POS AMI 1 d351662dposami.htm JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST JPMorgan Institutional Trust
Table of Contents

AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON June 28, 2017

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   
   AMENDMENT No. 33   

 

 

JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code 800-343-1113

 

 

Frank J. Nasta, Esq.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

Zach Vonnegut-Gabovitch, Esq.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

270 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

 

 

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.

 

 

 


Table of Contents
Prospective Investor             Copy #                     
           

 

            DO NOT COPY OR CIRCULATE

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTING

Confidential Offering Memorandum
JPMorgan Institutional Trust

June 28, 2017

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

JPMorgan Core Bond 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.


Table of Contents

This Confidential Offering Memorandum (“Memorandum”) describes two 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 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. (“JPMorgan Chase”), 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.


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CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 


Table of Contents

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

 

What is the goal of the Fund?

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

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

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. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses in the table below are based on the average net assets during the most recent fiscal year; this ratio will generally increase as Fund assets decline due to market movements, net redemptions, and other factors during the current fiscal year, but expenses (other than acquired fund fees and expenses other than certain money market fund fees as described below, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, interest, taxes, expenses related to litigation and potential litigation, and extraordinary expenses) will not increase beyond the level of any expense limitation in place for the Fund.

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

 
Management Fees     0.30
Other Expenses     0.18  
   

 

 

 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses     0.48  
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements1     (0.33
   

 

 

 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements1
    0.15  

 

1 The Fund’s adviser and administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses other than certain money market fund fees as described below, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, interest, taxes, expenses related to litigation and potential litigation, and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.15% of the average daily net assets. The Fund may invest in one or more money market funds advised by the adviser or its affiliates (affiliated money market funds). The Fund’s adviser and administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses in an amount sufficient to offset the respective net fees for advisory, administration and/or shareholder services that the Fund’s adviser and/or its affiliates collect from the affiliated money market funds on the Fund’s investment in such money market funds. These waivers are in effect through 6/30/18, at which time the adviser and administrator will determine whether to renew or revise them.

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses are equal to the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements shown in the fee table through 6/30/18 and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

WHETHER OR NOT YOU SELL YOUR SHARES, YOUR
COSTS WOULD BE:

 
1 Year   3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  
$15   $ 121     $ 236     $ 572  

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 32% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund’s main investment strategies?

The Fund mainly invests in investment grade debt securities of all types or unrated debt securities which J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM or the adviser) determines to be of comparable quality, including bonds, notes and U.S. government obligations with intermediate maturities. These include mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. Such securities may be structured as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and stripped mortgage-backed securities, including those structured such that payments consist of interest-only (IO), principal-only (PO) or principal and interest. The Fund also may invest in inverse floaters and inverse IOs, which are debt securities with interest rates that reset in the opposite direction from the market rate to which the security is indexed.

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and at least 50% of its 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, “net assets” means net assets, plus the amount of borrowings

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         1  


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JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust (continued)

 

for investment purposes. U.S. government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations as well as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and other government agency mortgage-backed securities.

Securities will be rated investment grade (or the unrated equivalent) at the time of purchase. In addition, all securities will be U.S. dollar-denominated although they may be issued by a foreign corporation or a U.S. affiliate of a foreign corporation, or a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities. The adviser may invest a significant portion or all of its assets in mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities in the adviser’s discretion. The Fund expects to invest no more than 10% of its assets in “sub-prime” mortgage-related securities at the time of purchase.

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

While the Fund is not required to maintain a specific duration, 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 have a longer or shorter average weighted maturity under certain market conditions and the Fund may shorten or lengthen its average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. Because of the Fund’s holdings in asset-backed, mortgage-backed and similar securities, the Fund’s average weighted maturity is equivalent to the average weighted maturity of the cash flows in the securities held by the Fund given certain prepayment assumptions (also known as weighted average life).

The adviser buys and sells securities and investments for the Fund based on its view of individual securities and market sectors. Taking a long-term approach, the adviser looks for individual fixed income investments that it believes will perform well over market cycles. The adviser is value oriented and makes decisions to purchase and sell individual securities and instruments after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, duration, liquidity, legal provisions and the structure of the transaction.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

The Fund is subject to management risk and may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular instruments or markets are not met.

An investment in this Fund or any other fund may not provide a complete investment program. The suitability of an investment in the Fund should be considered based on the investment objective, strategies and risks described in this prospectus, considered in light of all of the other investments in your portfolio, as well as your risk tolerance, financial goals and time horizons. You may want to consult with a financial advisor to determine if this Fund is suitable for you.

The Fund is subject to the main risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and ability to meet its investment objective.

General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters or events, terrorism, regulatory events and government controls.

Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s investments in bonds and other debt securities will change in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of these investments generally declines. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities generally are subject to greater fluctuations in value. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although these instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate instruments, the value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates. Given that the Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates, the Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk.

Credit Risk. The Fund’s investments are subject to the risk that issuers and/or counterparties will fail to make payments when due or default completely. Prices of the Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers or counterparties it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration in their credit quality. Credit spreads may increase, which may reduce the market values of the Fund’s securities. Credit spread risk is the risk that economic and market conditions or any actual or perceived credit deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between two securities of similar maturity but different credit quality) and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities.

Government Securities Risk. The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as securities issued by the

 

 

 
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Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)). U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Securities, such as those issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae or the U.S. Treasury, that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity and the market prices for such securities will fluctuate. Notwithstanding that these securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, circumstances could arise that would prevent the payment of interest or principal. This would result in losses to the Fund. 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 and no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support. Therefore, U.S. government-related organizations may not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

Asset-Backed, Mortgage-Related and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities including so-called “sub-prime” mortgages that are subject to certain other risks including prepayment and call risks. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund may be subject to extension risk, and may receive principal later than expected. As a result, in periods of rising interest rates, the Fund may exhibit additional volatility. During periods of difficult or frozen credit markets, significant changes in interest rates, or deteriorating economic conditions, such securities may decline in value, face valuation difficulties, become more volatile and/or become illiquid.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and stripped mortgage-backed securities, including those structured as IOs and POs, are more volatile and may be more sensitive to the rate of prepayment than other mortgage-related securities. The risk of default, as described under “Credit Risk”, for “sub-prime” mortgages is generally higher than other types of mortgage-backed securities. The structure of some of these securities may be complex and there may be less available information than other types of debt securities.

Prepayment Risk. The issuer of certain securities may repay principal in advance, especially when yields fall. Changes in the rate at which prepayments occur can affect the return on investment of these securities. When debt obligations are

prepaid or 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 coupons, resulting in an unexpected capital loss.

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock generally has a preference as to dividends and liquidation over an issuer’s common stock but ranks junior to debt securities in an issuer’s capital structure. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer’s board of directors. Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.

Foreign Issuer Risks. U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers or U.S. affiliates of foreign issuers may be subject to additional risks not faced by domestic issuers. These risks include political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments and regulatory issues facing issuers in such foreign countries. Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile.

Industry and Sector Focus Risk. At times the Fund may increase the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector. The prices of securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector may be more susceptible to fluctuations due to changes in economic or business conditions, government regulations, availability of basic resources or supplies, or other events that affect that industry or sector more than securities of issuers in other industries and sectors. To the extent that the Fund increases the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector, its shares’ values may fluctuate in response to events affecting that industry or sector.

Transactions Risk. The Fund could experience a loss and its liquidity may be negatively impacted when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. The risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent or occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices. Similarly, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

 

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 investing in the Fund.

 

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         3  


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JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust (continued)

 

The Fund’s Past Performance

This section provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from year to year for the past ten calendar years. The table shows the average annual total returns for the past one year, five years and ten years. The table compares that performance to the Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate U.S. Government/Credit 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. Unlike the other index, the Lipper index includes the fees and expenses of the mutual funds included in the index. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

LOGO

 

Best Quarter    3rd quarter, 2009      3.70%  
Worst Quarter    4th quarter, 2016      –2.07%  

The Fund’s year-to-date total return through 3/31/17 was 0.96%.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

(For periods ended December 31, 2016)

 
     Past
1 Year
    Past
5 Years
    Past
10 Years
 
INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST        
Return Before Taxes     2.31     2.39     4.66
Return After Taxes on Distributions     0.10       0.93       3.01  
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares     1.78       1.25       3.00  
BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX        
(Reflects No Deduction for Fees, Expenses or Taxes)     2.08       1.85       3.84  
LIPPER SHORT-INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS INDEX     0.54       0.63       2.53  
(Reflects No Deduction for Taxes)                        

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

Management

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

 

Portfolio Manager   Managed
Fund  Since
   Primary Title with
Investment Adviser
Scott E. Grimshaw   2005    Executive Director
Peter D. Simons   2015    Managing Director

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

Purchase minimums   

To establish an account

     $5,000,000  

To add to an account

     No minimum levels  

In general, you may purchase or redeem shares on any business day:

 

 

By contacting your client relationship or client service manager

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is a qualified retirement plan or other tax-advantaged investment plans, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon withdrawal from the tax-advantaged investment plan.

 

 

 
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JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

 

What is the goal of the Fund?

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

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

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. The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses in the table below are based on the average net assets during the most recent fiscal year; this ratio will generally increase as Fund assets decline due to market movements, net redemptions, and other factors during the current fiscal year, but expenses (other than acquired fund fees and expenses other than certain money market fund fees as described below, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, interest, taxes, expenses related to litigation and potential litigation, and extraordinary expenses) will not increase beyond the level of any expense limitation in place for the Fund.

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

 
Management Fees     0.30
Other Expenses     0.12  
   

 

 

 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses     0.42  
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements1     (0.27
   

 

 

 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements1
    0.15  

 

1 The Fund’s adviser and administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses other than certain money market fund fees as described below, dividend and interest expenses related to short sales, interest, taxes, expenses related to litigation and potential litigation, and extraordinary expenses) exceed 0.15% of the average daily net assets. The Fund may invest in one or more money market funds advised by the adviser or its affiliates (affiliated money market funds). The Fund’s adviser and administrator have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses in an amount sufficient to offset the respective net fees for advisory, administration and/or shareholder services that the Fund’s adviser and/or its affiliates collect from the affiliated money market funds on the Fund’s investment in such money market funds. These waivers are in effect through 6/30/18, at which time the adviser and administrator will determine whether to renew or revise them.

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses are equal to the total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements shown in the fee table through 6/30/18 and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

WHETHER OR NOT YOU SELL YOUR SHARES, YOUR
COSTS WOULD BE:

 
1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  
$ 15     $ 108     $ 208     $ 504  

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 16% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund’s main investment strategies?

The Fund is designed to maximize total return by investing in a portfolio of investment grade intermediate- and long-term debt securities. As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund may principally invest in corporate bonds, U.S. treasury obligations including treasury coupon strips and treasury principal strips and other U.S. government and agency securities, and asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities may be structured as collateralized mortgage obligations (agency and non-agency), stripped mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage pass-through securities and cash and cash equivalents. These securities may be structured such that payments consist of interest-only (IO), principal-only (PO) or principal and interest.

As a matter of fundamental policy, 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. Generally, such bonds will have intermediate to long maturities. The Fund’s average weighted maturity will ordinarily range between four and 12 years. The Fund may have a longer or shorter average weighted maturity under certain

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         5  


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JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (continued)

 

market conditions and the Fund may shorten or lengthen its average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. Because of the Fund’s holdings in asset-backed, mortgage-backed and similar securities, the Fund’s average weighted maturity is equivalent to the average weighted maturity of the cash flows in the securities held by the Fund given certain prepayment assumptions (also known as weighted average life).

Securities will be rated investment grade (or the unrated equivalent) at the time of purchase. In addition, all securities will be U.S. dollar-denominated although they may be issued by a foreign corporation or a U.S. affiliate of a foreign corporation or a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities. The adviser may invest a significant portion or all of its assets in mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities in the adviser’s discretion. The Fund expects to invest no more than 10% of its assets in “sub-prime” mortgage-related securities at the time of purchase.

The adviser buys and sells securities and investments for the Fund based on its view of individual securities and market sectors. Taking a long-term approach, the adviser looks for individual fixed income investments that it believes will perform well over market cycles. The adviser is value oriented and makes decisions to purchase and sell individual securities and instruments after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, duration, liquidity, legal provisions and the structure of the transaction.

The Fund’s Main Investment Risks

The Fund is subject to management risk and may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations regarding particular instruments or markets are not met.

 

An investment in this Fund or any other fund may not provide a complete investment program. The suitability of an investment in the Fund should be considered based on the investment objective, strategies and risks described in this prospectus, considered in light of all of the other investments in your portfolio, as well as your risk tolerance, financial goals and time horizons. You may want to consult with a financial advisor to determine if this Fund is suitable for you.

The Fund is subject to the main risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and ability to meet its investment objective.

General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in general financial

markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters or events, terrorism, regulatory events and government controls.

Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s investments in bonds and other debt securities will change in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of these investments generally declines. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities generally are subject to greater fluctuations in value. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although these instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate instruments, the value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates. Given that the Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates, the Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk.

Credit Risk. The Fund’s investments are subject to the risk that issuers and/or counterparties will fail to make payments when due or default completely. Prices of the Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers or counterparties it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration in their credit quality. Credit spreads may increase, which may reduce the market values of the Fund’s securities. Credit spread risk is the risk that economic and market conditions or any actual or perceived credit deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between two securities of similar maturity but different credit quality) and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities.

Government Securities Risk. The Fund invests in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)). U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Securities, such as those issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae or the U.S. Treasury, that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity and the market prices for such securities will fluctuate. Notwithstanding that these securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, circumstances could arise that would prevent the payment of interest or principal. This would result in losses to the Fund. 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 and no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support. Therefore, U.S. government-related

 

 

 
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organizations may not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

Asset-Backed, Mortgage-Related and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities including so-called “sub-prime” mortgages that are subject to certain other risks including prepayment and call risks. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund may be subject to extension risk, and may receive principal later than expected. As a result, in periods of rising interest rates, the Fund may exhibit additional volatility. During periods of difficult or frozen credit markets, significant changes in interest rates, or deteriorating economic conditions, such securities may decline in value, face valuation difficulties, become more volatile and/or become illiquid.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and stripped mortgage-backed securities, including those structured as IOs and POs, are more volatile and may be more sensitive to the rate of prepayment than other mortgage-related securities. The risk of default, as described under “Credit Risk”, for “sub-prime” mortgages is generally higher than other types of mortgage-backed securities. The structure of some of these securities may be complex and there may be less available information than other types of debt securities.

Prepayment Risk. The issuer of certain securities may repay principal in advance, especially when yields fall. Changes in the rate at which prepayments occur can affect the return on investment of these securities. When debt obligations are prepaid or 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 coupons, resulting in an unexpected capital loss.

Foreign Issuer Risks. U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers or U.S. affiliates of foreign issuers may be subject to additional risks not faced by domestic issuers. These risks include political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments and regulatory issues facing issuers in such foreign countries. Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile.

