurer rated “BBB” or higher is regarded as having financial security characteristics that outweigh any vulnerabilities, and is highly likely to have the ability to meet financial commitments.

 

AAA

Extremely Strong financial security characteristics. “AAA” is the highest Insurer Financial Strength Rating assigned by S&P Rating Service.

 

AA

Very Strong financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.

 

A

Strong financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.

 

BBB

Good financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher rated insurers.

 

A-11


 

An insurer rated “BB” or lower is regarded as having vulnerable characteristics that may outweigh its strengths. “BB” indicates the least degree of vulnerability within the range; “CC” the highest.

 

BB

Marginal financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.

 

B

Weak financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.

 

CCC

Very Weak financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.

 

CC

Extremely Weak financial security characteristics and is likely not to meet some of its financial commitments.

 

R

An insurer rated R is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision, the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others. The rating does not apply to insurers subject only to nonfinancial actions such as market conduct violations.

NR

Not Rated, which implies no opinion about the insurer’s financial security.

 

Plus (+) or minus (–) following ratings from “AA” to “CCC” show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

Fitch

 

Insurer Financial Strength Ratings

 

A Fitch insurer financial strength rating (“IFS rating”) provides an assessment of the financial strength of an insurance organization, and its capacity to meet senior obligations to policyholders and contractholders on a timely basis. The IFS rating is assigned to the insurance organization itself, and no liabilities or obligations of the insurer are specifically rated unless otherwise stated (for example, Fitch may separately rate the debt obligations of an insurer). The IFS rating can be assigned to insurance and reinsurance companies in all insurance sectors, including the life & health, property & casualty, mortgage, financial guaranty and title insurance sectors, as well as managed care companies such as health maintenance organizations.

 

The IFS rating uses the same ratings scale and symbols used by Fitch for its international ratings of long-term debt obligations and issuers. However, the definitions associated with the ratings reflect the unique aspects of the IFS rating within an insurance industry context. Ratings in the ‘AA’ through ‘CCC’ categories may be amended with a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating category. Ratings of ‘BBB–’ and higher are considered to be “Secure”, and those of ‘BB+’ and lower are considered to be “Vulnerable”.

 

AAA

EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG. Companies assigned this highest rating are viewed as possessing exceptionally strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. For such companies, risk factors are minimal and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be extremely small.

 

AA

VERY STRONG. Companies are viewed as possessing very strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Risk factors are modest, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be very small.

 

A-12


 

A

STRONG. Companies are viewed as possessing strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Risk factors are moderate, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be small.

 

BBB

GOOD. Companies are viewed as possessing good capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Risk factors are somewhat high, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be material, yet manageable.

 

BB

Moderately Weak. Companies are viewed as moderately weak with an uncertain capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Though positive factors are present, overall risk factors are high, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be significant.

 

B

Weak. Companies are viewed as weak with a poor capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Risk factors are very high, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be very significant.

 

CCC,
CC,
C

Very Weak. Companies rated in any of these three categories are viewed as very weak with a very poor capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. Risk factors are extremely high, and the impact of any adverse business and economic factors is expected to be insurmountable. A ‘CC’ rating indicates that some form of insolvency or liquidity impairment appears probable. A ‘C’ rating signals that insolvency or a liquidity impairment appears imminent.

 

DDD,
DD,
D

Distressed. These ratings are assigned to companies that have either failed to make payments on their obligations in a timely manner, are deemed to be insolvent, or have been subjected to some form of regulatory intervention. Within the ‘DDD’-’D’ range, those companies rated ‘DDD’ have the highest prospects for resumption of business operations or, if liquidated or wound down, of having a vast majority of their obligations to policyholders and contractholders ultimately paid off, though on a delayed basis (with recoveries expected in the range of 90-100%). Those rated ‘DD’ show a much lower likelihood of ultimately paying off material amounts of their obligations in a liquidation or wind down scenario (in a range of 50-90%). Those rated ‘D’ are ultimately expected to have very limited liquid assets available to fund obligations, and therefore any ultimate payoffs would be quite modest (at under 50%).

 

“+” or “–” may be appended to a rating to indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Such suffixes are not added to ratings in the ‘AAA’ category or to ratings below the ‘CCC’ category.

 

Short-Term Insurer Financial Strength Ratings

 

A Fitch Short-Term Insurer Financial Strength Rating (ST-IFS Rating) provides an assessment of the near-term financial health of an insurance organization, and its capacity to meet senior obligations to policyholders and contractholders that would be expected to be due within one year. The analysis supporting the ST-IFS Rating encompasses all of the factors considered within the context of the IFS Rating, but with greater weighting given to an insurer’s near-term liquidity, financial flexibility and regulatory solvency characteristics, and less weight given to longer-term issues such as competitiveness and earnings trends.

 

Fitch will only assign a ST-IFS rating to insurers that also have been assigned an IFS rating. Currently, ST-IFS ratings are used primarily by U.S. life insurance companies that sell short-term funding agreements.

 

A-13


 

The ST-IFS rating uses the same international ratings scale used by Fitch for short-term debt and issuer ratings. Ratings of ‘F1’, ‘F2’ and ‘F3’ are considered to be “Secure”, while those of ‘B’ and below are viewed as “Vulnerable”.

 

F1

STRONG. Insurers are viewed as having a strong capacity to meet their near-term obligations. When an insurer rated in this rating category is designated with a (+) sign, it is viewed as having a very strong capacity to meet near-term obligations.

 

F2

MODERATELY STRONG. Insurers are viewed as having a moderately strong capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

F3

MODERATE. Insurers are viewed as having a moderate capacity to meet their near-term obligations, and a near-term adverse change in business or economic factors would likely move the insurer to a ‘vulnerable’ rating category.

 

B

WEAK. Insurers are viewed as having a weak capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

C

VERY WEAK. Insurers are viewed as having a very weak capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

D

DISTRESSED. Insurers have either been unable to meet near-term obligations, or the failure to meet such obligations is imminent.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHORT-TERM MUNICIPAL BOND RATINGS

 

Moody’s

 

Moody’s ratings for short-term municipal obligations are designated “Moody’s Investment Grade (“MIG”) or “Variable Moody’s Investment Grade” (“VMIG”), in the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs). For VRDOs, a two-component rating is assigned. The first element represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments, and the other represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the demand feature. The short-term rating assigned to the demand feature of VRDOs is designated as VMIG. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. MIG ratings terminate at the retirement of the obligation while VMIG rating expiration will be a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features. Those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG.

 

MIG1/VMIG1

Superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG2/VMIG2

Strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG3/VMIG3

Acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and marketing access for refinancing is likely to be less well established.

 

SG

Speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack margins of protection.

 

A-14


 

S&P

 

An S&P Rating Service note rating reflects the liquidity concerns and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating.

 

SP-1

Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to possess overwhelming safety characteristics will be given a plus (+) designation.

 

SP-2

Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

SP-3

Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK RATINGS

 

Moody’s

 

Moody’s ratings for short-term municipal obligations are designated “Moody’s Investment Grade (“MIG”) or “Variable Moody’s Investment Grade” (“VMIG”), in the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs). For VRDOs, a two-component rating is assigned. The first element represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments, and the other represents an evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the demand feature. The short-term rating assigned to the demand feature of VRDOs is designated as VMIG. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. MIG ratings terminate at the retirement of the obligation while VMIG rating expiration will be a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features. Those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG.

 

aaa

Top-quality preferred stock. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.

 

aa

High-grade preferred stock. This rating indicates that there is a reasonable assurance the earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.

 

a

Upper-medium grade preferred stock. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “aaa” and “aa” classifications, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.

 

baa

Medium-grade preferred stock, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.

 

ba

Considered to have speculative elements and its future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

 

b

Lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.

 

caa

Likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.

 

ca

Speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payments.

 

A-15


 

c

Lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock. Issues so rated can thus be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

 

Note: Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each rating classification; the modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

 

DBRS

 

Preferred Share Rating Scale

 

The DBRS preferred share rating scale is used in the Canadian securities market and is meant to give an indication of the risk that a borrower will not fulfill its full obligations in a timely manner, with respect to both dividend and principal commitments. Every DBRS rating is based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the borrowing entity. Each rating category is denoted by the subcategories "high" and "low". The absence of either a "high" or "low" designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category.

 

Pfd-1

Preferred shares rated “Pfd-1” are of superior credit quality, and are supported by entities with strong earnings and balance sheet characteristics. “Pfd-1” generally corresponds with companies whose senior bonds are rated in the “AAA” or “AA” categories. As is the case with all rating categories, the relationship between senior debt ratings and preferred share ratings should be understood as one where the senior debt rating effectively sets a ceiling for the preferred shares issued by the entity. However, there are cases where the preferred share rating could be lower than the normal relationship with the issuer’s senior debt rating.

 

Pfd-2

Preferred shares rated “Pfd-2” are of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of dividends and principal is still substantial, but earnings, the balance sheet, and coverage ratios are not as strong as Pfd-1 rated companies. Generally, “Pfd-2” ratings correspond with companies whose senior bonds are rated in the “A” category.

 

Pfd-3

Preferred shares rated “Pfd-3” are of adequate credit quality. While protection of dividends and principal is still considered acceptable, the issuing entity is more susceptible to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions, and there may be other adversities present which detract from debt protection. “Pfd-3” ratings generally correspond with companies whose senior bonds are rated in the higher end of the “BBB” category.

 

Pfd-4

Preferred shares rated “Pfd-4” are speculative, where the degree of protection afforded to dividends and principal is uncertain, particularly during periods of economic adversity. Companies with preferred shares rated “Pfd-4” generally coincide with entities that have senior bond ratings ranging from the lower end of the “BBB” category through the “BB” category.

 

Pfd-5

Preferred shares rated “Pfd-5” are highly speculative and the ability of the entity to maintain timely dividend and principal payments in the future is highly uncertain. The “Pfd-5” rating generally coincides with companies with senior bond ratings of “B” or lower. Preferred shares rated “Pfd-5” often have characteristics which, if not remedied, may lead to default.

 

“D”

This category indicates preferred shares that are in arrears of paying either dividends or principal.

 

A-16



PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 23. Exhibits

 

Exhibits filed pursuant to Form N-1A:

 

(a) (1) Certificate of Trust is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC File No. 811-21638.

 

(a) (2) Declaration of Trust is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC File No. 811-21638.

 

(b) By-Laws is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, SEC File No. 811-21638.

 

(c) None.

 

(d) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(e) Not applicable.

 

(f) Not applicable.

 

(g) (1) Global Custody and Fund Accounting Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(g) (1) (a) Form of Amended Schedule A to the Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement (amended as of June 14, 2007). Filed herewith.

 

(h) (1) Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Boston Data Services, Inc. is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(h) (1) (a) Amendment as of January 31, 2007 to the Transfer Agency Agreement between JPMorgan Funds and BFDS, dated February 19, 2005. Filed herewith.

 

(h) (1) (b) Form of Amended Appendix A to the Transfer Agency Agreement (amended as of June 14, 2007). Filed herewith.

 

(h) (2) Form of Administration Agreement between the Registrant and JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. (formerly known as One Group Administrative Services, Inc.) is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(h) (3) Placement Agency Agreement between the Registrant and J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc. is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(h) (4) Placement Agency Agreement between the Registrant and J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc., dated May 25, 2005, is filed herewith.

 

(h) (5) Securities Lending Agreement between Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA is incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2005.

 

(i) Not applicable.

 

(j) Not applicable.

 

(k) Not applicable.

 

(l) Not applicable.


(m) Not applicable.

 

(n) Not applicable.

 

(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Codes of Ethics.

 

(1) Code of Ethics of The J.P. Morgan Family of Funds. Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 to the Registration Statement of JP Morgan Series Trust II (CIK 0000916118) filed on February 13, 2004 (Accession Number 0001047469-04-00425).

 

(2) Code of Ethics of Adviser. (Effective February 1, 2005, Revised March 1, 2007). Filed herewith.

 

(99) (a) Powers of Attorney for the Trustees. Filed herewith.

 

(99) (b) Power of Attorney for George C.W. Gatch. Filed herewith.

 

(99) (c) Power of Attorney for Stephanie J. Dorsey. Filed herewith.

 

Item 24. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant

 

The Registrant is not directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with any person other than the Trustees. It does not have any subsidiaries.

 

Item 25. Indemnification

 

Article VII, Section 3 of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that, subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in the Trust’s By-Laws: (a) every person who is, has been, or becomes a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer of the Trust and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof; and (ii) expenses in connection with the defense of any proceeding of the character described in clause (i) above shall be advanced by the Trust to the Covered Person from time to time prior to final disposition of such proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

Article VII, Section 2 of the Trust’s By-Laws provides that subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Article VII, Section 4 of the By-Laws the Trust shall indemnify its Covered Persons to the fullest extent consistent with state law and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). Without limitation of the foregoing, the Trust shall indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceedings, by reason of alleged acts or omissions within the scope of his or her service as a Trustee or officer of the Trust, against judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by him or her in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent with state law and the 1940 Act. Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 4 of Article VII of the By-Laws, the Trust may, to the fullest extent consistent with law, indemnify each person who is serving or has served at the request of the Trust as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent or fiduciary of another domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or employee benefit plan (“Other Position”) and who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of alleged acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his or her service in such Other Position, against judgments, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by him or her in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent with state law and the 1940 Act. The indemnification and other rights provided by Article VII of the By-Laws shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust.


Article VII, Section 4 of the Trust’s By-Laws provides that: (a) the Trust shall not indemnify a Covered Person or agent who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (i) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (collectively, “disabling conduct”) or (ii) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in or not opposed to the best interest of the Trust; and (b) the Trust shall not indemnify a Covered Person or agent unless the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought determines that such Trustee, officer or agent did not engage in disabling conduct or, with respect to any proceeding disposed of (whether by settlement, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) without an adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought, there has been a dismissal of the proceeding by the court or other body before which it was brought for insufficiency of evidence of any disabling conduct with which such a Covered Person or agent has been charged and a determination that such Trustee, officer or agent did not engage in disabling conduct by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust (as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) nor parties to the proceeding based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).

 

Item 26. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

See “Management of the Trust” in Part B. Information as to the directors and officers of the Adviser is included in its Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 27. Principal Underwriter

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 28. Location of Accounts and Records

 

All accounts, books, records and documents required pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained in the physical possession of: One Group Administrative Services, Inc., the Registrant’s administrator, at 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43240; JPMorgan Chase Bank, the Registrant’s custodian at 4 Chase MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11245; J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., the Registrant’s investment adviser, at 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036; Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., the Registrant’s transfer agent, at 2 Heritage Drive, North Quincy, Massachusetts 02171.

 

Item 29. Management Services

 

None.

 

Item 30. Undertakings

 

Not applicable.


SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York on the 28th day of June, 2007.

 

JPMorgan Institutional Trust
By:  

/s/ George C. W. Gatch*


    George C. W. Gatch
    President

 

This amendment to the Registration Statement of the Registrant has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated on June 28, 2007.

 

   

/s/ Cheryl Ballenger*


         

/s/ John F. Ruffle*


    Cheryl Ballenger, Trustee           John F. Ruffle, Trustee
   

/s/ Jerry B. Lewis*


         

/s/ Kenneth Whipple, Jr.*


    Jerry B. Lewis, Trustee           Kenneth Whipple, Jr., Trustee
   

/s/ John R. Rettberg*


           
    John R. Rettberg, Trustee            
By:  

/s/ Stephanie J. Dorsey*


      By:  

/s/ George C.W. Gatch*


    Stephanie J. Dorsey           George C.W. Gatch
    Treasurer           President
*By:  

/s/ Jessica K. Ditullio


           
    Jessica K. Ditullio            
    Attorney-in-fact            


Exhibit Index

(g)(1)(a) Form of Amended Schedule A to the Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement.