Industry and Sector Focus Risk. At times the Fund may increase the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector. The prices of securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector may be more susceptible to fluctuations due to changes in economic or business conditions, government regulations, availability of basic resources or supplies, or other events that affect that industry or sector more than securities of issuers in other industries and sectors. To the extent that the Fund increases the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector, its shares’ values may fluctuate in response to events affecting that industry or sector.

Transactions Risk. The Fund could experience a loss and its liquidity may be negatively impacted when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders. The risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are unusually large or frequent or occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices. Similarly, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

 

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 investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s Past Performance

This section provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from year to year for the past ten calendar years. The table shows the average annual total returns for the past one year, five years and ten years. The table compares that performance to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate 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. Unlike the other index, the Lipper index includes the fees and expenses of the mutual funds included in the index. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

 

 
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JPMorgan Core Bond Trust (continued)

 

 

LOGO

 

Best Quarter    3rd quarter, 2009      4.68%  
Worst Quarter    4th quarter, 2016      –2.82%  

The Fund’s year-to-date total return through 3/31/17 was 1.08%.

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

(For periods ended December 31, 2016)

        
     Past
1 Year
    Past
5 Years
    Past
10 Years
 
CORE BOND TRUST        
Return Before Taxes     3.00     2.93     5.32
Return After Taxes on Distributions     1.35       1.38       3.54  
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares     1.87       1.60       3.44  
BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS U.S. AGGREGATE INDEX        
(Reflects No Deduction for Fees, Expenses or Taxes)     2.65       2.23       4.34  
LIPPER INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDS INDEX     1.21       1.27       3.91  
(Reflects No Deduction for Taxes)                        

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

Management

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

 

Portfolio Manager   Managed
Fund  Since
   Primary Title with
Investment Adviser
Barbara Miller   2015    Managing Director
Richard D. Figuly   2015    Managing Director

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Purchase minimums

 

To establish an account

     $10,000,000  

To add to an account

     No minimum levels  

In general, you may purchase or redeem shares on any business day:

 

 

By contacting your client relationship or client service manager

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is a qualified retirement plan or other tax-advantaged investment plans, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon withdrawal from the tax-advantaged investment plan.

 

 

 
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More About the Funds

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Each of the Funds described in this Confidential Offering Memorandum is managed by JPMIM. The principal types of securities and the main strategies that each Fund currently anticipates using are summarized in its Risk/Return Summary. Except as otherwise indicated, the strategies described below are principal investment strategies of each Fund. Where applicable, the following identifies other strategies that are not anticipated to be main strategies of a Fund but that may become more important to a Fund’s management in the future. The Funds may utilize these investments and strategies to a greater or lesser degree in the future.

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

The name, investment objective and policies of the Funds are similar to other funds advised by the adviser or its affiliates. However, the investment results of a Fund may be higher or lower than, and there is no guarantee that the investment results of a Fund will be comparable to, any other of these funds.

Credit Quality of Income Funds. The Intermediate Bond Trust and the Core Bond Trust limit their investments to investment grade securities. Investment grade securities carry a minimum rating of Baa3, BBB–, or BBB– by Moody’s Investors Service Inc. (Moody’s), Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P), or Fitch Ratings (Fitch), respectively, or the equivalent by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or are unrated but deemed by the adviser to be of comparable quality. A security’s quality is determined at the time of purchase and securities that are rated investment grade or the unrated equivalent may be downgraded or decline in credit quality such that subsequently they would be deemed to be below investment grade.

Average Weighted Maturity of Income Funds. The Intermediate Bond Trust and the Core Bond Trust have policies with respect to average weighted maturity as described in the risk/ return summaries. These Funds may have a longer or shorter average weighted maturity under certain market conditions. In addition, these Funds may shorten or lengthen their average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. Average weighted maturity is the average of all the current maturities (that is, the term of the securities of the individual bonds in the 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. Mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment of principal which can

shorten the average weighted maturity of a Fund. Therefore, in the case of a Fund which holds 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.

Intermediate Bond Trust

The Fund mainly invests in investment grade debt securities of all types or unrated debt securities which J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM or the adviser) determines to be of comparable quality, including bonds, notes and U.S. government obligations with intermediate maturities. These include mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. Such securities may be structured as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and stripped mortgage-backed securities, including those structured such that payments consist of interest-only (IO), principal-only (PO) or principal and interest. The Fund also may invest in inverse floaters and inverse IOs, which are debt securities with interest rates that reset in the opposite direction from the market rate to which the security is indexed.

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and at least 50% of its 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, “net assets” means net assets, plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes. U.S. government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations as well as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and other government agency mortgage-backed securities.

Securities will be rated investment grade (or the unrated equivalent) at the time of purchase. In addition, all securities will be U.S. dollar-denominated although they may be issued by a foreign corporation or a U.S. affiliate of a foreign corporation, or a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities. The adviser may invest a significant portion or all of its assets in mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities in the adviser’s discretion. The Fund expects to invest no more than 10% of its assets in “sub-prime” mortgage-related securities at the time of purchase.

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

While the Fund is not required to maintain a specific duration, the Fund’s average weighted maturity will ordinarily range between three and ten years, taking into account expected

 

 

 
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More About the Funds (continued)

 

prepayment of principal on certain investments. The Fund may have a longer or shorter average weighted maturity under certain market conditions and the Fund may shorten or lengthen its average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. Because of the Fund’s holdings in asset-backed, mortgage-backed and similar securities, the Fund’s average weighted maturity is equivalent to the average weighted maturity of the cash flows in the securities held by the Fund given certain prepayment assumptions (also known as weighted average life).

The adviser buys and sells securities and investments for the Fund based on its view of individual securities and market sectors. Taking a long-term approach, the adviser looks for individual fixed income investments that it believes will perform well over market cycles. The adviser is value oriented and makes decisions to purchase and sell individual securities and instruments after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, duration, liquidity and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets in bonds, a “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more at the time of its issuance issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a domestic or 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, including principal-only and interest-only stripped 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 has flexibility to invest in derivatives and may use such instruments to manage duration, sector and yield curve exposure, credit and spread volatility and to respond to volatile market conditions. Derivatives which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may also be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, and swaps from time to time to hedge various investments, for risk management purposes and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund although the use of such derivatives is not a principal strategy of the Fund.

Although not a principal investment strategy, the Fund may engage in securities lending. The Fund may invest in loan participations and assignments (Loans) although the Fund does not currently use Loans as part of its principal investment strategy.

WHAT IS SECURITIES LENDING?
 
Securities lending involves the loan of securities to borrowers in exchange for cash collateral which the Fund may reinvest. During the term of the loan, the Fund is entitled to receive amounts equivalent to distributions paid on the loaned securities as well as the return on the cash collateral investments. Upon termination of the loan, the Fund is required to return the cash collateral to the borrower plus an agreed upon rebate.

Core Bond Trust

The Fund is designed to maximize total return by investing in a portfolio of investment grade intermediate- and long-term debt securities. As part of its main investment strategy, the Fund may principally invest in corporate bonds, U.S. treasury obligations including treasury coupon strips and treasury principal strips and other U.S. government and agency securities, and asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities may be structured as collateralized mortgage obligations (agency and non-agency), stripped mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage pass-through securities and cash and cash equivalents. These securities may be structured such that payments consist of interest-only (IO), principal-only (PO) or principal and interest. The Fund also may invest in inverse floaters and inverse IOs, which are debt securities with interest rates that reset in the opposite direction from the market rate to which the security is indexed.

As a matter of fundamental policy, 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. Generally, such bonds will have intermediate to long maturities. While the Fund is not required to maintain a specific duration, the Fund’s average weighted maturity will ordinarily range between four and 12 years. The Fund may have a longer or shorter average weighted maturity under certain market conditions and the Fund may shorten or lengthen its average weighted maturity if deemed appropriate for temporary defensive purposes. Because of the Fund’s holdings in asset-backed, mortgage-backed and similar securities, the Fund’s average weighted maturity is equivalent to the average weighted maturity of the cash flows in the securities held by the Fund given certain prepayment assumptions (also known as weighted average life).

Securities will be rated investment grade (or the unrated equivalent) at the time of purchase. In addition, all securities will be U.S. dollar-denominated although they may be issued by a foreign corporation or a U.S. affiliate of a foreign corporation or a foreign government or its agencies and instrumentalities. The

 

 

 
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adviser may invest a significant portion or all of its assets in mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities in the adviser’s discretion. The Fund expects to invest no more than 10% of its assets in “sub-prime” mortgage-related securities at the time of purchase.

The adviser buys and sells securities and investments for the Fund based on its view of individual securities and market sectors. Taking a long-term approach, the adviser looks for individual fixed income investments that it believes will perform well over market cycles. The adviser is value oriented and makes decisions to purchase and sell individual securities and instruments after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, duration, liquidity and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.

For purposes of the Fund’s fundamental policy to invest at least 80% of its Assets in bonds, a “bond” is a debt security with a maturity of 90 days or more, at the time of its issuance, issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, a domestic or 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, including principal-only and interest-only stripped 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 has flexibility to invest in derivatives and may use such instruments to manage duration, sector and yield curve exposure, credit and spread volatility and to respond to volatile market conditions. Derivatives which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may also be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, and swaps from time to time to hedge various investments, for risk management purposes and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund, although the use of such derivatives is not a principal investment strategy of the Fund.

Although not a principal investment strategy, the Fund may engage in securities lending. The Fund may invest in loan participations and assignments (Loans) although the Fund does not currently use Loans as part of its principal investment strategy.

FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
 
A Fund’s investment strategy may involve “fundamental policies.” A policy is fundamental if it cannot be changed without the consent of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The investment objectives for the Funds are fundamental. All other fundamental policies are specifically identified in the Risk/Return Summaries or in the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

Please note that the Funds also may use strategies that are not described herein, but which are described in the “Investment Practices” section later in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and in the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement (the Supplement).

INVESTMENT RISKS

There can be no assurance that the Funds will achieve their investment objectives.

The main risks associated with investing in the Funds are summarized in “Risk/Return Summaries” at the front of this Confidential Offering Memorandum. More detailed descriptions of the main risks and additional risks of the Funds are described below.

The following risks are principal risks of each Fund that utilizes the types of investments and/or strategies to which such risks relate as a principal investment strategy or except as otherwise indicated. The principal investment strategies of each Fund are identified in the Risk/Return Summary.

 

An investment in a Fund or any other fund may not provide a complete investment program. The suitability of an investment in a Fund should be considered based on the investment objective, strategies and risks described in this prospectus, considered in light of all of the other investments in your portfolio, as well as your risk tolerance, financial goals and time horizons. You may want to consult with a financial advisor to determine if that Fund is suitable for you.

Main Risks for All Funds

General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets through the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in a Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular

 

 

 
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More About the Funds (continued)

 

products or resources, natural disasters or events, terrorism, regulatory events and government controls.

Interest Rate Risk. The Funds invest in debt securities that increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of these investments generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of these investments generally increases. Your investment will decline in value if the value of these investments decreases. Securities with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities generally 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. The Funds may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although these instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate instruments, the value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly or as much as general interest rates. Many factors can cause interest rates to rise. Some examples include central bank monetary policy, rising inflation rates and general economic conditions. Given that the Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates, the Funds may face a heightened level of interest rate risk.

Credit Risk. There is a risk that issuers and/or counterparties will not make payments on securities, repurchase agreements or other investments held by a Fund. Such defaults could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, the credit quality of securities held by a Fund may be lowered if an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition changes. Lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and in shares of a Fund. Lower credit quality also may affect liquidity and make it difficult for a Fund to sell the security. The Funds may invest in securities that are rated in the lowest investment grade category. Such securities also are considered to have speculative characteristics similar to junk bonds, and issuers or counterparties of such securities are more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions than issuers or counterparties of higher grade securities. Prices of the Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers or counterparties it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration in their credit quality. Credit spreads may increase, which may reduce the market values of the Fund’s securities. Credit spread risk is the risk that economic and market conditions or any actual or perceived credit deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between two securities of similar maturity but different credit quality) and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities.

Government Securities Risk. The Funds invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities (such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), or the Federal

Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)). U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Securities, such as those issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae or the U.S. Treasury, that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity and the market prices for such securities will fluctuate. Notwithstanding that these securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, circumstances could arise that would prevent the payment of interest or principal. This would result in losses to a Fund. 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 and no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support. Therefore, U.S. government-related organizations may not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. U.S. government securities include zero-coupon securities, which tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-paying securities of similar maturities.

Asset-Backed, Mortgage-Related and Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities are subject to certain other risks. The value of these securities will be influenced by the factors affecting the housing market and the assets underlying such securities. As a result, during periods of difficult or frozen credit markets, swings in interest rates, or deteriorating economic conditions, mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may decline in value, face valuation difficulties, become more volatile and/or become illiquid. Additionally, during such periods and also under normal conditions, these securities are also subject to prepayment and call risk. Gains and losses associated with prepayments will increase or decrease a Fund’s yield and the income available for distribution by a Fund. When mortgages and other obligations are prepaid and when securities are called, the Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher interest rates, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield. In periods of declining interest rates, a Fund may be subject to extension risk, and may receive principal later than expected. In periods of rising interest rates, a Fund may exhibit additional volatility. Some of these securities may receive little or no collateral protection from the underlying assets and are thus subject to the risk of default described under “Credit Risk”. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage-backed investments that include so-called “sub-prime” mortgages. The structure of some of these securities may be complex and there may be less available information than other types of debt securities.

The Funds may invest in CMOs. CMOs are issued in multiple classes, and each class may have its own interest rate and/or

 

 

 
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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 a Fund invests may be more volatile and may be subject to higher risk of non-payment. The values of IO and 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, because there may be a drop in trading volume, an inability to find a ready buyer, or the imposition of legal restrictions on the resale of securities, these instruments may be illiquid.

Prepayment Risk. The issuer of certain securities may repay principal in advance, especially when yields fall. Changes in the rate at which prepayments occur can affect the return on investment of these securities. When debt obligations are prepaid or when securities are called, a Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield. A Fund also may fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for securities with higher coupons, resulting in an unexpected capital loss.

Foreign Issuer Risk. U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers or U.S. affiliates of foreign issuers may be subject to additional risks not faced by domestic issuers. These risks include political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments, and regulatory issues facing issuers in such foreign countries. Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile.

Industry and Sector Focus Risk. At times a Fund may increase the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector. The prices of securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector may be more susceptible to fluctuations due to changes in economic or business conditions, government regulations, availability of basic resources or supplies, or other events that affect that industry or sector more than securities of issuers in other industries and sectors. To the extent that a Fund increases the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector, its shares’ values may fluctuate in response to events affecting that industry or sector.

Transactions Risk. A Fund could experience a loss when selling securities to meet redemption requests by shareholders and its liquidity may be negatively impacted. The risk of loss increases if the redemption requests are large or frequent, occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices for

the securities sold, or when the securities a Fund wishes to or is required to sell are illiquid. A Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at its desired time or price or the price at which the securities have been valued for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value. Illiquidity can be caused by a drop in overall market trading volume, an inability to find a ready buyer, or legal restrictions on the securities’ resale. Other market participants may be attempting to sell debt securities at the same time as a Fund, causing downward pricing pressure and contributing to illiquidity. The capacity for bond dealers to engage in trading or “make a market” in debt securities has not kept pace with the growth of bond markets. This could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the debt markets. Liquidity and valuation risk may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment, when credit quality is deteriorating or in other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal. Certain securities that were liquid when purchased may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Similarly, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. Large redemptions also could accelerate the realization of capital gains, increase a Fund’s transaction costs and impact a Fund’s performance.

Inverse Floater Risk. Inverse floaters and inverse IOs are debt securities structured with interest rates that reset in the opposite direction from the market rate to which the security is indexed. Generally, interest rates on these securities vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically). They are more volatile and more sensitive to interest rate changes than other types of debt securities. Interest rates on inverse floaters and inverse IOs will decrease when the rate to which they are indexed increases, and will increase when the rate to which they are indexed decreases. In response to changes in market interest rates or other market conditions, the value of an inverse floater or inverse IO may increase or decrease at a multiple of the increase or decrease in the value of the underlying securities. If interest rates move in a manner not anticipated by the adviser, a Fund could lose all or substantially all of its investment in inverse IOs.

Main Risk for Intermediate Bond Trust

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock generally has a preference as to dividends and liquidation over an issuer’s common stock but ranks junior to debt securities in an issuer’s capital structure. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer’s board of directors. Because preferred stocks generally pay dividends only after the issuing company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt, the value of preferred stocks generally is more sensitive than bonds and

 

 

 
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More About the Funds (continued)

 

other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.

Additional Risk for All Funds

Derivatives Risk. The Funds may use derivatives in connection with their 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 a Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are 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 may not be successful, resulting in losses to a Fund and the cost of such strategies may reduce a Fund’s returns. Derivatives also expose a Fund to counterparty risk (the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations), including credit risk of the derivative counterparty. In addition, a Fund may use derivatives for non-hedging purposes, which increases the Fund’s potential for loss. Certain derivatives are synthetic instruments that attempt to replicate the performance of certain reference assets. With regard to such derivatives, a Fund does not have a claim on the reference assets and is subject to enhanced counterparty risk.

The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of a Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately.

Investing in derivatives will result in a form of leverage. Leverage involves special risks. A Fund may be more volatile than if the Fund had not been leveraged because the leverage tends to exaggerate any effect on the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities. Registered investment companies are limited in their ability to engage in derivative transactions and required to identify and earmark assets to provide asset coverage for derivative transactions.

A Fund’s transactions in futures contracts, swaps and other derivatives could also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders which may result in a Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions, which may adversely impact the Fund’s after-tax return.

Currently, Derivatives Risk is not a principal risk of the Intermediate Bond Trust and Core Bond Trust.

WHAT IS A DERIVATIVE?
 
Derivatives are securities or contracts (like futures and options) that derive their value from the performance of underlying assets or securities.

Securities Lending Risk. The Funds may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults. This risk is increased when a Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single or limited number of borrowers. In addition, a Fund bears the risk of loss in connection with its investments of the cash collateral it receives from the borrower. To the extent that the value or return of the Fund’s investments of the cash collateral declines below the amount owed to a borrower, a Fund may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security. In situations where the adviser does not believe that it is prudent to sell the cash collateral investments in the market, a Fund may borrow money to repay the borrower the amount of cash collateral owed to the borrower upon return of the loaned securities. This will result in financial leverage, which may cause a Fund to be more volatile because financial leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities.

Loan Risk. The Funds may invest in Loans that are investment grade. Loans are subject to a risk of default in the payment of principal and interest as well as the other risks described under “Interest Rate Risk” and “Credit Risk.” No active trading market may exist for some of the Loans and certain Loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. The inability to dispose of Loans in a timely fashion could result in losses to a Fund. In addition, the settlement period for Loans is uncertain as there is no standardized settlement schedule applicable to such investments. Typically, Loans are not registered securities and are not listed on any national securities exchange. Consequently, there may be less public information available about a Fund’s investments and the market for certain Loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended settlement periods. As a result, a Fund may be more dependent upon the analytical ability of its adviser. Certain Loans may not be considered securities under the federal securities laws and, therefore, investments in such Loans may not be subject to certain protections under those laws. In addition, the adviser may not have access to material non-public information to which other investors may have access.

When the Fund acquires a loan participation, the Fund typically enters into a contractual relationship with the lender or third party selling such participations, but not the borrower. As a result, the Fund assumes the credit risk of the seller of the loan

 

 

 
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participation and any other parties interpositioned between the Fund and the borrower. The Fund may not benefit directly from the collateral supporting the load in which it has purchased the loan participations or assignments.

Affiliates of the adviser may participate in the primary and secondary market for Loans. Because of limitations imposed by applicable law, the presence of the adviser’s affiliates in the Loan market may restrict a Fund’s ability to acquire some Loans, affect the timing of such acquisition or affect the price at which the Loan is acquired. Also, because the adviser may wish to invest in the publicly traded securities of an obligor, it may not have access to material non-public information regarding the obligor to which other investors have access. A Fund will not have direct recourse against the issuer of a loan participation.

Loans are subject to prepayment risks. Gains and losses associated with prepayments will increase or decrease a Fund’s yield and the income available for distribution by a Fund. When Loans are prepaid, a Fund may have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or fail to recover additional amounts (i.e., premiums) paid for Loans, resulting in an unexpected capital loss and/or a decrease in the amount of dividends and yield.

Volcker Rule Risk. Pursuant to section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and certain rules promulgated thereunder known as the Volcker Rule, if the adviser and/or its affiliates own 25% or more of the outstanding ownership interests of a Fund after the permitted seeding period from the implementation of a Fund’s investment strategy, a Fund could be subject to restrictions on trading that would adversely impact a Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. Generally, the permitted seeding period is three years from the implementation of a Fund’s investment strategy. As a result, the adviser and/or its affiliates may be required to reduce their ownership interests in a Fund at a time that is sooner than would otherwise be desirable, which may result in a Fund’s liquidation or, if a Fund is able to continue operating, may result in losses, increased transaction costs and adverse tax consequences as a result of the sale of portfolio securities.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

An investment in a Fund is subject to a number of actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, the Adviser and/or its affiliates provide a variety of different services to a Fund, for which the Fund compensates them. As a result, the Adviser and/or its affiliates have an incentive to enter into arrangements with a Fund, and face conflicts of interest when balancing that incentive against the best interests of a Fund. The Adviser and/or its affiliates also face conflicts of interest in their service as investment adviser to other clients, and, from time to time, make investment decisions that differ from and/or negatively impact those made by the Adviser on behalf of a

Fund. In addition, affiliates of the Adviser provide a broad range of services and products to their clients and are major participants in the equity, fixed-income and other markets in which a Fund invests or will invest. In certain circumstances by providing services and products to their clients, these affiliates’ activities will disadvantage or restrict the Funds and/or benefit these affiliates. The Adviser may also acquire material non-public information which would negatively affect the Adviser’s ability to transact in securities for a Fund. JPMorgan and the Funds have adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to appropriately prevent, limit or mitigate conflicts of interest. In addition, many of the activities that create these conflicts of interest are limited and/or prohibited by law, unless an exception is available. For more information about conflicts of interest, see the Potential Conflicts of Interest section in the Supplement.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE AND CASH POSITIONS

For liquidity and to respond to unusual market conditions, the Intermediate Bond Trust and the Core Bond Trust may invest all or most of their total assets in cash and cash equivalents for temporary defensive purposes. In addition, the Funds may invest in cash and cash equivalents as a principal investment strategy. These investments may result in a lower yield than lower-quality or longer-term investments.

 

WHAT IS A CASH EQUIVALENT?
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, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, money market mutual funds, and bank deposit accounts. While the Funds are engaged in a temporary defensive position, they may not meet their investment objectives. These investments may also be inconsistent with a Fund’s main investment strategies. Therefore, the Funds will pursue a temporary defensive position only when market conditions warrant.

ADDITIONAL FEE WAIVER AND/OR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT

Service providers to a Fund may, from time to time, voluntarily waive all or a portion of any fees to which they are entitled and/or reimburse certain expenses as they may determine from time to time. A Fund’s service providers may discontinue or modify these voluntary actions at any time without notice. Performance for the Funds reflects the voluntary waiver of fees and/or the reimbursement of expenses, if any. Without these voluntary waivers and/or expense reimbursements, performance would have been less favorable.

 

 

 
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The Funds’ Management and Administration

 

Each Fund is a series of the JPMorgan Institutional Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the 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 JPMorgan Asset Management Holdings Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPMorgan Chase), a bank holding company. JPMIM is located at 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

During the most recent fiscal year ended 2/28/17, the adviser was paid management fees (net of waivers), as shown below, as a percentage of average daily net assets:

 

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust     0.07
JPMorgan Core Bond Trust     0.13  

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 semi-annual report for the most recent fiscal period ended August 31.

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.

The Funds’ Administrator

JPMIM provides administrative services and oversees the Funds’ other services providers. JPMIM receives an annual fee of 0.10% of the aggregate daily net assets of all the Funds for administrative services.

THE FUND MANAGERS

Bond Funds. The Intermediate Bond Trust and the Core Bond Trust 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 Intermediate Bond Trust. Scott E. Grimshaw, Executive Director and CFA charterholder, and Peter D. Simons, Managing Director and CFA charterholder, are the portfolio managers for the Fund. Mr. Grimshaw is a member of the Global Fixed Income Currency & Commodities Group (GFICC). An employee of JPMIM or predecessor firms since 1988 and portfolio manager of the Fund since June 2005, Mr. Grimshaw is a portfolio manager for the U.S. Value Driven team and is responsible for managing institutional taxable bond portfolios. Peter D. Simons, Managing Director and CFA charterholder, has also participated in the management of the Fund since September 2015. An employee of JPMIM or predecessor firms since 2001, Mr. Simons is a member of the GFICC group and a portfolio manager for the U.S. Value Driven team responsible for managing certain J.P. Morgan Funds and institutional taxable bond portfolios.

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust. Barbara Miller, Managing Director, is the lead portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. An employee of JPMIM or predecessor firms since 1994 and portfolio manager for the Fund since September 2015, Ms. Miller is currently the head of the U.S. Value Driven Platform within the GFICC group effective September 2015. She also has served as the manager and a senior portfolio manager for the Fixed Income Mid Institutional Taxable Group since June 2007 which provides individually managed fixed income investments for fully discretionary, institutional accounts and personal investment management accounts. Ms. Miller also serves as a portfolio manager of the JPMorgan SmartAllocation Income Fund. Richard D. Figuly, Managing Director, became part of the team responsible for management of the Fund in September 2015. An employee of JPMIM or predecessor firms since 1993, Mr. Figuly is a member of the GFICC group and a portfolio manager for the U.S. Value Driven Team and is responsible for managing certain J.P. Morgan Funds and institutional taxable bond portfolios.

The Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement (the Supplement) provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Funds.

 

 

 
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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 any U.S. state. 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.

Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States. This Confidential Offering Memorandum is not intended for distribution to prospective investors outside of the United States. The Funds generally do not sell shares to investors domiciled outside of the United States.

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 net asset value (NAV).

What are the minimum investment amounts?

 

 

The minimum initial investment for shares of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust is $5,000,000 and for shares of the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust 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.

 

 

Share ownership is electronically recorded; therefore, no certificates will be issued.

 

 

The J.P. Morgan Funds do not authorize market timing and use reasonable methods 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 an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market

 

 

 
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Subscribing for and Purchasing and Redeeming Fund Shares (continued)

 

  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 J.P. Morgan 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 one of the J.P. Morgan Funds, that indicates market timing or trading that they determine is abusive.

 

 

Although J.P. Morgan Funds use a variety of methods to detect and deter market timing, there is no assurance that the Funds’ own operational systems and procedures will identify and eliminate all market timing strategies. 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 are not known by the Funds. While the Funds seek to monitor for market timing activities in omnibus accounts, the netting effect limits the Funds’ ability to locate and eliminate individual market timers. As a result, the Funds are often dependent upon financial intermediaries who utilize their own policies and procedures to identify market timers. These policies and procedures may be different than those utilized by the Funds.

 

 

The J.P. Morgan 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 J.P. Morgan Funds by investors. A “round trip” includes a purchase into a Fund followed or preceded by a redemption out of the same Fund. If the Fund detects that you completed two round trips within 60 days in the same Fund, the Fund will reject your purchase orders for a period of at least 90 days. For subsequent violations, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject your purchase orders temporarily or permanently. In identifying market timers, the Fund may also consider activity of accounts that it believes to be under common ownership or control.

 

J.P. Morgan Funds have attempted to put safeguards in place designed to deter market timing and abusive trading. Despite these safeguards, there is no assurance that the Funds will be able to effectively identify and eliminate market timing and abusive trading in the Funds particularly with respect to omnibus accounts.

J.P. Morgan Funds will seek to apply the Funds’ market timing policies and restrictions as uniformly as practicable to accounts with the Funds, except with respect to the following:

 

  1. Trades that occur through omnibus accounts at financial intermediaries as described above;

 

  2. Purchases, redemptions and exchanges made on a systematic basis;

 

  3. Automatic reinvestments of dividends and distributions;

 

  4. Purchases, redemptions or exchanges that are part of a rebalancing program, such as an advisory or bona fide asset allocation program, which includes investment models developed and maintained by a financial intermediary;

 

  5. Redemptions of shares to pay fund or account fees;

 

  6. Transactions initiated by the trustee or adviser to a donor-advised charitable gift fund;

 

  7. Transactions within a Retirement account such as:

 

   

Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution

 

   

Transactions initiated by sponsors of group employee benefit plans or other related accounts

 

   

Retirement plan contributions, loans, distributions, and hardship withdrawals

 

 

In addition to rejecting purchase orders in connection with suspected market timing activities, the Funds can reject a purchase order 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 they determine the trading to be abusive.

How much do shares cost?

Shares are purchased at net asset value (NAV) per share. Shares are also redeemed at NAV.

The NAV of a Fund is equal to the value of all the assets attributable to that Fund, minus the liabilities attributable to that Fund, divided by the number of outstanding shares of that Fund. The following is a summary of the procedures generally used to value J.P. Morgan Funds’ investments.

Securities for which market quotations are readily available are generally valued at their current market value. Other securities and assets, including securities for which market quotations are not readily available; market quotations are determined not to

 

 

 
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be reliable; or, their 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 but before a Fund’s NAV is calculated, may be valued at fair value in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the J.P. Morgan Funds’ Board of Trustees. Fair value represents a good faith determination of the value of a security or other asset based upon specifically applied procedures. Fair valuation may require subjective determinations. There can be no assurance that the fair value of an asset is the price at which the asset could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair value was used in determining a Fund’s NAV.

Equity securities listed on a North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchange are generally valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded. Other foreign equity securities are fair valued using quotations from an independent pricing service, as applicable. The value of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. is generally the NASDAQ official closing price.

Fixed income securities are valued using prices supplied by an approved independent third party or affiliated pricing services or broker/dealers. Those prices are determined using a variety of inputs and factors as more fully described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

Assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates from an approved independent pricing service as of 4:00 PM ET.