(h)(1)(a) Amendment as of January 31, 2007 to the Transfer Agency Agreement.

(h)(1)(b) Form of Amended Appendix A to the Transfer Agency Agreement.

(2) Code of Ethics of Adviser.

(99)(a) Powers of Attorney for the Trustees.

(99)(b) Power of Attorney for George C.W. Gatch.

(99)(c) Power of Attorney for Stephanie J. Dorsey.

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Schedule A

List of Entities Covered by the Global Custody and Fund Accounting Agreement
(Amended as of June 14, 2007)

 

JPMorgan Trust I

 

 

JPMorgan Emerging Markets Debt Fund

JPMorgan Bond Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Income Fund

JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund

JPMorgan Enhanced Income Fund

JPMorgan California Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Intermediate Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan New York Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Short-Intermediate Income Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Disciplined Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Enhanced Income Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware U.S. Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Large Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Equity Income II Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid International Fund

JPMorgan Market Neutral Fund

JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Fund

JPMorgan International Opportunities Fund

JPMorgan International Value Fund

JPMorgan Asia Equity Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid European Fund

JPMorgan International Growth Fund (beginning March 21, 2005)

JPMorgan International Small Cap Equity Fund

JPMorgan Japan Fund

JPMorgan International Equity Fund

JPMorgan Disciplined Equity Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Equity Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Small Company Fund

JPMorgan Capital Growth Fund (custody only until March 21, 2005)

JPMorgan Dynamic Small Cap Fund (to be renamed JPMorgan Dynamic Small Cap Growth Fund as of 6/29/07)

JPMorgan Growth and Income Fund (custody only until March 21, 2005)

JPMorgan Mid Cap Equity Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Core Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Equity Fund

A-1


 

JPMorgan Trust I (continued)

 

 

JPMorgan Value Advantage Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid America Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Growth Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Multi Cap Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Value Fund

JPMorgan 100% U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund

JPMorgan California Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Federal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan New York Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Prime Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Tax Free Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Core Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Diversified Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return Fund

JPMorgan Real Return Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Plus Fund

JPMorgan Micro Cap Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Long/Short Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Small Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan International Realty Fund

JPMorgan China Region Fund

JPMorgan Global Focus Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Appreciation Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Preservation Fund

JPMorgan India Fund

JPMorgan International Currency Income Fund

JPMorgan Latin America Fund

JPMorgan Russia Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return SMA Fund

JPMorgan Income Builder Fund

JPMorgan Value Discovery Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan Tax Aware High Income Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

A-2


 

Undiscovered Managers Funds

 

 

Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Growth Fund

Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Value Fund

JPMorgan Realty Income Fund

Undiscovered Managers Small Cap Growth Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

 

 

JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund II

 

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

 

 

JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

 

 

JPMorgan Growth Advantage Fund

 

UM Investment Trust

 

 

Undiscovered Managers Multi-Strategy Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II

 

 

JPMorgan Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Small Company Portfolio

JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Equity Portfolio

 

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

 

 

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust

A-3


 

JPMorgan Trust II

 

 

JPMorgan Small Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Mid Cap Fund

JPMorgan Large Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Large Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Equity Income Fund

JPMorgan Equity Index Fund

JPMorgan Market Expansion Index Fund

JPMorgan International Equity Index Fund

JPMorgan Multi-Cap Market Neutral Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Real Estate Fund

JPMorgan Investor Growth Fund

JPMorgan Investor Growth & Income Fund

JPMorgan Investor Balanced Fund

JPMorgan Investor Conservative Growth Fund

JPMorgan Short Duration Bond Fund

JPMorgan Ultra Short Duration Bond Fund

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Fund

JPMorgan Core Bond Fund

JPMorgan Core Plus Bond Fund

JPMorgan Government Bond Fund

JPMorgan Treasury & Agency Fund

JPMorgan High Yield Bond Fund

JPMorgan Mortgage-Backed Securities Fund

JPMorgan Short Term Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Municipal Income Fund

JPMorgan Arizona Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan West Virginia Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Liquid Assets Money Market Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Money Market Fund

A-4


 

JPMorgan Insurance Trust

 

 

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Balanced Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Core Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Growth Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Equity Index Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Government Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust International Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Intrepid Mid Cap Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Intrepid Growth Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Large Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Small Cap Equity Portfolio

*          *          *          *          *          *

 

 

 

 

JPMorgan Trust I

 

JPMorgan Trust II

 

Undiscovered Managers Funds

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

 

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

 

UM Investment Trust

 

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II

 

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

 

JPMorgan Insurance Trust

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

A-5


EX-99.(H)(1)(A) 6 d21184_ex99h1a.htm

AMENDMENT

To Transfer Agency Agreement
between
JP Morgan Funds and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.

This Amendment is made as of this 31st day of January 2007 in accordance with Section 27 D of the Transfer Agency Agreement dated February 19, 2005 between each of the entities listed on Exhibit A (“JP Morgan”)and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“Boston Financial”) (the “Agreement”). The parties desire to amend the Agreement as set forth herein.

WHEREAS, the parties hereto wish to amend the Agreement to reflect the addition of JPMorgan Cash Plus Fund LLC as a Trust under the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises and covenants herein set forth, the parties agree as follows:

 

 

1.

Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning as are set forth in the Agreement.

 

 

2.

Because the JPMorgan Cash Plus Fund LLC is not required to be to be registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the representation in 3.B of the Agreement is not applicable to it.

 

 

3.

The current Appendix A dated August 10, 2006 is hereby replaced and superseded with the Appendix A dated January 31, 2007.

 

 

4.

The current Exhibit A Fee Schedule dated Fund Merger – August 31, 2009 is hereby replaced and superseded with the Exhibit A dated January 31, 2007 – August 31, 2009.

 

 

5.

This Amendment shall inure to the benefit of and is binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

 

6.

This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW ON NEXT PAGE


AMENDMENT
(continued)

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be executed by their duly authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

 

BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.

 

JPMORGAN TRUST I
JPMORGAN TRUST II
UNDISCOVERED MANAGERS FUNDS
J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND GROUP
J.P. MORGAN FLEMING MUTUAL FUND
GROUP, INC.
J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND
INVESTMENT TRUST
UM INVESTMENT TRUST
J.P. MORGAN SERIES TRUST II
J.P. MORGAN FLEMING SERIES TRUST
JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST
JPMORGAN INSURANCE TRUST
JPMORGAN CASH PLUS FUND LLC

 

 

 

By: /s/ BRIAN W. AGNEW

 

By: /s/ LAURA S. MELMAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Brian W. Agnew

 

Name: Laura S. Melman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

Title: Assistant Treasurer

 

 

 


APPENDIX A
January 31, 2007

JPMorgan Trust I
JPMorgan Emerging Markets Debt Fund
JPMorgan Bond Fund
JPMorgan Strategic Income Fund
JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund
JPMorgan Enhanced Income Fund
JPMorgan California Tax Free Bond Fund
JPMorgan Intermediate Tax Free Bond Fund
JPMorgan New York Tax Free Bond Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Short-Intermediate Income Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Disciplined Equity Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Enhanced Income Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware U.S. Equity Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Large Cap Growth Fund
JPMorgan Equity Income II Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid International Fund
JPMorgan Market Neutral Fund
JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Fund
JPMorgan International Opportunities Fund
JPMorgan International Value Fund
JPMorgan Asia Equity Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid European Fund
JPMorgan International Growth Fund
JPMorgan International Small Cap Equity Fund
JPMorgan Japan Fund
JPMorgan International Equity Fund
JPMorgan Disciplined Equity Fund
JPMorgan Diversified Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Equity Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Small Company Fund
JPMorgan Capital Growth Fund
JPMorgan Dynamic Small Cap Fund
JPMorgan Growth and Income Fund
JPMorgan Mid Cap Equity Fund
JPMorgan Small Cap Core Fund
JPMorgan Small Cap Equity Fund
JPMorgan Value Advantage Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid America Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid Growth Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid Multi Cap Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid Value Fund
JPMorgan 100% U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund
JPMorgan California Municipal Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Federal Money Market Fund
JPMorgan New York Municipal Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Prime Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Tax Free Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Core Equity Fund