Shares of exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) are generally valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which the ETF is principally traded. Shares of open-end investment companies are valued at their respective NAVs.

Options (e.g., on stock indices or equity securities) traded on U.S. equity securities exchanges are valued at the composite mean price, using the National Best Bid and Offer quotes at the close of options trading on such exchanges.

Options traded on foreign exchanges or U.S. commodity exchanges are valued at the settled price, or if no settled price is available, at the last sale price available prior to the calculation of a Fund’s NAV and will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable, for any options involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchanges.

Exchange traded futures (e.g., on stock indices, debt securities or commodities) are valued at the settled price, or if no settled price is available, at the last sale price as of the close of the exchanges on which they trade. Any futures involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean

securities exchanges will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable.

Non-listed over-the-counter options and futures are valued utilizing market quotations provided by approved pricing services.

Swaps and structured notes are priced generally by an approved independent third party or affiliated pricing service or at an evaluated price provided by a counterparty or broker/dealer.

Any derivatives involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchanges will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable.

NAV is calculated each business day as of the close of the NYSE, which is typically 4:00 PM ET. On occasion, the NYSE will close before 4:00 PM ET. When that happens, NAV will be calculated as of the time the NYSE closes. The Funds will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption or closure in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and will calculate NAV as of 4:00 p.m. ET, if the particular disruption or closure directly affects only the NYSE. The price at which a purchase is effected is based on the next calculation of NAV after the order is received in proper form in accordance with this Confidential Offering Memorandum. To the extent a Fund invests in securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges or other markets that trade on weekends or other days when a Fund does not price its shares, the value of a Fund’s shares may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem your shares.

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 received by a Fund or an authorized agent of the Fund before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes, if

 

 

 
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Subscribing for and Purchasing and Redeeming Fund Shares (continued)

 

the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET) will be effective at that day’s price.

A redemption order must be supported by all appropriate documentation and information in the proper form. The Funds may refuse to honor incomplete redemption orders.

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.

The Funds typically pays redemption proceeds by wiring the proceeds to your custodian. The Funds typically expect to make payments of redemption proceeds by wire on the next business day following receipt of the redemption order by the Funds.

Payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than the time a Fund typically expects and may take up to seven days as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940.

What will my shares be worth?

If a Fund or an authorized agent of a 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 a Fund or its authorized agent receives your redemption order in good 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. The J.P. Morgan Funds typically expect to satisfy redemption requests by selling portfolio assets or by using holdings of cash or cash equivalents. On a less regular basis, the Funds may also satisfy redemption requests by borrowing from another Fund, by drawing on a line of credit from a bank, or using other short-term borrowings from its custodian. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions. In addition, to paying redemption proceeds in cash, If you redeem

shares worth $250,000 or more, the Funds reserve 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. If you receive a redemption in-kind, securities received by you may be subject to market risk and you could incur taxable gains and brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash. While the Funds do not routinely use redemptions in-kind, the Funds reserve the right to use redemptions in-kind to manage the impact of large redemptions on the Funds. Redemption in-kind proceeds will typically be made by delivering a pro-rata amount of a Fund’s holdings that are readily marketable securities to the redeeming shareholder within seven days after the Fund’s receipt of the redemption order.

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 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.

 

 

 
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Shareholder Information

 

DIVIDEND POLICIES

Dividends

The Intermediate Bond Trust and the Core Bond Trust generally distribute net investment income, if any, on a monthly basis. 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

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company

Each Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company is not subject to tax at the corporate level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. A Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in corporate-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Taxation of Shareholder Transactions

A sale 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 net 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. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. 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 long-term or short-term capital gain, depending on how long you have held your shares. A Fund may produce capital gains even if it does not have income to distribute and performance has been poor.

The maximum individual rate applicable to “qualified dividend income” and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts.

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.

Tax Consequences of Certain Investments

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 a regulated 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 distribute 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 the 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 the Fund may realize a gain or loss from those sales. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from these transactions, you may receive a

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         21  


Table of Contents

Shareholder Information (continued)

 

larger capital gain distribution, if any, than you would in the absence of such transactions.

A Fund’s investment in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. In addition, a Fund’s investment in certain foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of Fund distributions.

A Fund’s investments in certain debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and derivative instruments may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to liquidate other investments in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold, including when it is not advantageous to do so.

A Fund’s transactions in futures contracts, short sales, swaps and other derivatives will be subject to special tax rules, the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund’s use of these types of transactions may result in the Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions.

Please see the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement for additional discussion of the tax consequences of the above-described and other investments to each Fund and its shareholders.

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.

Foreign Shareholders

The Funds are not intended for foreign shareholders. Any foreign shareholders would generally be subject to U.S. tax withholding on distributions by a Fund, as discussed in the Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

Tax Information

Shares of the Funds are generally held of record in the name of the shareholder’s investment adviser or custodian. Because of how the shares are held, the Funds do not provide tax reporting to underlying shareholders. You are responsible for verifying your tax liability with your tax professional.

Please note that this tax discussion is general 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. For additional tax information, see the Confidential Offering Memorandum 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 ten 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 60 days after the end of each quarter, each Fund will make available a complete 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 website at www.sec.gov.

In addition to information on portfolio holdings, no sooner than ten days after month end, you may obtain a portfolio

 

 

 
22       JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST


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characteristic summary by calling your client relationship or client service manager.

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 Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

 

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         23  


Table of Contents

Investment Practices

 

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.

 

INSTRUMENT   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.  

Credit

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Valuation

Asset-Backed Securities: Securities secured by company receivables, home equity loans, truck and auto loans, leases and credit card receivables or other securities backed by other types of receivables or other assets.  

Credit

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Valuation

Bank Obligations: 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 are negotiable certificates issued by a bank for a specified period of time and earning a specified return. Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds.  

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.  

Credit

Interest Rate

Market

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.  

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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Valuation

Convertible Securities: Bonds or preferred stock that can convert to common stock including contingent convertible securities.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Valuation

 

 
24       JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST


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INSTRUMENT   RISK TYPE
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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Valuation

Credit Default Swaps (CDSs): 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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Leverage

Liquidity

Management

Market

Political

Valuation

Custodial Receipts: A Fund 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.  

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.  

Liquidity

Management

Market

Emerging Market Securities: Securities issued by issuers or governments in countries with emerging economies or securities markets which may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development.   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.  

Investment Company

Market

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 (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and American Depositary Securities.  

Foreign Investment

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Inflation-Linked Debt Securities: Includes 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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Political

Interfund Lending: Involves lending money and borrowing money for temporary purposes through a credit facility.  

Credit

Interest Rate

Market

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.  

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 or by contract.  

Investment Company

Market

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         25  


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Investment Practices (continued)

 

 

INSTRUMENT   RISK TYPE
Loan Assignments and Participations: Assignments of, or participations in, all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments, including governments of less developed countries.  

Credit

Currency

Extension

Foreign Investment

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Mortgages (Directly Held): Debt instruments secured by real property.  

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 (CMBSs), and other asset-backed structures.  

Credit

Currency

Extension

Interest Rate

Leverage

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Tax

Valuation

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.  

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, among others, 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.  

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.  

Credit

Liquidity

Management

Market

 

 
26       JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST


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INSTRUMENT   RISK TYPE
Obligations of Supranational Agencies: Obligations which are chartered to promote economic development and are supported by various governments and governmental agencies.  

Credit

Foreign Investment

Liquidity

Political

Valuation

Options and Futures Transactions: A Fund may purchase and sell (a) exchange traded and over-the-counter 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.  

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.   Market
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.  

Liquidity

Market

Valuation

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest.  

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.  

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.  

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.   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.  

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).  

Credit

Liquidity

Market

Sovereign Obligations: Investments in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government, or its agencies, authorities or political subdivisions.  

Credit

Foreign Investment

Liquidity

Political

Valuation

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 Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) or CMO structure.  

Credit

Liquidity

Market

Political

Prepayment

Valuation

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         27  


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Investment Practices (continued)

 

INSTRUMENT   RISK TYPE
Structured Investments: 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.  

Credit

Foreign Investment

Liquidity

Management

Market

Valuation

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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Leverage

Liquidity

Management

Market

Political

Valuation

Temporary Defensive Positions: To respond to unusual circumstances a Fund may invest in cash and cash equivalents for temporary defensive purposes.  

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).   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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Valuation

U.S. Government Agency Securities: Securities issued or guaranteed 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, CMOs and REMICs.  

Credit

Government Securities

Interest Rate

Market

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).  

Interest Rate

Market

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments: Obligations with interest rates which are reset daily, weekly, quarterly or some other frequency and which may be payable to a Fund on demand or at the expiration of a specified term.  

Credit

Liquidity

Market

Valuation

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.  

Credit

Leverage

Liquidity

Market

Valuation

 

 
28       JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST


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INSTRUMENT   RISK TYPE
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.  

Credit

Currency

Interest Rate

Liquidity

Market

Political

Valuation

Zero-Coupon Securities

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 that a financial obligation will not 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 that 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 that a rise in interest rates will extend the life of a 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, adverse economic developments, and exchange rate volatility. These risks are increased in emerging markets.

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 U.S. government securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Securities, such as those issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae or the U.S. Treasury, that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity and the market prices for such securities will fluctuate. Circumstances could arise that would prevent the payment of interest or principal. Securities issued or guaranteed by certain U.S. government related organizations, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and no assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support.

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

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

Zero-Coupon securities risk The market value of these securities are generally more volatile than the market value of, and is more likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than, other fixed income securities with similar maturities and credit quality that pay interest periodically. Actions required by federal income tax law may reduce the assets to which a Fund’s expenses could otherwise be allocated and may reduce a Fund’s rate of return.

 

 

 
JUNE 28, 2017         29  


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HOW TO REACH US

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

270 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

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. 20549-1520.

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

©JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved June 2017

 

 

 

PR-INSTT-617


Table of Contents

CONFIDENTIAL OFFERING MEMORANDUM SUPPLEMENT

JPMORGAN INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

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

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

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

June 28, 2017

This Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement (the “Supplement”) should be read in conjunction with the Confidential Offering Memorandum of JPMorgan Institutional Trust, dated June 28, 2017, 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-617

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE TRUST

     1  

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

     1  

Asset-Backed Securities

     1  

Bank Obligations

     2  

Commercial Paper

     3  

Convertible Securities

     3  

Custodial Receipts

     3  

Debt Instruments

     3  

Corporate Debt Securities

     3  

Inflation-Linked Debt Securities

     3  

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments

     4  

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

     6  

Impact of Market Conditions on the Risks Associated with Debt Securities

     6  

Demand Features

     6  

Equity Securities, Warrants and Rights

     7  

Common Stock

     7  

Common Stock Warrants and Rights

     7  

Preferred Stock

     7  

Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)

     7  

Foreign Investments (including Foreign Currencies)

     7  

Risk Factors of Foreign Investments

     8  

Global Depositary Notes

     8  

Obligations of Supranational Entities

     9  

Sukuk

     9  

Emerging Market Securities

     9  

Sovereign Obligations

     11  

Inverse Floaters and Interest Rate Caps

     11  

Investment Company Securities and Exchange Traded Funds

     11  

Investment Company Securities

     11  

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”)

     12  

Loans

     12  

Miscellaneous Investment Strategies and Risks

     15  

Borrowings

     15  

Commodity-Related Pooled Investment Vehicles

     16  

Cyber Security Risk

     17  

Volcker Rule Risk

     17  

Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”)

     17  

Impact of Large Redemptions and Purchases of Fund Shares

     17  

Government Intervention in Financial Markets

     18  

Interfund Lending

     18  

New Financial Products

     19  

Private Placements, Restricted Securities and Other Unregistered Securities

     19  

Securities Issued in Connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructuring

     20  

Stapled Securities

     20  

Temporary Defensive Positions

     20  

Mortgage-Related Securities

     20  

Mortgages (Directly Held)

     20  

Mortgage-Backed Securities (“CMOs” and “REMICs”)

     21  

Limitations on the use of Mortgage-Backed Securities

     23  

 

i


Table of Contents

Mortgage TBAs

     23  

Mortgage Dollar Rolls

     23  

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities

     23  

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans

     24  

Risk Factors of Mortgage-Related Securities

     25  

Municipal Securities

     27  

Risk Factors in Municipal Securities

     29  

Limitations on the use of Municipal Securities

     30  

Options and Futures Transactions

     31  

Purchasing Put and Call Options

     31  

Selling (Writing) Put and Call Options on Securities

     31  

Engaging in Straddles and Spreads

     32  

Options on Indexes

     32  

Exchange-Traded and OTC Options

     33  

Futures Contracts

     33  

Cash Equitization

     34  

Options on Futures Contracts

     34  

Combined Positions

     34  

Correlation of Price Changes

     34  

Liquidity of Options and Futures Contracts

     35  

Foreign Investment Risk

     35  

Position Limits

     35  

Asset Coverage for Futures Contracts and Options Positions

     35  

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

     35  

Recent Events Relating to the Overall Economy

     36  

Repurchase Agreements

     36  

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

     37  

Securities Lending

     37  

Short-Term Funding Agreements

     38  

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

     38  

Structured Investments

     38  

Credit Linked Notes

     39  

Participation Notes and Participatory Notes

     39  

Swaps and Related Swap Products

     40  

Credit Default Swaps

     41  

Treasury Receipts

     42  

Trust Preferred Securities

     42  

U.S. Government Obligations

     43  

When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments

     43  

QUALITY DESCRIPTION FOR THE FUNDS

     44  

INVESTMENT POLICIES

     45  

FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

     45  

NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

     46  

Portfolio Turnover

     46  

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX MATTERS

     46  

Capital Loss Carryforwards

     55  

VALUATION

     55  

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CALCULATION OF PER SHARE NET ASSET VALUE

     57  

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

     57  

Purchases-in-Kind

     57  

Redemptions-in-Kind

     57  

Redemptions

     57  

Cut-Off Times for Purchase and Redemption Orders

     58  

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

     58  

TRUSTEES

     58  

OFFICERS

     69  

THE ADVISER

     70  

CODES OF ETHICS

     76  

Portfolio Transactions

     77  

Administrator

     81  

Placement Agent

     81  

Custodian, Transfer Agent, Accounting Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent

     82  

Securities Lending Agent

     82  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     83  

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

     83  

Description of Shares

     85  

Shareholder and Trustee Liability

     86  

Miscellaneous

     88  

Financial Statements

     90  

APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS

     A-1  

 

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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 two 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”).

Each Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act because it has claimed an exclusion from such definition.

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 representing the obligations often of a number of different parties. Certain of these 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.

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

 

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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 risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated, by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”); (iii) a Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.

Total Annual Fund 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 the exception for the definition of “investment company” provided by Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Bank Obligations

Bank obligations consist of bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit, bank notes 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. Certificates of deposit may also include those issued by foreign banks outside the United States (“U.S.”) with total assets at the time of purchase in excess of the equivalent of $1 billion. Such certificates of deposit include Eurodollar and Yankee certificates of deposit. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit issued by branches of foreign and domestic banks located outside the U.S. Yankee certificates of deposit are certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank denominated in U.S. dollars and held in the U.S. Certain Funds may also invest in obligations (including bankers’ acceptances and certificates of deposit) denominated in foreign currencies (see “Foreign Investments (including Foreign Currencies)”) herein. With regard to certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks and savings and loan associations, 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 its most recently published financial statements).

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 and savings and loan associations from which a Fund could purchase certificates of deposit.

The Funds will not invest in obligations for which a Fund’s Adviser, or any of its affiliated persons, is the ultimate obligor or accepting bank, provided, however, that the Funds maintain demand deposits at their affiliated custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan Chase Bank”).

Subject to the Funds’ limitations on concentration in a particular industry, there is no limitation on the amount of a Fund’s assets which may be invested in obligations of banks which meet the conditions set forth herein.

 

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Commercial Paper

Commercial paper is defined as short-term obligations, generally 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 “Debt Instruments — Variable and Floating Rate Instruments” below. The Funds only purchase commercial paper that meets the following criteria:

The 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 NRSRO (such as A-2 or better by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”), Prime-2 or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), F2 or better by Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), or R-2 or better by Dominion Bond Rating Service (“DBRS”)) or if unrated, determined by JPMIM to be of comparable quality.

Certain 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

Certain 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 the 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 market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.

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

 

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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 (including Foreign Currencies).” 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, 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 $1,000 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 the whole year’s inflation 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 measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of 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. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed and will 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 U.S.

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. Certain 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

 

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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 defaulted 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 Notes. Variable amount master notes are notes, which may possess a demand feature, that permit the indebtedness to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Variable amount master notes may not be secured by collateral. To the extent that variable amount master notes are secured by collateral, they are subject to the risks described under the section “Loans — Collateral and Subordination Risk.”

Because master notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and the issuer of the notes, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, a Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest. If the Fund is not repaid such principal and accrued interest, the Fund may not be able to dispose of the notes due to the lack of a secondary market.

While master notes are not typically rated by credit rating agencies, issuers of variable amount master 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, under the heading “Commercial Paper”. A Fund’s Adviser will consider the credit risk of the issuers of such notes, including its earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of such issuers and will continuously monitor their financial status and ability to meet payment on demand. In determining average weighted portfolio maturity, a variable amount master 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.

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

 

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quality to instruments in which a Fund may invest. A rating may be relied upon only if it is provided by a NRSRO 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.

Impact of Market Conditions on the Risks Associated with Debt Securities

Investments in certain debt securities will be especially subject to the risk that, during certain periods, the liquidity of particular issuers or industries, or all securities within a particular investment category, may shrink or disappear suddenly and without warning as a result of adverse economic, market or political events, or adverse investor perceptions, whether or not accurate.

Current market conditions pose heightened risks for Funds that invest in debt securities. While the U.S. is experiencing historically low interest rate levels, signs of economic recovery and the end of the Federal Reserve Board’s quantitative easing program have increased the risk that interest rates may rise in the near future. Any future interest rate increases or other adverse conditions (e.g., inflation/deflation, increased selling of certain fixed-income investments across other pooled investment vehicles or accounts, changes in investor perception, or changes in government intervention in the markets) could cause the value of any Fund that invests in debt securities to decrease. As such, debt securities markets may experience heightened levels of interest rate and liquidity risk, as well as increased volatility. If rising interest rates cause a Fund to lose value, the Fund could also face increased shareholder redemptions, which would further impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives.

The capacity for traditional dealers to engage in fixed-income trading for certain fixed income instruments has not kept pace with the growth of the fixed income market, and in some cases has decreased. As a result, because dealers acting as market makers provide stability to a market, the significant reduction in certain dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty or market volatility.

Demand Features

Certain 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. Applicable 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. Demand Features provided by foreign banks involve certain risks associated with foreign investments. See “Foreign Investments (including Foreign Currencies)” for more information on these risks.

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 referred to as put options.

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

 

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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, including those that result from management’s performance or changes to the business of the company, and 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”) for 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. As a result, warrants may 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. Because preferred stocks generally pay dividends only after the issuing company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt, the value of preferred stocks is more sensitive than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.

Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”). The Funds may purchase securities in 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 (if any) 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 (including Foreign Currencies)

Some of the Funds may invest in certain obligations or securities of foreign issuers. For purposes of a Fund’s investment policies and unless described otherwise in the Funds’ Confidential Offering Memorandum, an issuer of a security will be deemed to be located in a particular country if: (i) the principal trading market for the security is in such country, (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of such country or (iii) the issuer derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from such country or has at least 50% of its total assets situated in such country. 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 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.

 

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Risk Factors of Foreign Investments. The following is a summary of certain risks associated with 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 potential future adverse political and economic developments, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, 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 different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. In addition, foreign issuers are usually not 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 also 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 and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Currency exchange rates also can be affected by intervention (or lack of intervention) by the United States or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or elsewhere.

Accordingly, the ability of a Fund that invests in foreign securities as part of its principal investment strategy 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. In buying and selling securities on foreign exchanges, purchasers normally pay fixed commissions that are generally higher than the negotiated commissions charged in the U.S. In addition, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and issuers located in foreign countries than in the U.S.

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.

Global Depositary Notes. Foreign securities and emerging markets securities include Global Depositary Notes (“GDNs”). A GDN is a debt instrument created by a bank that evidences ownership of local currency-denominated debt securities. GDNs reflect the terms of particular local currency-denominated bonds. GDNs trade, settle, and pay interest and principal in U.S. dollars but typically are restricted securities that do not trade on an exchange. Any distributions paid to the holders of GDNs are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary bank. In addition to the risks associated with foreign investments, a Fund’s investments in GDNs is subject to the risks associated with the underlying local currency-denominated bond and derivative instruments including credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, and management risk. Holders of GDNs may have limited rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of GDNs because such

 

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restrictions may limit the ability to convert the bonds into GDNs and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause bonds of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the GDN.

Obligations of Supranational Entities. Obligations of supranational entities include securities designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development 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.

Sukuk. Foreign securities and emerging market securities include sukuk. Sukuk are certificates, similar to bonds, issued by the issuer to obtain an upfront payment in exchange for an income stream. Such income stream may or may not be linked to a tangible asset. For sukuk that are not linked to a tangible asset, the sukuk represents a contractual payment obligation of the issuer or issuing vehicle to pay income or periodic payments to the investor, and such contractual payment obligation is linked to the issuer or issuing vehicle and not from interest on the investor’s money for the sukuk. For sukuk linked to a tangible asset, a Fund will not have a direct interest in the underlying asset or pool of assets. The issuer also makes a contractual promise to buy back the certificate at a future date at par value. Even when the certificate is linked to the returns generated by certain assets of the issuer, the underlying assets are not pledged as security for the certificates, and a Fund (as the investor) is relying on the creditworthiness of the issuer for all payments required by the sukuk. The issuer may be a special purpose vehicle with no other assets. Investors do not have direct legal ownership of any underlying assets. In the event of default, the process may take longer to resolve than conventional bonds. Changing interpretations of Islamic law by courts or prominent scholars may affect the free transferability of sukuk in ways that cannot now be foreseen. In such an event, a Fund may be required to hold its sukuk for longer than intended, even if their condition is deteriorating.

Issuers of sukuk may include international financial institutions, foreign governments and agencies of foreign governments. Underlying assets may include, without limitation, real estate (developed and undeveloped), lease contracts and machinery and equipment. Although the sukuk market has grown significantly in recent years, there may be times when the market is illiquid and where it is difficult for a Fund to make an investment in or dispose of sukuk at the Fund’s desired time. Furthermore, the global sukuk market is significantly smaller than conventional bond markets, and restrictions imposed by the Shariah board of the issuing entity may limit the number of investors who are interested in investing in particular sukuk. The unique characteristics of sukuk may lead to uncertainties regarding their tax treatment within a Fund.

Investors’ ability to pursue and enforce actions with respect to these payment obligations or to otherwise enforce the terms of the sukuk, restructure the sukuk, obtain a judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction, and/or attach assets of the obligor may be limited. Sukuk are also subject to the risks associated with developing and emerging market economies, which include, among others, the risk of sanctions and inconsistent accounting and legal principles.

Emerging Market Securities. Investing in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to potentially higher risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low non-existent trading volumes; (iii) less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities of the foreign exchanges and broker-dealers; (iv) the seizure or confiscation by local governments of securities held by foreign investors, and the possible suspension or limiting by local governments of an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) limiting or entirely restricting repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends by local governments; (vi) possible local taxation of capital gains, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) the attempt by issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges favoring the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments being paid in the local currency; (x) greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities due to limited public information regarding the issuer, and (xi) difficulty of ascertaining the financial health of an issuer due to lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure and differences in accounting standards.

Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. Although some emerging markets

 

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have become more established and tend to issue securities of higher credit quality, the markets for securities in other emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect a Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

Many emerging market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Sudden changes in governments may result in policies which are less favorable to investors, such as policies designed to expropriate or nationalize “sovereign” assets. Certain emerging market countries in the past have expropriated large amounts of private property, in many cases with little or no compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future.

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or to a specific class of securities, which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

Many developing countries lack the social, political, and economic stability characteristic of the U.S. Political instability among emerging market countries can be common and may be caused by an uneven distribution of wealth, social unrest, labor strikes, civil wars, and religious oppression. Economic instability in emerging market countries may take the form of: (i) high interest rates; (ii) high levels of inflation, including hyperinflation; (iii) high levels of unemployment or underemployment; (iv) changes in government economic and tax policies, including confiscatory taxation; and (v) imposition of trade barriers.

Currencies of emerging market countries are subject to significantly greater risks than currencies of developed countries. Many emerging market countries have experienced steady declines or even sudden devaluations of their currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. Some emerging market currencies may not be internationally traded or may be subject to strict controls by local governments, resulting in undervalued or overvalued currencies.

Some emerging market countries have experienced balance of payment deficits and shortages in foreign exchange reserves. Governments have responded by restricting currency conversions. Future restrictive exchange controls could prevent or restrict a company’s ability to make dividend or interest payments in the original currency of the obligation (usually U.S. dollars). In addition, even though the currencies of some emerging market countries may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the conversion rates may be artificial to their actual market values.

A Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund remains uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities, in the Fund deeming those securities to be illiquid, or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, in possible liability to the purchaser.

In the past, governments within the emerging markets have become overly reliant on the international capital markets and other forms of foreign credit to finance large public spending programs which cause huge budget deficits. Often, interest payments have become too overwhelming for a government to meet, representing a large percentage of total gross domestic product (“GDP”). These foreign obligations have become the subject of political debate and have served as fuel for political parties of the opposition, which pressure the government not to make

 

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payments to foreign creditors, but instead to use these funds for social programs. Either due to an inability to pay or submission to political pressure, foreign governments have been forced to seek a restructuring of their loan and/or bond obligations, have declared a temporary suspension of interest payments or have defaulted. These events have adversely affected the values of securities issued by foreign governments and corporations domiciled in emerging market countries and have negatively affected not only their cost of borrowing, but their ability to borrow in the future as well.

Sovereign Obligations. Sovereign debt includes investments in securities issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government or its agencies, authorities or political subdivisions. An investment in sovereign debt obligations involves special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt 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 specific index. These financial products will be more volatile in price than securities which 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 (“acquired funds”) 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. Except as described below, 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 value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by a fund.

In addition, Section 17 of the 1940 Act prohibits a Fund from investing in another J.P. Morgan Fund except as permitted by Section 12 of the 1940 Act, by rule, or by exemptive order.

The limitations described above do not apply to investments in money market funds subject to certain conditions. The Funds may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds without limit under Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act subject to the acquiring fund’s investment policies and restrictions and the conditions of the Rule.

In addition, the 1940 Act’s limits and restrictions summarized above do not apply to J.P. Morgan Funds that invest in other J.P. Morgan Funds in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, SEC rule, or an exemptive order issued by the SEC (each, a “Fund of Funds”; collectively, “Funds of Funds”). None of the Funds of the Trust currently rely on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

 

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Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act permits a fund to invest in acquired funds in the “same group of investment companies” (“affiliated funds”), government securities and short-term paper. In addition to the investments permitted by Section 12(d)(1)(G), Rule 12d1-2 permits funds of funds to make investments in addition to affiliated funds under certain circumstances including: (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 of fund’s investment policies and (3) affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds. In order to be an eligible investment under Section 12(d)(1)(G), an affiliated fund must have a policy prohibiting it from investing in other funds under Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G)  of the 1940 Act.

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are pooled investment vehicles whose ownership interests are purchased and sold on a securities exchange. ETFs may be structured investment companies, depositary receipts or other pooled investment vehicles. As shareholders of an ETF, the Funds will bear their pro rata portion of any fees and expenses of the ETFs. Although shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange, shares of certain ETFs may not be redeemable by the ETF. In addition, ETFs may trade at a price below their net asset value (also known as a discount).

Certain Funds may use ETFs to gain exposure to various asset classes and markets or types of strategies and investments. By way of example, ETFs may be structured as broad-based ETFs that invest in a broad group of stocks from different industries and market sectors; select sector; or market ETFs that invest in debt securities from a select sector of the economy, a single industry or related industries; or ETFs that invest in foreign and emerging markets securities. Other types of ETFs continue to be developed and the Fund may invest in them to the extent consistent with such Funds’ investment objectives, policies and restrictions. The ETFs in which the Funds invest are subject to the risks applicable to the types of securities and investments used by the ETFs (e.g., debt securities are subject to risks like credit and interest rate risks; emerging markets securities are subject to risks like currency risks and foreign and emerging markets risk; derivatives are subject to leverage and counterparty risk).

ETFs may be actively managed or index-based. Actively managed ETFs are subject to management risk and may not achieve their objective if the ETF’s manager’s expectations regarding particular securities or markets are not met. Generally, an index-based ETF’s objective is to track the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs may invest in a securities portfolio that includes substantially all of the securities in substantially the same amount as the securities included in the designated index or a representative sample. Because passively managed ETFs are designed to track an index, securities may be purchased, retained and sold at times when an actively managed ETF would not do so. As a result, shareholders of a Fund that invest in such an ETF can expect 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 ETF were not fully invested in such securities. This risk is increased if a few component securities represent a highly concentrated weighting in the designated index.

Unless permitted by the 1940 Act or an order or rule issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (see “Investment Company Securities” above for more information), the Fund’s investments in unaffiliated ETFs that are structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act 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 under the 1940 Act, when aggregated with all other investments in investment companies. ETFs that are not structured as investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act are not subject to these percentage limitations.

SEC exemptive orders granted to various ETFs and their investment advisers permit the Funds 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 to the Fund are for services that are in addition to, and not duplicative of, the advisory services provided to those ETFs.

Loans

Some of the Funds may invest in fixed and floating rate loans (“Loans”). Loans may include senior floating rate loans (“Senior Loans”) and secured and unsecured loans, second lien or more junior loans (“Junior Loans”) and bridge loans or bridge facilities (“Bridge Loans”). Loans are typically arranged through private negotiations between borrowers in the U.S. or in foreign or emerging markets which may be corporate issuers or issuers of sovereign debt obligations (“Obligors”) and one or more financial institutions and other lenders (“Lenders”). Generally, the Funds invest in Loans by purchasing assignments of all or a portion of Loans (“Assignments”) or Loan participations (“Participations”) from third parties.