APPENDIX A
January 31, 2007
(continued)

JPMorgan Tax Aware Diversified Equity Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware International Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return Fund
JPMorgan Real Return Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Plus Fund
JPMorgan Micro Cap Fund
Highbridge Statistical Market Neutral Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid Long/Short Fund
JPMorgan Strategic Small Cap Value Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement Income Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2010 Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2015 Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2020 Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2030 Fund
JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2040 Fund
JPMorgan International Realty Fund
JPMorgan China Region Fund
JPMorgan Global Focus Fund
JPMorgan Global Strategic Appreciation Fund
JPMorgan Global Strategic Preservation Fund
JPMorgan India Fund
JPMorgan International Currency Income Fund
JPMorgan Latin America Fund
JPMorgan Russia Fund
JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return SMA Fund
JPMorgan World Income Builder Fund

Undiscovered Managers Funds
Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Growth Fund
Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Value Fund
JPMorgan Realty Income Fund
Undiscovered Managers Small Cap Growth Fund

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group
JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund II

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.
JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Fund

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust
JPMorgan Growth Advantage Fund

UM Investment Trust
Undiscovered Managers Multi-Strategy Fund


APPENDIX A
January 31, 2007
(continued)

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II
JPMorgan Bond Portfolio
JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio
JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Portfolio
JPMorgan Small Company Portfolio
JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Equity Portfolio

J.P. Morgan Fleming Series Trust
JPMorgan Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund
JPMorgan Multi-Manager Small Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Institutional Trust
JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust
JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust
JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust
JPMorgan Equity Index Trust

JPMorgan Trust II
JPMorgan Small Cap Growth Fund
JPMorgan Small Cap Value Fund
JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Growth Fund
JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Value Fund
JPMorgan Intrepid Mid Cap Fund
JPMorgan Large Cap Growth Fund
JPMorgan Large Cap Value Fund
JPMorgan Equity Income Fund
JPMorgan Equity Index Fund
JPMorgan Market Expansion Index Fund
JPMorgan International Equity Index Fund
JPMorgan Multi-Cap Market Neutral Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Real Estate Fund
JPMorgan Investor Growth Fund
JPMorgan Investor Growth & Income Fund
JPMorgan Investor Balanced Fund
JPMorgan Investor Conservative Growth Fund
JPMorgan Short Duration Bond Fund
JPMorgan Ultra Short Duration Bond Fund
JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Fund
JPMorgan Core Bond Fund
JPMorgan Core Plus Bond Fund
JPMorgan Government Bond Fund
JPMorgan Treasury & Agency Fund
JPMorgan High Yield Bond Fund
JPMorgan Mortgage-Backed Securities Fund
JPMorgan Short Term Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund


APPENDIX A
January 31, 2007
(continued)

JPMorgan Municipal Income Fund
JPMorgan Arizona Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan West Virginia Municipal Bond Fund
JPMorgan Liquid Assets Money Market Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market Fund
JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Municipal Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Money Market Fund
JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Insurance Trust
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Balanced Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Core Bond Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Equity Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Growth Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Value Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Equity Index Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Government Bond Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust International Equity Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Intrepid Mid Cap Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Large Cap Growth Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Large Cap Value Portfolio
JPMorgan Insurance Trust Small Cap Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Cash Plus Fund LLC

SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW ON NEXT PAGE



 

 

 

BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.

 

JPMORGAN TRUST I
JPMORGAN TRUST II
UNDISCOVERED MANAGERS FUNDS
J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND GROUP
J.P. MORGAN FLEMING MUTUAL FUND
GROUP, INC.
J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND
INVESTMENT TRUST
UM INVESTMENT TRUST
J.P. MORGAN SERIES TRUST II
J.P. MORGAN FLEMING SERIES TRUST
JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST
JPMORGAN INSURANCE TRUST
JPMORGAN CASH PLUS FUND LLC

 

 

 

By: /s/ BRIAN W. AGNEW

 

By: /s/ LAURA S. MELMAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Brian W. Agnew

 

Name: Laura S. Melman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

Title: Assistant Treasurer

 

 

 


EXHIBIT A
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES
FEE SCHEDULE
J.P. MORGAN FUNDS
PAGE 1 OF 4

Effective: January 31, 2007 – August 31, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

I.

TRANSFER AGENCY

 

 

 

A.

Base Fees:

 

 

 

 

 

Base Fee Per CUSIP (across the Fund Sponsor):

 

 

CUSIPS

     (including ACI)

$3,335 per CUSIP per year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closed CUSIPS - $150 per month through May of the following year

 

 

 

 

 

CUSIPS Base Fee for JPMorgan Cash Plus Fund: $15,000 per CUSIP per year

 

 

 

 

 

B.

Account Maintenance and Processing Fees

 

 

Non-Institutional Non-Network Level 3 & 1 Open Accounts - $19.07 per account per year

 

 

Non-Institutional Network Level 3 Open Accounts - $8.07 per account per year

 

 

Non-Institutional Network Level 1 Open Accounts - $8.07 per account per year

 

 

Institutional Open Accounts:

 

 

 

 

Accounts in the range from 0 - 400:

no charge, included in complex base fee

 

 

 

Accounts in the range from 401 - 600:

$1,160 per account per year

 

 

 

Accounts in the range from 601 - 800:

$930 per account per year

 

 

 

Accounts in the range from 801 - 1,000:

$700 per account per year

 

 

 

Accounts in the range over 1,000:

$580 per account per year

 

 

 

Closed Accounts - $2.09 per closed account per year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-Institutional Omnibus Transactions - $1.00 per transaction
-Includes all transactions processed in accounts within social code 009,902,960

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institutional and Intermediary Phone Calls (Inbound & Outbound) - $2.60 per call

 

 

 

 

 

C.

Optional Services*

 

 

Investor - $1.80 per investor ID

 

 

AML/CIP - $0.23 per open account per year

 

 

Universal Dealer - $150,000 per year – Includes conversion to Universal Rep for combined fund family

 

 

Same Day Cash Management Projected Cash - $18,000 per year.


 

 

 

 

* Fees designated with an asterisk will be allocated between the JPMorgan Funds and the JPMorgan Value Opportunities Fund.



EXHIBIT A
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES
FEE SCHEDULE
JPMORGAN FUNDS
PAGE 2 OF 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

D.

Alternative Investment Funds: (Multi Strategy Fund, Spinnaker Fund)

 

 

 

Annual CUSIP:

 

 

 

 

S/T investment vehicle - $5,000 per fund per year

 

 

 

 

Investment Fund - $15,000 per fund per year

 

 

 

Manual Transactions:

 

 

 

 

S/T Investment Vehicle – N/A

 

 

 

 

Investment Fund- $5.00 per transaction

 

 

 

Phone Calls:

 

 

 

 

S/T Investment Vehicle – $2.60 per call

 

 

 

 

Investment Fund - $2.60 per call

 

 

 

Certificate Processing Fee:

 

 

 

 

S/T Investment Vehicle – N/A

 

 

 

 

Investment Fund - $5.50 per Certificate

 

 

 

 

 

 

E.

 

Financial Intermediary Interface:*

 

 

 

Automated:

 

 

 

 

First four funds - $19,780 per intermediary per year

 

 

 

 

Each additional fund - $3,490 per year

 

 

 

Manual/Partially Automated:

 

 

 

 

First four funds - $39,570 per intermediary per year

 

 

 

 

Each additional fund - $6,980 per year

Programming Rates (rates not subject to usual Boston Financial annual increases provided the existing six dedicated COBOL resources and the existing five dedicated Client Services resources are maintained during the term of this agreement; additional resources would be priced at Boston Financial’s standard rate at the time of the addition). Boston Financial would require a 30-day notification for a reduction of programming support and a 60-day notification to increase the programming support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COBOL Programmer:

 

 

 

 

Dedicated Resources

$140,400 per year each*

 

 

Additional COBOL Programmers:

 

 

 

 

Dedicated Resources

$150,000 per year each*

 

 

Client Services:

 

 

 

 

Dedicated Resources

$100,000 per year each*

 

 

Business Analyst/Tester:

 

 

 

 

On-Request

$125.00 per hour *

 

 

Technical Programmer:

 

 

 

 

On-Request

$160.00 per hour*

 

Insight Technical Support $60,000 per year (across the Fund Sponsor)*

 

TRAC-2000 – under separate schedule


 

 

 

* Fees designated with an asterisk will be allocated between the JPMorgan Funds and the JPMorgan Value Opportunities Fund.



EXHIBIT A
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES
FEE SCHEDULE
JPMORGAN FUNDS
PAGE 3 OF 4

NOTES TO THE ABOVE FEE SCHEDULE

 

 

A.

The above schedule does not include out of pocket expenses incurred by Boston Financial on the Trust’s behalf. Examples of out of pocket expenses include but are not limited to Confirmation statements, Investor statements, forms, postage, mailing services, records retention, transcripts, telephone line and long distance charges, client remote hardware, excess history, DST TA2000 Voice, Fan Web, Fan Mail, vision, escheatment, state tax reporting, wire processing charges, same day cash management, regulatory compliance, training, disaster recovery ($.20 per account), magnetic tapes, printing, ACH bank charges, NSCC charges, proxy processing, microfilm/microfiche, etc.

 

 

B.

Service fees and out of pocket expenses are billed monthly. Fees or out-of-pocket expenses are due within 60 days of the date of the original invoice. The application of late charges shall be as set forth in the Agreement.

 

 

C.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO TERMINATE

 

 

 

To terminate the Transfer Agency Agreement, a party must give written notice to the other party of at least 120 days prior to the end of a term, as further described in Section 22 of the Agreement.

 

 

D.

ANNUAL CPI INCREASE

 

 

 

The fees and charges set forth in this fee schedule shall increase upon each anniversary of this Agreement over the fees and charges during the prior 12 months in an amount based on the annual percentage of change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) in the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, All Items, Base 1982-1984=100, as last reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

 

E.

EARLY TERMINATION COSTS

          The parties acknowledge that BOSTON FINANCIAL has made significant concessions to JP Morgan, including a substantial reduction in the Fees to be paid by JP Morgan for Services under the Agreement, partially in exchange for JP Morgan’s agreement to a longer term. Should JP Morgan terminate the Agreement to which this Exhibit A is attached prior to the end of its term, BOSTON FINANCIAL will suffer damages in an amount difficult to calculate and uncertain in scope and, accordingly, the parties have agreed that, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in such event, BOSTON FINANCIAL shall be entitled to impose the mutually agreed upon liquidated damages equal to the sum of the previous 12 months fees excluding Out of Pocket Charges. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that JP Morgan terminates the Agreement during the last year of the Initial Term, the foregoing early termination damages amount shall be calculated as noted above but shall be subject to a pro rata reduction over the final twelve months of the term depending on JP Morgan’s actual deconversion date.


EXHIBIT A
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES
FEE SCHEDULE
JPMORGAN FUNDS
PAGE 4 OF 4

 

 

 

 

F.

Non-Institutional open account rates will be discounted as follows:

 

 

Accounts in the range of 1,150,000 – 1,500,000

10% discount

 

 

Accounts in the range of 1,500,001 – 2,000,000

15% discount

 

 

Accounts greater than 2,000,000

20% discount

 

 

 

 

G.

As used herein, the term “JP Morgan” is intended to refer, and shall be deemed to refer, jointly and severally to the each Trust who has executed, or on whose behalf there has been executed, the Transfer Agency Agreement between Boston Financial and each Trust pursuant to which Boston Financial acts as transfer agent for and provides transfer agent services to each such Trust to which this Fee Proposal is attached (variously, the “Agreement”, the “Agency Agreement” and the “Transfer Agency Agreement”).

 

 

 

 

H.

Institutional Accounts are defined as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

A.

Non Level 3 Account

 

B.

Excessive Traders equals four or more trades per month

 

C.

Account must be in a dealer serviced by the KC Institutional Desk via fax or phone.

 

D.

TPA Traders

 

E.

Relationship Level (i.e. Global Trust has 85 trades per day but in 85 different accounts. Accounts would be marked proportionate to the number of trades per day.

 

F.

Special Servicing Requirements -with approval from fund (i.e. M Shares accounts)

 

G.

Reports are produced each month allocated by Fund. Account totals are provided to the client each month.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.

 

JPMORGAN TRUST I

 

 

JPMORGAN TRUST II

 

 

UNDISCOVERED MANAGERS FUNDS

 

 

J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND GROUP

 

 

J.P. MORGAN FLEMING MUTUAL FUND
GROUP, INC.

 

 

J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENT TRUST

 

 

UM INVESTMENT TRUST

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SERIES TRUST II

 

 

J.P. MORGAN FLEMING SERIES TRUST

 

 

JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

 

 

JPMORGAN INSURANCE TRUST

 

 

JPMORGAN CASH PLUS FUND LLC

 

 

 

By: /s/ BRIAN W. AGNEW

 

By: /s/ LAURA S. MELMAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Brian W. Agnew

 

Name: Laura S. Melman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

Title: Assistant Treasurer

 

 

 


EX-99.(H)(1)(B) 7 d21184_ex99h1b.htm

Appendix A
Transfer Agency Agreement for JPMorgan Funds
(Amended as of June 14, 2007)

 

JPMorgan Trust I

JPMorgan Emerging Markets Debt Fund

JPMorgan Bond Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Income Fund

JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund

JPMorgan Enhanced Income Fund

JPMorgan California Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Intermediate Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan New York Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Short-Intermediate Income Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Disciplined Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Enhanced Income Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware U.S. Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Large Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Equity Income II Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid International Fund

JPMorgan Market Neutral Fund

JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Fund

JPMorgan International Opportunities Fund

JPMorgan International Value Fund

JPMorgan Asia Equity Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid European Fund

JPMorgan International Growth Fund

JPMorgan International Small Cap Equity Fund

JPMorgan Japan Fund

JPMorgan International Equity Fund

JPMorgan Disciplined Equity Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Equity Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Small Company Fund

JPMorgan Capital Growth Fund

JPMorgan Dynamic Small Cap Fund (to be renamed JPMorgan Dynamic Small Cap Growth Fund as of 6/29/07)

JPMorgan Growth and Income Fund

JPMorgan Mid Cap Equity Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Core Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Equity Fund

JPMorgan Value Advantage Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid America Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Growth Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Multi Cap Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Value Fund

JPMorgan 100% U.S. Treasury Securities Money Market Fund

JPMorgan California Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Federal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan New York Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Prime Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Tax Free Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Core Equity Fund

A-1



 

JPMorgan Trust I (continued)

JPMorgan Tax Aware Diversified Equity Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return Fund

JPMorgan Real Return Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Plus Fund

JPMorgan Micro Cap Fund

Highbridge Statistical Market Neutral Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Long/Short Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Small Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement Income Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2010 Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2015 Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2020 Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2030 Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2040 Fund

JPMorgan International Realty Fund

JPMorgan China Region Fund

JPMorgan Global Focus Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Appreciation Fund

JPMorgan Strategic Preservation Fund

JPMorgan India Fund

JPMorgan International Currency Income Fund

JPMorgan Latin America Fund

JPMorgan Russia Fund

JPMorgan Tax Aware Real Return SMA Fund

JPMorgan Income Builder Fund

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2025 Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2035 Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2045 Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2050 Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan Value Discovery Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

JPMorgan Tax Aware High Income Fund (effective upon the effectiveness of the Fund’s registration statement)

 

Undiscovered Managers Funds

Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Growth Fund

Undiscovered Managers Behavioral Value Fund

JPMorgan Realty Income Fund

Undiscovered Managers Small Cap Growth Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

JPMorgan Short Term Bond Fund II

 

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

JPMorgan Growth Advantage Fund

A-2



 