 

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A Fund has direct rights against the Obligor 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. With respect to Participations, typically, a Fund will have a contractual relationship only with the Lender and not with the Obligor. The agreement governing Participations may limit the rights of a Fund to vote on certain changes which may be made to the Loan agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. However, the holder of a Participation will generally have the right to vote on certain fundamental issues such as changes in principal amount, payment dates and interest rate. Participations may entail certain risks relating to the creditworthiness of the parties from which the participations are obtained.

A Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the “Agent”) for a group of Loan investors. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Loan on behalf of the other Loan investors in the syndicate. The Agent’s duties may include responsibility for the collection of principal and interest payments from the Obligor and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all Loan investors. The Agent is also typically responsible for monitoring compliance with the covenants contained in the Loan agreement based upon reports prepared by the Obligor. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan investors. In the event of a default by the Obligor, it is possible, though unlikely, that the Fund could receive a portion of the borrower’s collateral. If the Fund receives collateral other than cash, any proceeds received from liquidation of such collateral will be available for investment as part of the Fund’s portfolio.

In the process of buying, selling and holding Loans, a Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When a Fund buys or sells a Loan it may pay a fee. In certain circumstances, a Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon prepayment of a Loan.

Additional Information concerning Senior Loans. Senior Loans typically hold the most senior position in the capital structure of the Obligor, are typically secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the Obligor that is senior to that held by subordinated debtholders and shareholders of the Obligor. Collateral for Senior Loans may include (i) working capital assets, such as accounts receivable and inventory; (ii) tangible fixed assets, such as real property, buildings and equipment; (iii) intangible assets, such as trademarks and patent rights; and/or (iv) security interests in shares of stock of subsidiaries or affiliates.

Additional Information concerning Junior Loans. Junior Loans include secured and unsecured loans including subordinated loans, second lien and more junior loans, and bridge loans. Second lien and more junior loans (“Junior Lien Loans”) are generally second or further in line in terms of repayment priority. In addition, Junior Lien Loans may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or other more senior liens or may be secured by a separate set of assets. Junior Loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale.

Additional Information concerning Bridge Loans. Bridge Loans are short-term loan arrangements (e.g., 12 to 18 months) typically made by an Obligor in anticipation of intermediate-term or long-term permanent financing. Most Bridge Loans are structured as floating-rate debt with step-up provisions under which the interest rate on the Bridge Loan rises the longer the Loan remains outstanding. In addition, Bridge Loans commonly contain a conversion feature that allows the Bridge Loan investor to convert its Loan interest to senior exchange notes if the Loan has not been prepaid in full on or prior to its maturity date. Bridge Loans typically are structured as Senior Loans but may be structured as Junior Loans.

Additional Information concerning Unfunded Commitments. Unfunded commitments are contractual obligations pursuant to which the Fund agrees to invest in a Loan at a future date. Typically, the Fund receives a commitment fee for entering into the Unfunded Commitment.

Additional Information concerning Synthetic Letters of Credit. Loans 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 Obligor.

Limitations on Investments in Loan Assignments and Participations. If a government entity is a borrower on a Loan, the Fund will consider the government to be the issuer of an Assignment or Participation for purposes of a

 

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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).

Limited Federal Securities Law Protections. Certain Loans may not be considered securities under the federal securities laws. In such circumstances, fewer legal protections may be available with respect to a Fund’s investment in those Loans. In particular, if a Loan is not considered a security under the federal securities laws, certain legal protections normally available to investors under the federal securities laws, such as those against fraud and misrepresentation, may not be available.

Multiple Lender Risk. There may be additional risks associated with Loans, when there are Lenders or other participants in addition to the Fund. For example, a Fund could lose the ability to consent to certain actions taken by the Borrower if certain conditions are not met. In addition, for example, certain governing agreements that provide the Fund with the right to consent to certain actions taken by a Borrower may provide that the Fund will no longer have the right to provide such consent if another Lender makes a subsequent advance to the Borrower.

Risk Factors of Loans. Loans are subject to the risks associated with debt obligations in general including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. When a Loan is acquired from a Lender, the risk includes the credit risk associated with the Obligor of the underlying Loan. The Fund may incur additional credit risk when the Fund acquires a participation in a Loan from another lender because the Fund must assume the risk of insolvency or bankruptcy of the other lender from which the Loan was acquired. To the extent that Loans involve Obligors in foreign or emerging markets, such Loans are subject to the risks associated with foreign investments or investments in emerging markets in general. The following outlines some of the additional risks associated with Loans.

Liquidity Risk. Although the Funds limit their investments in illiquid securities to no more than 15% of a Fund’s net assets at the time of purchase, Loans that are deemed to be liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid or less liquid. No active trading market may exist for certain Loans and certain Loans may be subject to restrictions on resale or have a limited secondary market. Certain Loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The inability to dispose of certain Loans in a timely fashion or at a favorable price could result in losses to a Fund. Also, to the extent that a Fund needs to satisfy redemption requests or cover unanticipated cash shortfalls, the Fund may seek to engage in borrowing under a credit facility or enter into lending agreements under which the Fund would borrow money for temporary purposes directly from another J.P. Morgan Fund (please see “Interfund Lending”).

Collateral and Subordination Risk. With respect to Loans that are secured, a Fund is subject to the risk that collateral securing the Loan will decline in value or have no value or that the Fund’s lien is or will become junior in payment to other liens. A decline in value of the collateral, whether as a result of market value declines, bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, could cause the Loan to be under collateralized or unsecured. In such event, the Fund may have the ability to require that the Obligor pledge additional collateral. The Fund, however, is subject to the risk that the Obligor may not pledge such additional collateral or a sufficient amount of collateral. In some cases (for example, in the case of non-recourse Loans), there may be no formal requirement for the Obligor to pledge additional collateral. In addition, collateral may consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets would satisfy an Obligor’s obligation on a Loan. If the Fund were unable to obtain sufficient proceeds upon a liquidation of such assets, this could negatively affect Fund performance.

If an Obligor becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may restrict the ability of the Fund to demand immediate repayment of the Loan by Obligor or otherwise liquidate the collateral. A court may also invalidate the Loan or the Fund’s security interest in collateral or subordinate the Fund’s rights under a Senior Loan or Junior Loan to the interest of the Obligor’s other creditors, including unsecured creditors, or cause interest or principal previously paid to be refunded to the Obligor. If a court required interest or principal to be refunded, it could negatively affect Fund performance. Such action by a court could be based, for example, on a “fraudulent conveyance” claim to the effect that the Obligor did not receive fair consideration for granting the security interest in the Loan collateral to a Fund. For Senior Loans made in connection with a highly leveraged transaction, consideration for granting a security interest may be deemed inadequate if the proceeds of the Loan were not received or retained by the Obligor, but were instead paid to other persons (such as shareholders of the Obligor) in an amount which left the Obligor insolvent or without sufficient working capital. There are also other events, such as the failure to perfect a security interest due to faulty documentation or faulty official filings, which could lead to the invalidation of a Fund’s security interest in Loan collateral. If the Fund’s security interest in Loan collateral is invalidated or a Senior Loan were subordinated to other debt of an

 

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Obligor in bankruptcy or other proceedings, the Fund would have substantially lower recovery, and perhaps no recovery on the full amount of the principal and interest due on the Loan, or the Fund could have to refund interest.

Lenders and investors in Loans can be sued by other creditors and shareholders of the Obligors. Losses can be greater than the original Loan amount and occur years after the principal and interest on the Loan have been repaid.

Agent Risk. Selling Lenders, Agents and other entities who may be positioned between a Fund and the Obligor will likely conduct their principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Investments in Loans may be more impacted by a single economic, political, or regulatory occurrence affecting such industries than other types of investments. Entities engaged in such industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Open Market Committee’s monetary policy, government regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally. An Agent, Lender or other entity positioned between a Fund and the Obligor may become insolvent or enter Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) receivership or bankruptcy. The Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a Loan or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest if assets or interests held by the Agent, Lender or other party positioned between the Fund and the Obligor are determined to be subject to the claims of the Agent’s, Lender’s or such other party’s creditors.

Regulatory Changes. To the extent that legislation or state or federal regulators that regulate certain financial institutions impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of such institutions to make Loans, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of Loans for investment may be adversely affected. Furthermore, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of Loans held by the Fund.

Inventory Risk. Affiliates of the Adviser may participate in the primary and secondary market for Loans. Because of limitations imposed by applicable law, the presence of the Adviser’s affiliates in the Loan market may restrict a Fund’s ability to acquire some Loans, affect the timing of such acquisition or affect the price at which the Loan is acquired.

Information Risk. There is typically less publicly available information concerning Loans than other types of fixed income investments. As a result, a Fund generally will be dependent on reports and other information provided by the Obligor, either directly or through an Agent, to evaluate the Obligor’s creditworthiness or to determine the Obligor’s compliance with the covenants and other terms of the Loan Agreement. Such reliance may make investments in Loans more susceptible to fraud than other types of investments. In addition, because the Adviser may wish to invest in the publicly traded securities of an Obligor, it may not have access to material non-public information regarding the Obligor to which other Loan investors have access.

Junior Loan Risk. Junior Loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any Loan investment. Due to their lower place in the Obligor’s capital structure and possible unsecured status, Junior Loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than Senior Loans of the same Obligor. Junior Loans that are Bridge Loans generally carry the expectation that the Obligor will be able to obtain permanent financing in the near future. Any delay in obtaining permanent financing subjects the Bridge Loan investor to increased risk. An Obligor’s use of Bridge Loans also involves the risk that the Obligor may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the Bridge Loan, which may impair the Obligor’s perceived creditworthiness.

Foreclosure Risk. There may be additional costs associated with enforcing a Fund’s remedies under a Loan including additional legal costs and payment of real property transfer taxes upon foreclosure in certain jurisdictions or legal costs and expenses associated with operating real property. As a result of these additional costs, the Fund may determine that pursuing foreclosure on the Loan collateral is not worth the associated costs. In addition, if the Fund incurs costs and the collateral loses value or is not recovered by the Fund in foreclosure, the Fund could lose more than its original investment in the Loan. Foreclosure risk is heightened for Junior Loans.

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. If a Fund utilizes borrowings, for investment

 

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purposes or otherwise, it may pledge up to 33 1/3% of its total assets to secure such borrowings. 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 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 also may 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. In addition, each Fund may enter into Interfund Lending Arrangements. Please see “Interfund Lending”.

Commodity-Related Pooled Investment Vehicles. Commodity-related pooled investment vehicles include ownership interests in grantor trusts and other pooled investment vehicles that hold tangible assets such as gold, silver or other commodities or invest in commodity futures. Grantor trusts are typically traded on an exchange.

Investors do not have the rights normally associated with ownership of other types of shares when they invest in pooled investment vehicles holding commodities or commodity futures, including those structured as limited partnerships or grantor trusts holding commodities. For example, the owners of these commodity-related grantor trusts or limited partnerships do not have the right to elect directors, receive dividends or take other actions normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation. Holders of a certain percentage of shares in a grantor trust may have the right to terminate the trust or exercise other rights which would not be available to small investors. If investors other than a Fund exercise their right to terminate, a Fund that wishes to invest in the underlying commodity through the pooled investment vehicle will have to find another investment and may not be able to find another vehicle that offers the same investment features. In the event that one or more participants holding a substantial interest in these pooled investment vehicles withdraw from participation, the liquidity of the pooled investment vehicle will likely decrease which could adversely affect the market price of the pooled investment vehicle and result in a Fund incurring a loss on its investments.

These pooled investment vehicles are not registered investment companies, and many are not commodity pools, and therefore, do not have the protections available to those types of investments under federal securities or commodities laws. For example, unlike registered investment companies, these vehicles are not subject to federal securities laws that limit transactions with affiliates, require redemption of shares, or limit sales load. Although shares of these vehicles may be traded on an exchange, there may be no active market for such shares and such shares may be highly illiquid.

These vehicles are subject to the risks associated with direct investments in commodities. The market price of shares of these vehicles will be as unpredictable as the price of the underlying commodity. Many factors can cause a decline in the prices of commodities including a change in economic conditions, such as a recession. This risk is magnified when the commodity is used in manufacturing. In addition, the prices of commodities may be adversely impacted by a change in the attitude of speculators and investors toward the applicable commodity, or a significant increase in commodity price hedging activity. In addition, the value of the shares will be adversely affected if the assets owned by the trust are lost, damaged or of inferior quality.

The commodities represented by shares of a grantor trust will decrease over the life of the trust due to sales of the underlying commodities necessary to pay trust fees and expenses, including expenses associated with indemnification of certain service providers to the pooled investment vehicle. Without increases in the price of the underlying commodity sufficient to compensate for that decrease, the price of the investment will decline and a Fund will incur a loss on its investment.

Commodity-related grantor trusts are passive investment vehicles. This means that the value of the investment in a grantor trust may be adversely affected by trust losses that, if the trust had been actively managed, it might have been possible to avoid. A Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) may limit its ability to make investments in grantor trusts or limited partnerships that invest in commodities or commodity futures.

 

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Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Funds have become more susceptible to operational and financial risks associated with cyber security, including: theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption and destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to a Fund and its shareholders; and compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of a Fund and its service providers. Cyber security risks may result in financial losses to a Fund and its shareholders; the inability of a Fund to transact business with its shareholders; delays or mistakes in the calculation of a Fund’s NAV or other materials provided to shareholders; the inability to process transactions with shareholders or other parties; violations of privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties and reputational damage; and compliance and remediation costs, legal fees and other expenses. A Fund’s service providers (including, but not limited to, its investment adviser, any sub-advisers, administrator, transfer agent, and custodian or their agents), financial intermediaries, companies in which a Fund invests and parties with which a Fund engages in portfolio or other transactions also may be adversely impacted by cyber security risks in their own businesses, which could result in losses to a Fund or its shareholders. While measures have been developed which are designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that those measures will be effective, particularly since the Funds do not directly control the cyber security defenses or plans of their service providers, financial intermediaries and companies in which they invest or with which they do business.

Volcker Rule Risk. Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and certain rules promulgated thereunder (known as the Volcker Rule) places restrictions on the activities of banking entities, including the adviser and its affiliates, and may impact the long-term viability of a Fund. Under the Volcker Rule, if the adviser or its affiliates own 25% or more of the ownership interests of a Fund outside of the permitted seeding time period, a Fund could be subject to restrictions on trading that would adversely impact a Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. Generally, the permitted seeding period is three years from the implementation of a Fund’s investment strategy. As a result, the adviser and/or its affiliates may be required to reduce their ownership interests in a Fund at a time that is sooner than would otherwise be desirable. This may require the sale of Fund securities, which may result in losses, increased transaction costs and adverse tax consequences. In addition, the ongoing viability of a Fund may be adversely impacted by the anticipated or actual redemption of Fund shares owned by the adviser and its affiliates and could result in a Fund’s liquidation.

Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are senior, unsecured notes linked to an index. Like ETFs, they may be bought and sold like shares of stock on an exchange. However, ETNs have a different underlying structure. While ETF shares represent an interest in a portfolio of securities, ETNs are structured products that are an obligation of the issuing bank, whereby the bank agrees to pay a return based on the target index less any fees. Essentially, these notes allow individual investors to have access to derivatives linked to commodities and assets such as oil, currencies and foreign stock indexes. ETNs combine certain aspects of bonds and ETFs. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are traded on a major exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to principal amount, subject to the day’s index factor. ETN returns are based upon the performance of a market index minus applicable fees. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments and provide no principal protection. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying commodities markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced commodity. The value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying index remaining unchanged. The timing and character of income and gains derived from ETNs is under consideration by the U.S. Treasury and Internal Revenue Service and may also be affected by future legislation.

Impact of Large Redemptions and Purchases of Fund Shares. Under applicable regulations, the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser may be required to reduce its seed investment or other ownership interest in a Fund at a time that is sooner than the Adviser or its affiliate otherwise would. In addition to such redemptions of seed investment, from time to time, shareholders of a Fund (which may include the Adviser or affiliates of the Adviser or accounts for which the Adviser or its affiliates serve as investment adviser or trustee or, for certain Funds, affiliated and/or non-affiliated registered investment companies that invest in a Fund) may make relatively large redemptions or purchases of Fund shares. These transactions may cause a Fund to have to sell securities, or invest additional cash, as the case may be. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on a Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may result in a loss to the Fund. These transactions may result in higher portfolio turnover, accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of securities resulted in capital gains or other income and increase transaction costs, which may impact the Fund’s expense ratio. Additionally, a significant

 

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reduction in Fund assets would result in Fund expenses being spread over a small asset base, potentially causing an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. To the extent that such transactions result in short-term capital gains, such gains will generally be taxed at the ordinary income tax rate. In addition to the above information, the Funds’ Supplement include disclosure of accounts holding more than 5% of a Fund’s voting securities.

Government Intervention in Financial Markets. Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Funds’ investments. It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

Recent instability in the financial markets has led governments and regulators around the world to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Governments, their regulatory agencies, or self regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Funds invest, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Funds themselves are regulated. For instance, in 2016, the SEC adopted rules that regulate the Funds’ management of liquidity risk. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Funds to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Funds.

Interfund Lending. To satisfy redemption requests or to cover unanticipated cash shortfalls, a Fund may enter into lending agreements (“Interfund Lending Agreements”) under which the Fund would lend money and borrow money for temporary purposes directly to and from another J.P. Morgan Fund through a credit facility (“Interfund Loan”), subject to meeting the conditions of an SEC exemptive order granted to the Funds permitting such interfund lending. No Fund may borrow more than the lesser of the amount permitted by Section 18 of the 1940 Act or the amount permitted by its investment limitations. All Interfund Loans will consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the Fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments.

If a Fund has outstanding borrowings, any Interfund Loans to the Fund (a) will be at an interest rate equal to or lower than any outstanding bank loan, (b) will be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, (c) will have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days) and (d) will provide that, if an event of default occurs under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the Fund, the event of default will automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the Interfund Lending Agreement entitling the lending Fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral) and that such call will be made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing Fund.

A Fund may make an unsecured borrowing through the credit facility if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the interfund borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets; provided, that if the Fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another J.P. Morgan Fund, the Fund’s interfund borrowing will be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral. If a Fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund borrowing would be greater than 10% of its total assets, the Fund may borrow through the credit facility on a secured basis only. A Fund may not borrow through the credit facility nor from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the interfund borrowing would exceed the limits imposed by Section 18 of the 1940 Act.

No Fund may lend to another Fund through the interfund lending credit facility if the loan would cause its aggregate outstanding loans through the credit facility to exceed 15% of the lending Fund’s net assets at the time of the loan. A Fund’s Interfund Loans to any one Fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending Fund’s net assets. The duration of Interfund Loans is limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event may the duration exceed seven days. Loans effected within seven days of each other will be treated as separate loan transactions for purposes of this condition. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a lending Fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing Fund.

 

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The limitations detailed above and the other conditions of the SEC exemptive order permitting interfund lending are designed to minimize the risks associated with interfund lending for both the lending fund and the borrowing fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. When a Fund borrows money from another Fund, there is a risk that the loan could be called on one day’s notice or not renewed, in which case the Fund may have to borrow from a bank at higher rates if an Interfund Loan were not available from another Fund. A delay in repayment to a lending Fund could result in a lost opportunity or additional lending costs.

New Financial Products. New options and futures contracts and other financial products, and various combinations thereof, including over-the-counter (“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(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and cannot be offered for public sale in the U.S. without first being registered under the 1933 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 1933 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(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and other restricted securities (i.e., other securities subject to restrictions on resale). Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper (“4(a)(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(a)(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(a)(2) paper, thus providing liquidity. The Funds believe that 4(a)(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(a)(2) paper and Rule 144A Securities, as determined by the Fund’s Adviser, as liquid and not subject to the investment limitation applicable to illiquid securities.

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.

 

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Certain 4(a)(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(a)(2) paper is liquid if the following conditions, which are set forth in a 1994 SEC no-action letter, are met:

 

   

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

 

   

The 4(a)(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 whether the paper is administered by a direct issuer pursuant to a direct placement program;

 

   

The Fund’s Adviser shall monitor the liquidity of the 4(a)(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.

Stapled Securities. From time to time, the Funds may invest in stapled securities to gain exposure to companies. A stapled security is a security that is comprised of two or more parts that cannot be separated from one another. The resulting security is influenced by both parts, and must be treated as one unit at all times, such as when buying or selling a security. The value of stapled securities and the income derived from them may fall as well as rise. Stapled securities are not obligations of, deposits in, or guaranteed by, the Fund. The listing of stapled securities on a domestic or foreign exchange does not guarantee a liquid market for stapled securities.

Temporary Defensive Positions. To respond to unusual market conditions, all 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”) for temporary defensive purposes. 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’s total assets that a Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents is described in the Funds’ Confidential Offering Memorandum. They include securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies, Government-Sponsored Enterprises (“GSEs”) and instrumentalities, repurchase agreements with maturities of 7 days or less, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, money market mutual funds, and bank deposit accounts. In order to invest in repurchase agreements with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for temporary defensive purposes, certain Funds may engage in periodic “test” trading in order to assess operational abilities at times when the Fund would otherwise not enter into such a position. These exercises may vary in size and frequency.

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

 

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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 impossible to dispose profitably 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”);

 

   

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).

There are a number of important differences among the agencies, GSEs 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S., created pursuant to an Act of Congress, which is owned by private stockholders. Freddie Mac Certificates are not guaranteed by the U.S. or by any Federal Home Loan Bank and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the U.S. 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.

For more information on recent events impacting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities, see “Recent Events Regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Securities” under the heading “Risk Factors of Mortgage-Related Securities” below.

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

 

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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 U.S.

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

 

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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.

Total Annual Fund 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 the exception for the definition of “investment company” provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.

Limitations on the use of Mortgage-Backed Securities

The Funds may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers including Guaranteed CMOs and REMIC pass-through securities. The 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 TBAs. A Fund may invest in mortgage pass-through securities eligible to be sold in the “to-be-announced” or TBA market (“Mortgage TBAs”). Mortgage TBAs provide for the forward or delayed delivery of the underlying instrument with settlement up to 180 days. The term TBA comes from the fact that the actual mortgage-backed security that will be delivered to fulfill a TBA trade is not designated at the time the trade is made, but rather is generally announced 48 hours before the settlement date. Mortgage TBAs are subject to the risks described in the “When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments” section.

Mortgage Dollar Rolls. In a mortgage dollar roll transaction, one party sells mortgage-backed securities, principally Mortgage TBAs, for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity) but not identical securities on a specified future date. When a Fund enters into TBAs/mortgage dollar rolls, the Fund will segregate or earmark until the settlement date liquid assets, in an amount equal to the original purchase price. TBA positions with the same agency, coupon, and maturity, are generally permitted to be netted if the short position settles on the same date or before the long position. During the period between the sale and repurchase in a mortgage dollar roll transaction, the Fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on securities sold. Losses may arise due to changes in the value of the securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the terms of the agreement. If the counterparty files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s right to repurchase or sell securities may be limited. Mortgage dollar rolls may be subject to leverage risks. In addition, mortgage dollar rolls may increase interest rate risk and result in an increased portfolio turnover rate which increases costs and may increase taxable gains. The benefits of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon a Fund’s Adviser’s ability to predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates. There is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed. 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. A Fund’s

 

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Adviser 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.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans. The Funds may invest in adjustable rate mortgage loans (“ARMs”). ARMs eligible for inclusion in a mortgage pool will generally provide for a fixed initial 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 payments protect borrowers from unlimited interest rate and payment increases.

Certain ARMs may provide for periodic adjustments of scheduled payments in order to amortize fully the mortgage loan by its stated maturity. Other ARMs 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 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.

 

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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. The following is a summary of certain risks associated with 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. Although 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 Fund. 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 Fund will receive when these amounts are reinvested.

Liquidity. The liquidity of certain mortgage-backed securities varies by type of security; at certain times the Fund may encounter difficulty in disposing of such investments. In the past, in stressed markets, certain types of mortgage-backed securities suffered periods of illiquidity when disfavored by the market. It is possible that the Fund may be unable to sell a mortgage-backed security at a desirable time or at the value the Fund has placed on the investment.

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. When the market value of the properties underlying the Mortgage-Backed Securities suffer broad declines on a regional or national level, the values of the corresponding Mortgage-Backed Securities or Mortgage-Backed Securities as a whole, may be adversely affected as well.

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 loan interest rates taking into account 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.

 

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Recent Events Regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Securities. On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with respect to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In connection with the conservatorship, the U.S. Treasury entered into a Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement with each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pursuant to which the U.S. Treasury will purchase up to an aggregate of $100 billion of each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to maintain a positive net worth in each enterprise. This agreement contains various covenants, discussed below, that severely limit each enterprise’s operations. In exchange for entering into these agreements, the U.S. Treasury received $1 billion of each enterprise’s senior preferred stock and warrants to purchase 79.9% of each enterprise’s common stock. In 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was doubling the size of its commitment to each enterprise under the Senior Preferred Stock Program to $200 billion. The U.S. Treasury’s obligations under the Senior Preferred Stock Program are for an indefinite period of time for a maximum amount of $200 billion per enterprise. In 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s net worth through the end of 2012. In August 2012, the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement was further amended to, among other things, accelerate the wind down of the retained portfolio, terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts received under the funding commitment, and require the submission of an annual risk management plan to the U.S. Treasury.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. The Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement is intended to enhance each of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s ability to meet its obligations. The FHFA has indicated that the conservatorship of each enterprise will end when the director of FHFA determines that FHFA’s plan to restore the enterprise to a safe and solvent condition has been completed.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (the Reform Act”), which was included as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, FHFA, as conservator or receiver, has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac prior to FHFA’s appointment as conservator or receiver, as applicable, if FHFA determines, in its sole discretion, that performance of the contract is burdensome and that repudiation of the contract promotes the orderly administration of Fannie Mae’s or Freddie Mac’s affairs. The Reform Act requires FHFA to exercise its right to repudiate any contract within a reasonable period of time after its appointment as conservator or receiver. FHFA, in its capacity as conservator, has indicated that it has no intention to repudiate the guaranty obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac because FHFA views repudiation as incompatible with the goals of the conservatorship. However, in the event that FHFA, as conservator or if it is later appointed as receiver for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, were to repudiate any such guaranty obligation, the conservatorship or receivership estate, as applicable, would be liable for actual direct compensatory damages in accordance with the provisions of the Reform Act. Any such liability could be satisfied only to the extent of Fannie Mae’s or Freddie Mac’s assets available therefor. In the event of repudiation, the payments of interest to holders of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities would be reduced if payments on the mortgage loans represented in the mortgage loan groups related to such mortgage-backed securities are not made by the borrowers or advanced by the servicer. Any actual direct compensatory damages for repudiating these guaranty obligations may not be sufficient to offset any shortfalls experienced by such mortgage-backed security holders. Further, in its capacity as conservator or receiver, FHFA has the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac without any approval, assignment or consent. Although FHFA has stated that it has no present intention to do so, if FHFA, as conservator or receiver, were to transfer any such guaranty obligation to another party, holders of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities would have to rely on that party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligation and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party.

In addition, certain rights provided to holders of mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under the operative documents related to such securities may not be enforced against FHFA, or enforcement of such rights may be delayed, during the conservatorship or any future receivership. The operative documents for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities may provide (or with respect to securities issued prior to the date of the appointment of the conservator may have provided) that upon the occurrence of an event of default on the part of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, in its capacity as guarantor, which includes the appointment of a conservator or receiver, holders of such mortgage-backed securities have the right

 

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to replace Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac as trustee if the requisite percentage of mortgage-backed securities holders consent. The Reform Act prevents mortgage-backed security holders from enforcing such rights if the event of default arises solely because a conservator or receiver has been appointed. The Reform Act also provides that no person may exercise any right or power to terminate, accelerate or declare an event of default under certain contracts to which Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac is a party, or obtain possession of or exercise control over any property of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or affect any contractual rights of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, without the approval of FHFA, as conservator or receiver, for a period of 45 or 90 days following the appointment of FHFA as conservator or receiver, respectively.

In addition, in a February 2011 report to Congress from the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Obama administration provided a plan to reform America’s housing finance market. The plan would reduce the role of and eventually eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Notably, the plan does not propose similar significant changes to Ginnie Mae, which guarantees payments on mortgage-related securities backed by federally insured or guaranteed loans such as those issued by the Federal Housing Association or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The report also identified three proposals for Congress and the administration to consider for the long-term structure of the housing finance markets after the elimination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including implementing: (i) a privatized system of housing finance that limits government insurance to very limited groups of creditworthy low- and moderate-income borrowers; (ii) a privatized system with a government backstop mechanism that would allow the government to insure a larger share of the housing finance market during a future housing crisis; and (iii) a privatized system where the government would offer reinsurance to holders of certain highly-rated mortgage-related securities insured by private insurers and would pay out under the reinsurance arrangements only if the private mortgage insurers were insolvent.

The conditions attached to the financial contribution made by the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the issuance of senior preferred stock place significant restrictions on the activities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae must obtain the consent of the Treasury to, among other things, (i) make any payment to purchase or redeem its capital stock or pay any dividend other than in respect of the senior preferred stock, (ii) issue capital stock of any kind, (iii) terminate the conservatorship of the FHFA except in connection with a receivership, or (iv) increase its debt beyond certain specified levels. In addition, significant restrictions are placed on the maximum size of each of Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s respective portfolios of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, and the purchase agreements entered into by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide that the maximum size of their portfolios of these assets must decrease by a specified percentage each year. The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in is role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, including any such mortgage-backed securities held by a Fund.

Municipal Securities

Municipal Securities are issued to obtain funds for a wide variety of reasons. For example, municipal securities may be issued to obtain funding for 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.

 

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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:

 

  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, however, 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,

 

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  4. Revenue Anticipation Notes,

 

  5. Project Notes, and

 

  6. Other forms of short-term tax-exempt loans.

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 U.S. 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. The Adviser 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.