UM Investment Trust

Undiscovered Managers Multi-Strategy Fund

 

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II

JPMorgan Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Mid Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Small Company Portfolio

JPMorgan U.S. Large Cap Core Equity Portfolio

 

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

JPMorgan Ultra Short-Term Bond Trust

JPMorgan Short-Term Bond Trust

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

JPMorgan Equity Index Trust

 

JPMorgan Trust II

JPMorgan Small Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Small Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Diversified Mid Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Intrepid Mid Cap Fund

JPMorgan Large Cap Growth Fund

JPMorgan Large Cap Value Fund

JPMorgan Equity Income Fund

JPMorgan Equity Index Fund

JPMorgan Market Expansion Index Fund

JPMorgan International Equity Index Fund

JPMorgan Multi-Cap Market Neutral Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Real Estate Fund

JPMorgan Investor Growth Fund

JPMorgan Investor Growth & Income Fund

JPMorgan Investor Balanced Fund

JPMorgan Investor Conservative Growth Fund

JPMorgan Short Duration Bond Fund

JPMorgan Ultra Short Duration Bond Fund

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Fund

JPMorgan Core Bond Fund

JPMorgan Core Plus Bond Fund

JPMorgan Government Bond Fund

JPMorgan Treasury & Agency Fund

JPMorgan High Yield Bond Fund

JPMorgan Mortgage-Backed Securities Fund

JPMorgan Short Term Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Municipal Income Fund

JPMorgan Arizona Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Louisiana Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Bond Fund

A-3



 

JPMorgan Trust II (continued)

JPMorgan West Virginia Municipal Bond Fund

JPMorgan Liquid Assets Money Market Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Government Money Market Fund

JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Michigan Municipal Money Market Fund

JPMorgan Ohio Municipal Money Market Fund

 

JPMorgan Insurance Trust

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Balanced Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Core Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Growth Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Diversified Mid Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Equity Index Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Government Bond Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust International Equity Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Intrepid Mid Cap Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Intrepid Growth Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Large Cap Value Portfolio

JPMorgan Insurance Trust Small Cap Equity Portfolio

 

JPMorgan Cash Plus Fund LLC

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

 

 

BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.

 

JPMORGAN TRUST I

 

 

JPMORGAN TRUST II

 

 

UNDISCOVERED MANAGERS FUNDS

 

 

J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND GROUP

 

 

J.P. MORGAN FLEMING MUTUAL FUND GROUP, INC.

 

 

J.P. MORGAN MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENT TRUST

 

 

UM INVESTMENT TRUST

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SERIES TRUST II

 

 

JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

 

 

JPMORGAN INSURANCE TRUST

 

 

JPMORGAN CASH PLUS FUND LLC

 

 

 

By:

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

Title:

 

 

 

A-4


EX-99.(2) 8 d21184_ex992.htm

Code of Ethics

 

of

 

DVCMM LLC

 

J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc.

JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Ltd.

 

JPMorgan Capital Management LLC

 

JPMorgan Investment Advisors Inc.

 

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

 

Security Capital Research & Management Inc.

 

 

(collectively, “JPMAM”)

 

Effective February 1, 2005

(Revised March 1, 2007)

 

 

 



Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

Table of Contents

1.   Introduction and Standards   1
  1.1. Adoption of the Code of Ethics   1
  1.2. Standards of Business Conduct   1
  1.3. General Definitions   2
2.   Reporting Requirements   3
  2.1. Holdings Reports.   3
    2.1.1. Content of Holdings Reports   4
    2.1.2. Timing of Holdings Reports   4
  2.2. Transaction Reports   4
    2.2.1. Content of Transaction Reports   4
    2.2.2. Timing of Transaction Reports   4
  2.3. Consolidated Report   5
  2.4. Exceptions from Reporting Requirements   5
3.   Pre-approval of Certain Investments   5
4.   Additional Restrictions and Corrective Action under the Personal Trading Policy and other related Policies and Procedures   5
  4.1. Designated Broker Requirement   5
  4.2. Blackout Provisions   5
  4.3. Minimum Investment Holding Period and Market Timing Prohibition   6
  4.4. Trade Reversals and Disciplinary Action   6
5.   Books and Records to be Maintained by Investment Advisers   6
6.   Confidentiality   7
7.   Conflicts of Interest   7
  7.1. Trading in Securities of Clients   7
  7.2. Trading in Securities of Suppliers   7
  7.3. Gifts   7
  7.4. Entertainment   8
  7.5. Political and Charitable Contributions   8
  7.6. Outside Business Activities   8

 

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

1.

Introduction and Standards

 

1.1.

Adoption of the Code of Ethics

 

This Code of Ethics for JPMAM (the “Code”) has been adopted by the registered investment advisers named on the cover hereof in accordance with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). Rule 204A-1 requires, at a minimum, that an adviser’s code of ethics set forth standards of conduct, require compliance with federal securities laws and address personal trading by advisory personnel.

 

While all J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (“JPMC”) staff, including JPMAM Supervised Persons, as defined below, are subject to the personal trading policies under the JPMC Code of Conduct, theJPMAM Code establishes more stringent standards reflecting the fiduciary obligations of JPMAM and its Supervised Persons. Where matters are addressed by both the JPMC Code of Conduct and this Code, Supervised Persons of JPMAM must observe and comply with the stricter standards set forth in this Code.

 

JPMAM hereby designates the staff of its Compliance Department to act as designees for the respective chief compliance officers of the JPMAM registered investment advisers (“CCO”) in administering this Code. Anyone with questions regarding the Code or its application should contact the Compliance Department.

 

1.2.

Standards of Business Conduct

 

It is the duty of all Supervised Persons to place the interests of JPMAM clients before their own personal interests at all times and avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest. Given the access that Supervised Persons may have to proprietary and client information, JPMAM and its Supervised Persons must avoid even the appearance of impropriety with respect to personal trading, which must be oriented toward investment rather than short-term or speculative trading. Supervised Persons must also comply with applicable federal securities laws and report any violations of the Code promptly to the Compliance Department, which shall report any such violation promptly to the CCO.

 

Access Persons, as defined below, must report, and JPMAM must review, their personal securities transactions and holdings periodically. See section 2. Reporting Requirements and the Personal Trading Policy for Investment Management Americas Staff, as defined below, for details regarding reporting procedures.

 

Compliance with the Code, and other applicable policies and procedures, is a condition of employment. The rules, procedures, reporting and recordkeeping requirements contained in the Code are designed to prevent employees from violating the provisions of the Code. Failure by a Supervised Person to comply with the Code may adversely impact JPMAM and may constitute a violation of federal securities laws.

 

The Compliance Department shall distribute to each Supervised Person a copy of the Code and any amendments, receipt of which shall be acknowledged in writing by the Supervised Person. Written acknowledgements shall be maintained by the Compliance Department in accordance with section 5. Books and Records to be Maintained by Investment Advisers. The form of acknowledgment shall be determined by the Compliance Department.

 

At least annually, each CCO must review the adequacy of the Code and the policies and the procedures herein referenced.

 

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

1.3.

General Definitions

 

(a)

Supervised Persons include:

 

(1)

Any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) and employees of JPMAM;

 

(2)

All employees of entities affiliated with JPMAM that have been authorized by the Office of the Corporate Secretary to act in an official capacity on behalf of a legal entity within JPMAM, sometimes referred to as “dual hatted” employees;

 

(3)

Certain consultants as well as any other persons who provide advice on behalf of JPMAM and are subject to JPMAM’s supervision and control; and

 

(4)

All Access Persons, as defined in paragraph (b).

 

(b)

Access Persons include any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) of JPMAM, as well as any other Supervised Person who:

 

(1)

Has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any registered fund advised or sub-advised by JPMAM; or

 

(2)

Is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, including Funds, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic.

 

(c)

Associated Account refers to an account in the name or for the direct or indirect benefit of a Supervised Person or a Supervised Person’s spouse, domestic partner, minor children and any other person for whom the Supervised Person provides significant financial support, as well as to any other account over which the Supervised Person or any of these other persons exercise investment discretion, regardless of beneficial interest. Excluded from Associated Accounts are any 401(k) and deferred compensation plan accounts for which the Supervised Person has no investment discretion.

 

(d)

Automatic investment plan means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

(e)

Beneficial ownership is interpreted to mean any interest held directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, or any pecuniary interest in equity securities held or shared directly or indirectly, subject to the terms and conditions set forth under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A Supervised Person who has questions regarding the definition of this term should consult the Compliance Department. Please note: Any report required under section 2. Reporting Requirements may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

(f)

Client refers to any entity (e.g., person, corporation or Fund) for which JPMAM provides a service or has a fiduciary responsibility.

 

(g)

Federal securities laws means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999), any rules adopted by the

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

(h)     

Fund means an investment company registered under the 1940 Act.

 

(i)

Initial public offering means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

(j)

JPMAM is an abbreviation for JPMorgan Asset Management, the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Within the context of this document, JPMAM refers to the U.S. registered investment advisers of JPMorgan Asset Management identified on the cover of this Code.

 

(k)

Limited offering means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to Rules 504, 505 or 506 thereunder.

 

(l)

Personal Trading Policy refers to the Personal Trading Policy for Investment Management Americas Staff and/or the Personal Investment Policy for JPMAM Employees in EMEA, Asia and Japan, as applicable, and the procedures thereunder.

 

(m)

Reportable Security means a security as defined under section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act held for the direct or indirect benefit of an Access Person, including any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security”, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guaranty of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. Also included in this definition are open-end mutual funds (except as noted below) and exchange traded funds. Excluded from this definition are:

 

(1)

Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;

 

(2)

Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 

(3)

Shares issued by money market funds; and

 

(4)

Shares of other types of mutual funds, unless JPMAM acts as the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter for the Fund.

 

2.

Reporting Requirements

 

2.1.

Holdings Reports

 

Access Persons must submit to the Compliance Department a report, in the form designated by the Compliance Department, of the Access Person’s current securities holdings that meets the following requirements:

 

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

2.1.1.

Content of Holdings Reports

 

Each holdings report must contain, at a minimum:

 

(a)

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an Associated Account in which any Reportable Securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit, as well as all pertinent Associated Account details (e.g., account title, account number, etc.);

 

(b)

The title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; and

 

(c)

The date the Access Person submits the report.

 

2.1.2.

Timing of Holdings Reports

 

Access Persons must each submit a holdings report:

 

(a)

No later than 10 days after the person becomes an Access Person, and the information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

 

(b)

At least once each 12-month period thereafter on January 30, and the information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the report was submitted.

 

2.2.

Transaction Reports

 

Access Persons must submit to the Compliance Department quarterly securities transactions reports, in the form designated by the Compliance Department, that meet the following requirements:

 

2.2.1.

Content of Transaction Reports

 

Each transaction report must contain, at a minimum, the following information about each transaction involving a Reportable Security in which the Access Person had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

(a)

The date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;

 

(b)

The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

(c)

The price of the security at which the transaction was effected;

 

(d)

The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and

 

(e)

The date the Access Person submits the report.

 

2.2.2.

Timing of Transaction Reports

 

Each Access Person must submit a transaction report no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, which report must cover, at a minimum, all transactions during the quarter.

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

 

2.3.

Consolidated Report

 

At the discretion of the Compliance Department, the form of annual holdings report may be combined with the form of the concurrent quarterly transaction report, provided that such consolidated holdings and transaction report meets, at a minimum, the timing requirements of both such reports if submitted separately.

 

2.4.

Exceptions from Reporting Requirements

 

An Access Person need not submit:

 

(a)

Any report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

(b)

A transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan;

 

(c)

A transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in broker trade confirmations or account statements that the Compliance Department holds in its records so long as the Compliance Department receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter.

 

3.

Pre-approval of Certain Investments

 

Supervised Persons must obtain approval from the Compliance Department before they directly or indirectly acquire beneficial ownership in any reportable security, including initial public offerings and limited offerings. The Personal Trading Policy shall set forth the Compliance pre-clearance procedures as well as any exceptions to the pre-clearance requirement.

 

4.

Additional Restrictions and Corrective Action under the Personal Trading Policy and other related Policies and Procedures

 

In furtherance of the standards for personal trading set forth herein, JPMAM shall maintain a Personal Trading Policy with respect to the trading restrictions and corrective actions discussed under this section 4, and such other restrictions as may be deemed necessary or appropriate by JPMAM.

 

4.1.

Designated Broker Requirement

 

Any Associated Account, except as otherwise indicated in the Personal Trading Policy, must be maintained with a Designated Broker, as provided under the JPMC Code of Conduct and the Personal Trading Policy.

 

4.2.

Blackout Provisions

 

The personal trading and investment activities of Supervised Persons are subject to particular scrutiny because of the fiduciary nature of the business. Specifically, JPMAM must avoid even the appearance that its Supervised Persons conduct personal transactions in a manner that conflicts with the firm’s investment activities on behalf of clients. Towards this end, Supervised Persons may be restricted from conducting personal investment transactions during certain periods (“Blackout Periods”), and may be instructed to reverse previously completed personal investment transactions (see section 4.4 ). Additionally, the Compliance Department may restrict the personal trading activity of any Supervised Person if such activity has the appearance of violating the intent of the blackout provision or is deemed to present a possible conflict of interest.

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

The Blackout Periods set forth in the Personal Trading Policy may reflect varying levels of restriction appropriate for different categories of Supervised Persons based upon their level of access to nonpublic client or proprietary information.

 

4.3.

Minimum Investment Holding Period and Market Timing Prohibition

 

Supervised Persons are subject to a minimum holding period, as set forth under the Personal Trading Policy, for all transactions in Reportable Securities, as defined under section 1.3.

 

Supervised Persons are not permitted to conduct transactions for the purpose of market timing in any Reportable Security. Market timing is defined as an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions, and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements.

 

Please see the Personal Trading Policy for further details on transactions covered or exempted from the minimum investment holding period.

 

4.4.

Trade Reversals and Disciplinary Action

 

Transactions by Supervised Persons are subject to reversal due to a conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with the firm’s fiduciary responsibility or a violation of the Code or the Personal Trading Policy. Such a reversal may be required even for a pre-cleared transaction that results in an inadvertent conflict or a breach of black out period requirements under the Personal Trading Policy.

 

Disciplinary actions resulting from a violation of the Code will be administered in accordance with related JPMAM policies governing disciplinary action and escalation. All violations and disciplinary actions will be reported promptly by the Compliance Department to the JPMAM CCO. Violations will be reported at least quarterly to the firm’s executive committee and, where applicable, to the directors or trustees of an affected Fund.

 

Violations by Supervised Persons of any laws that relate to JPMAM’s operation of its business or any failure to cooperate with an internal investigation may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal and, if applicable, termination of registration.

 

5.

Books and Records to be Maintained by Investment Advisers

 

(a)

A copy of this Code and any other code of ethics adopted by JPMAM pursuant to Rule 204A-1 that has been in effect during the past five years;

 

(b)

A record of any violation of the Code, and any action taken as a result of that violation;

 

(c)

A record of all written acknowledgments for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a Supervised Person of JPMAM;

 

(d)

A record of each report made by an Access Personas required under section 2. Reporting Requirements;

 

(e)

A record of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were, Access Persons;

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

(f)

A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities by Supervised Personsunder section 3. Pre-approval of Certain Investments, for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted; and

 

(g)

Any other such record as may be required under the Code or the Personal Trading Policy.

 

6.

Confidentiality

 

Supervised Persons have a special responsibility to protect the confidentiality of information related to customers. This responsibility may be imposed by law, may arise out of agreements with customers, or may be based on policies or practices adopted by the firm. Certain jurisdictions have regulations relating specifically to the privacy of individuals and/or business and institutional customers. Various business units and geographic areas within JPMC have internal policies regarding customer privacy.

 

The foregoing notwithstanding, JPMAM and its Supervised Persons must comply with all provisions under the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA Patriot Act and all other applicable federal securities laws, as well as applicable anti-money laundering and know your client policies, procedures and training requirements of JPMAM and JPMC.

 

7.

Conflicts of Interest

 

With regards to each of the following restrictions, more detailed guidelines may be found under the applicable JPMAM policy and/or the JPMC Code of Conduct.

 

7.1.

Trading in Securities of Clients

 

Supervised Persons should not invest in any securities of a client with which the Supervised Person has or recently had significant dealings or responsibility on behalf of JPMAM if such investment could be perceived as based on confidential information.

 

7.2.

Trading in Securities of Suppliers

 

Supervised Persons in possession of information regarding, or directly involved in negotiating, a contract material to a supplier of JPMAM may not invest in the securities of such supplier. If you own the securities of a company with which we are dealing and you are asked to represent JPMorgan Chase in such dealings you must:

 

(a)

Disclose this fact to your department head and the Compliance Department; and

 

(b)

Obtain prior approval from the Compliance Department before selling such securities.

 

7.3.

Gifts

 

A conflict of interest occurs when the personal interests of Supervised Persons interfere or could potentially interfere with their responsibilities to the firm and its clients. Supervised Persons should not accept inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or other things of material value that could influence their decision-making or make them feel beholden to a person or firm. Similarly, Supervised Persons should not offer gifts, favors, entertainment or other things of value that could be viewed as overly generous or aimed at influencing decision-making or making a client feel beholden to the firm or the Supervised Person. More specific guidelines are set forth under the JPMC Code of Conduct and operating procedures for the JPMAM Gift, Entertainment and Political Contributions Database. Supervised Persons are required to log all gifts subject to reporting into the JPMAM Gift, Entertainment and Political Contributions Database.

 

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Code of Ethics

JPMorgan Asset Management

 

 

7.4.

Entertainment

 

No Supervised Person may provide or accept extravagant or excessive entertainment to or from a client, prospective client, or any person or entity that does or seeks to do business with or on behalf of JPMAM. Supervised Persons may provide or accept a business entertainment event, such as dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value, if the person or entity providing the entertainment is present, and only to the extent that such entertainment is permissible under the JPMC Code of Conduct and operating procedures for the JPMAM Gift, Entertainment and Political Contributions Database. Supervised Persons are required to log all entertainment subject to reporting into the JPMAM Gift, Entertainment and Political Contributions Database.

 

 

7.5.

Political and Charitable Contributions

 

Supervised Persons are prohibited from making political contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts with government entities. In addition, Supervised Persons are prohibited from considering JPMAM’s current or anticipated business relationships as a factor in soliciting political or charitable donations. Additional restrictions, disclosures and other requirements regarding political activities are described under the JPMC Code of Conduct. Supervised Persons are required to pre-clear all political contributions to the election campaigns of non-federal level candidates and PACs.

 

7.6.

Outside Business Activities

 

A Supervised Person’s outside activities must not reflect adversely on the firm or give rise to a real or apparent conflict of interest with the Supervised Person’s duties to the firm or its clients. Supervised Persons must be alert to potential conflicts of interest and be aware that they may be asked to discontinue any outside activity if a potential conflict arises. Supervised Persons may not, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)

Accept a business opportunity from someone doing business or seeking to do business with JPMAM that is made available to the Supervised Person because of the individual’s position with the firm.

 

(b)

Take for oneself a business opportunity belonging to the firm.

 

(c)

Engage in a business opportunity that competes with any of the firm’s businesses.

 

More specific guidelines are set forth under the conflicts of interest policy of JPMAM and under the JPMC Code of Conduct. Procedures and forms for pre-clearance of these activities by the Office of the Secretary of JPMC are available in the JPMC Procedures for Pre-Clearance of Outside Activities Referenced in the JPMC Code of Conduct. Supervised Persons must seek a new clearance for a previously approved activity whenever there is any material change in relevant circumstances, whether arising from a change in your job or association with JPMAM or in your role with respect to that activity or organization. You are required to be continually alert to any real or apparent conflicts of interest with respect to investment management activities and promptly disclose any such conflicts to Compliance and the Office of the Corporate Secretary. You must also notify the Office of the Secretary of JPMC when any approved outside activity terminates.

 

Regardless of whether an activity is specifically addressed under JPMAM policies or the JPMC Code of Conduct, Supervised Persons should disclose any personal interest that might present a conflict of interest or harm the reputation of the firm.

 

 

8

 



EX-99.(A) 9 d21184_ex99a.htm

 

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II
J.P. Morgan Fleming Series Trust
JPMorgan Institutional Trust

 

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned constitutes and appoints George C.W. Gatch, Robert L. Young, Patricia A. Maleski, Jessica K. Ditullio, Stephen M. Benham, Nancy E. Fields, Elizabeth A. Davin, John T. Fitzgerald, Michael C. Raczynski, Pamela L. Woodley, Ellen W. O’Brien, Stephen M. Ungerman, Arthur A. Jensen, Laura S. Melman, Joseph Bertini and Thomas J. Smith, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution for such attorney-in-fact in such attorney-in-fact’s name, place and stead, to sign any and all registration statements or other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority applicable to the above named Trusts, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and withdrawals thereof, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority, as appropriate, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person in his or her capacity as a Trustee or officer of the Trusts, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

This Powers of Attorney may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same document.

 

/s/ Cheryl Ballenger
Cheryl Ballenger, Trustee
  /s/ John F. Ruffle
John F. Ruffle, Trustee
 
/s/ Jerry B. Lewis
Jerry B. Lewis, Trustee
/s/ Kenneth Whipple, Jr.
Kenneth Whipple, Jr., Trustee
 
/s/ John R. Rettberg
John R. Rettberg, Trustee

 

Dated March 27, 2007

 



EX-99.(B) 10 d21184_ex99b.htm

 

JPMorgan Trust I

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II

 

JPMorgan Trust II

JPMorgan Insurance Trust

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

Undiscovered Managers Funds

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

UM Investment Trust

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

 

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned constitutes and appoints Robert L. Young, Patricia A. Maleski, Stephanie J. Dorsey, Jessica K. Ditullio, Stephen M. Benham, Nancy E. Fields, Elizabeth A. Davin, John T. Fitzgerald, Pamela L. Woodley, Susan Canning, Ellen W. O’Brien, Stephen M. Ungerman, Arthur A. Jensen, Laura S. Melman, Joseph Bertini and Thomas J. Smith, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution for such attorney-in-fact in such attorney-in-fact's name, place and stead, to sign any and all registration statements or other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority applicable to the above named Trusts, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and withdrawals thereof, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority, as appropriate, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person in his or her capacity as a Trustee or officer of the Trusts, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

/s/George C.W. Gatch

George C.W. Gatch

Dated: May 7, 2007

 



EX-99.(C) 11 d21184_ex99c.htm

 

JPMorgan Trust I

J.P. Morgan Series Trust II

 

JPMorgan Trust II

JPMorgan Insurance Trust

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

Undiscovered Managers Funds

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

UM Investment Trust

 

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned constitutes and appoints George C.W. Gatch, Robert L. Young, Patricia A. Maleski, Jessica K. Ditullio, Stephen M. Benham, Nancy E. Fields, Elizabeth A. Davin, John T. Fitzgerald, Pamela L. Woodley, Susan Canning, Ellen W. O’Brien, Stephen M. Ungerman, Arthur A. Jensen, Laura S. Melman, Joseph Bertini and Thomas J. Smith, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution for such attorney-in-fact in such attorney-in-fact’s name, place and stead, to sign any and all registration statements or other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority applicable to the above named Trusts, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and withdrawals thereof, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state regulatory agency or authority, as appropriate, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person in his or her capacity as a Trustee or officer of the Trusts, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

 

/s/Stephanie J. Dorsey

Stephanie J. Dorsey

May 7, 2007 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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