Premium Securities. During a period of declining interest rates, many Municipal Securities in which the Funds invest likely will bear coupon rates higher than current market rates, regardless of whether the securities were initially purchased at a premium.

Risk Factors in Municipal Securities. The following is a summary of certain risks associated with 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 U.S. 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.

 

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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 that of corporations having a class of securities registered under the SEC.

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 (“UCC”)) 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 and 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 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. Certain Funds may invest in Municipal Securities if the Adviser 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 be 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 interests 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.

Each Fund will limit its investment in municipal leases to no more than 5% of its total assets.

 

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Options and Futures Transactions

A Fund may purchase and sell (a) exchange traded and OTC put and call options on securities, on indexes of securities and other types of instruments, and on futures contracts on securities and indexes of securities and other instruments such as interest rate futures and global interest rate futures and (b) futures contracts on securities and other types of instruments and on indexes of securities and other types of instruments. 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.

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 which involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, and there can be no 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 possibilities to realize gains, as well as its exposure to losses. A Fund could 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 could significantly increase the Fund’s turnover rate.

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

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 on Securities. When a Fund writes a put option on a security, it takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option’s purchaser. In return for the receipt of the premium, a Fund

 

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assumes the obligation to pay the strike price for the security 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 market value of the underlying securities does not move to a level that would make exercise of the option profitable to its holder, the option will generally expire unexercised, and the Fund will realize as profit the premium it received.

If the price of the underlying securities 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 security directly, however, because the premium received for writing the option should offset a portion of the decline.

Writing a call option obligates a Fund to sell or deliver the option’s underlying security 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.

In order to meet its asset coverage requirements, when a Fund writes an exchange traded put or call option on a security, it will be 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.

Certain Funds will usually sell covered call options or cash-secured put options on securities. A call option is covered if the writer either owns the underlying security (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of the securities exchanges) or has the right to acquire such securities. A put option is cash-secured if the writer segregates cash, high-grade short-term debt obligations, or other permissible collateral equal to the exercise price. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund foregoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. As the Fund writes covered calls over more of its portfolio, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation, but may terminate its position by entering into an offsetting option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect an offsetting transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price.

When the Fund writes cash-secured put options, it bears the risk of loss if the value of the underlying stock declines below the exercise price minus the put premium. If the option is exercised, the Fund could incur a loss if it is required to purchase the stock underlying the put option at a price greater than the market price of the stock at the time of exercise plus the put premium the Fund received when it wrote the option. While the Fund’s potential gain in writing a cash-secured put option is limited to distributions earned on the liquid assets securing the put option plus the premium received from the purchaser of the put option, the Fund risks a loss equal to the entire exercise price of the option minus the put premium.

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. Certain Funds may purchase and sell options on securities indexes and other types of indexes. Options on indexes are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of index options may be settled by cash payments (or in some instances by a futures contract) and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities or the instruments in the index. In addition, these options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or instruments or segment of the securities’ or instruments’ market rather than price fluctuations in a single security or instrument. A Fund, in purchasing or selling index options, is subject to the risk that the value of its portfolio may not change as much as an index because a Fund’s investments generally will not

 

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match the composition of an index. Unlike call options on securities, index options are cash settled, or settled with a futures contract in some instances, rather than settled by delivery of the underlying index securities or instruments.

Certain Funds purchase and sell credit options which are options on indexes of derivative instruments such as credit default swap indexes. Like other index options, credit options can be cash settled or settled with a futures contract in some instances. In addition, credit options can also be settled in some instances by delivery of the underlying index instrument. Credit options may be used for a variety of purposes including hedging, risk management such as positioning a Fund for anticipated volatility or increasing income or gain to a Fund. There is no guarantee that the strategy of using options on indexes or credit options in particular will be successful.

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 the Fund’s creditworthiness standards. 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, in the case of an index futures contract, 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, in the case of an index futures contract, 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.

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. For cash-settled futures, the Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the mark-to-market value. For physically settled futures, the Fund will earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value. In calculating the segregation

 

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amount, netting of similar contracts is generally permitted. Such assets cannot be sold while the futures contract or option is outstanding unless they are replaced with other suitable assets. By setting aside assets equal only to its net obligation under cash-settled futures, a Fund will have the ability to have exposure to such instruments to a greater extent than if a Fund were required to set aside assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. 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 on securities to the extent they could invest in the underlying securities directly. Certain Funds may also invest in index futures where the underlying securities or instruments are not available for direct investments by the Funds.

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 involve leverage, and thus present, 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 or other 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 or other 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.

The seller of an option on a futures contract receives the premium paid by the purchaser and may be required to pay initial margin. For physically settled options on futures, the Funds will earmark or segregate an amount of liquid assets equal to the notional value of the underlying future. For cash-settled options on futures, the Fund will earmark or segregate an amount of liquid assets equal to the market value of the obligation. Market value is equal to the intrinsic value, which is calculated by taking the number of contracts times a multiplier times the difference between the strike and current market price.

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 or instruments 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,

 

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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.)

Foreign Investment Risk. Certain Funds may buy and sell options on interest rate futures including global interest rate futures in which the reference interest rate is tied to currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Such investments are subject to additional risks including the risks associated with foreign investment and currency risk. See “Foreign Investments (including Foreign Currencies)” in this Supplement.

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. 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 or earmark 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 and on cash flows, are not diversified, and are subject to 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

 

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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 certain REITs, historically have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500 Index.

Recent Events Relating to the Overall Economy

The U.S. Government, the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the SEC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and other governmental and regulatory bodies have taken actions to address the financial crisis. These actions included, in part, the enactment by the United States Congress of the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act”, which was signed into law on July 21, 2010 and imposed a new regulatory framework over the U.S. financial services industry and the consumer credit markets in general, and proposed and final regulations by the SEC. Given the broad scope, sweeping nature, and relatively recent enactment of some of these regulatory measures, the potential impact they could have on securities held by the Funds is unknown. There can be no assurance that these measures will not have an adverse effect on the value or marketability of securities held by the Funds. Furthermore, no assurance can be made that the U.S. Government or any U.S. regulatory body (or other authority or regulatory body) will not continue to take further legislative or regulatory action, and the effect of such actions, if taken, cannot be known. However, current efforts by the U.S Government to reduce the impact of regulation on the U.S. financial service industry could lead to the repeal of certain elements of the regulatory framework.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements may be entered into with brokers, dealers or banks or other entities that meet the Adviser’s credit guidelines. A Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with member banks of the Federal Reserve System and securities dealers or other entities believed by the Adviser to be creditworthy. The Adviser may consider the collateral received and any applicable guarantees in making its determination. 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. The maximum maturity permitted for a non-“putable” repurchase agreement will be 190 days for any Fund. The maximum notice period permitted for a “putable” repurchase agreement (i.e., where the Fund has a right to put the repurchase agreement to the counterparty at par plus accrued interest at a specified notice period) will be 190 days for any Fund. The securities which are subject to repurchase agreements, however, may have maturity dates in excess of 190 days from the effective date of the repurchase agreement. In addition, the maturity of a “putable” or “open” repurchase agreement may be in excess of 190 days. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days (or where the put right or notice provision requires greater than seven days’ notice) are treated as illiquid for purposes of a Fund’s restrictions on purchases of illiquid securities. A Fund 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 Fund in each agreement plus accrued interest. The repurchase agreements further authorize the Fund to demand additional collateral in the event that the dollar value of the collateral falls below 100%. A Fund will make payment for such securities only upon physical delivery or upon evidence of book entry transfer to the account of the custodian. Repurchase agreements are considered under the 1940 Act to be loans collateralized by the underlying securities.

All of the Funds that are permitted to invest in repurchase agreements may engage in repurchase agreement transactions that are collateralized fully as defined in Rule 5b-3(c)(1) of the 1940 Act, which has the effect of enabling a Fund to look to the collateral, rather than the counterparty, for determining whether its assets are “diversified” for 1940 Act purposes. Certain Funds may, in addition, engage in repurchase agreement transactions that are collateralized by money market instruments, debt securities, loan participations, equity securities or other securities including securities that are rated below investment grade by the requisite NRSROs or unrated securities

 

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of comparable quality. For these types of repurchase agreement transactions, the Fund would look to the counterparty, and not the collateral, for determining such diversification.

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.

Under existing guidance from the SEC, certain Funds may transfer uninvested cash balances into a joint account, along with cash of other Funds and certain other accounts. These balances may be invested in one or more repurchase agreements and/or short-term money market instruments.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

In a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund sells a security and agrees to repurchase the same security at a mutually agreed upon date and price reflecting the interest rate effective for the term of the agreement. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a reverse repurchase agreement is considered borrowing by a Fund and, therefore, a form of leverage. Leverage may cause any gains or losses for a Fund to be magnified. The Funds will invest the proceeds of borrowings under reverse repurchase agreements. In addition, except for liquidity purposes, a Fund will enter into a reverse repurchase agreement only when the expected return from the investment of the proceeds is greater than the expense of the transaction. A Fund will not invest the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement for a period which exceeds the duration of the reverse repurchase agreement. A Fund would be required to pay interest on amounts obtained through reverse repurchase agreements, which are considered borrowings under federal securities laws. The repurchase price is generally equal to the original sales price plus interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are usually for seven days or less and cannot be repaid prior to their expiration dates. Each Fund will earmark and reserve Fund assets, in cash or liquid securities, in an amount at least equal to its purchase obligations under its reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the portfolio securities transferred may decline below the price at which a Fund is obliged to purchase the securities. All forms of borrowing (including reverse repurchase agreements) are limited in the aggregate and may not exceed 33 1/3% of a Fund’s total assets, except as permitted by law.

Securities Lending

To generate additional income, certain Funds may lend up to 33 1/3% of such Fund’s total assets pursuant to agreements requiring that the loan be continuously secured by collateral equal to at least 100% of the market value plus accrued interest on the securities lent. The Funds that engage in securities lending use JPMorgan Chase Bank as their securities lending agent.

Under the JPMorgan Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank performs a daily mark to market of the loaned security and requests additional cash collateral if the amount of cash received from the borrower is less than 102% of the value of the loaned security in the case of securities denominated in U.S. dollars and 105% of the value of the loaned security in the case of securities denominated in non-U.S. dollars subject to certain de minimis guidelines. Such de minimis guidelines provide that for a loan of U.S. dollar denominated securities, the aggregate value of cash collateral for such loan may be less than 102% but in no event less than 101.51% and for a loan of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, the aggregate value of cash collateral held for such loan may be less than 105% but in no event less than 104.51%. Loans are subject to termination by a Fund or the borrower at any time, and are therefore not considered to be illiquid investments. A Fund does not have the right to vote proxies for securities on loan. However, a Fund’s Adviser may terminate a loan if the vote is considered material with respect to an investment.

Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk is increased when a Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single or limited number of borrowers. The earnings on the collateral invested may not be sufficient to pay fees incurred in connection with the loan. Also, the principal value of the collateral invested may decline and may not be sufficient to pay back the borrower for the amount of collateral posted. There are no limits on the number of borrowers a Fund may use and a Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. Funds participating in securities lending bear the risk of loss in connection with investments of the cash collateral received from the borrowers, which do not trigger additional collateral requirements from the borrower.

 

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To the extent that the value or return of a Fund’s investments of the cash collateral declines below the amount owed to a borrower, the Fund may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security. In situations where the Adviser does not believe that it is prudent to sell the cash collateral investments in the market, a Fund may borrow money to repay the borrower the amount of cash collateral owed to the borrower upon return of the loaned securities. This will result in financial leverage, which may cause the Fund to be more volatile because financial leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Short-Term Funding Agreements

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, a Fund makes cash contributions to a deposit account at a bank or insurance company. The bank or insurance company then credits to the Fund 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.

A Fund 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 a Fund to be illiquid investments. To the extent that a short-term funding agreement is determined to be illiquid, such agreements will be acquired by a Fund 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.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

The Funds may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. Government securities, money market fund securities and cash. To the extent the SPAC is invested in cash or similar securities, this may impact a Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. If an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders, less certain permitted expense, and any warrants issued by the SPAC will expire worthless. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities, which are typically traded in the over-the-counter market, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

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. 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

 

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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, Collateralized Debt Obligations, credit linked notes, and participation notes and participatory notes.

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

Total Annual Fund 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 the exception for the definition of “investment company” provided by section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.

Credit Linked Notes. Certain Funds may invest in structured instruments known as credit linked securities or credit linked notes (“CLNs”). CLNs are typically issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle (the “CLN trust”) that, in turn, invests in a derivative or basket of derivatives instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and/or other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain high yield, sovereign debt, emerging markets, or other fixed income markets. Generally, investments in CLNs represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the CLN. However, these payments are conditioned on the CLN trust’s receipt of payments from, and the CLN trust’s potential obligations, to the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the CLN trust invests. For example, the CLN trust may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the CLN trust would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default were to occur, the stream of payments may stop and the CLN trust would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that a Fund would receive as an investor in the CLN trust.

Certain Funds may enter into CLNs structured as “First-to-Default” CLNs. In a First-to-Default” CLN, the CLN trust enters into a credit default swap on a portfolio of a specified number of individual securities pursuant to which the CLN trust sells protection to a counterparty. The CLN trust uses the proceeds of issuing investments in the CLN trust to purchase securities, which are selected by the counterparty and the total return of which is paid to the counterparty. Upon the occurrence of a default or credit event involving any one of the individual securities, the credit default swaps terminate and the Fund’s investment in the CLN trust is redeemed for an amount equal to “par” minus the amount paid to the counterparty under the credit default swap.

Certain Funds may also enter in CLNs to gain access to sovereign debt and securities in emerging market particularly in markets where the Fund is not able to purchase securities directly due to domicile restrictions or tax restrictions or tariffs. In such an instance, the issuer of the CLN may purchase the reference security directly and/or gain exposure through a credit default swap or other derivative.

A Fund’s investments in CLNs is subject to the risks associated with the underlying reference obligations and derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk.

Participation Notes and Participatory Notes. Certain Funds may invest in instruments that have similar economic characteristics to equity securities, such as participation notes (also known as participatory notes (“P-notes”)) or other structured instruments that may be developed from time to time (“structured instruments”). Structured instruments are notes that are issued by banks, broker-dealers or their affiliates and are designed to offer a return linked to a particular underlying equity or market.

If the structured instrument were held to maturity, the issuer would pay to the purchaser the underlying instrument’s value at maturity with any necessary adjustments. The holder of a structured instrument that is linked to a particular underlying security or instrument may be entitled to receive dividends paid in connection with that underlying security or instrument, but typically does not receive voting rights as it would if it directly owned the

 

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underlying security or instrument. Structured instruments have transaction costs. In addition, there can be no assurance that there will be a trading market for a structured instrument or that the trading price of a structured instrument will equal the underlying value of the security, instrument or market that it seeks to replicate. Unlike a direct investment in equity securities, structured instruments typically involve a term or expiration date, potentially increasing the Fund’s turnover rate, transaction costs and tax liability.

Due to transfer restrictions, the secondary markets on which a structured instrument is traded may be less liquid than the market for other securities, or may be completely illiquid, which may expose the Fund to risks of mispricing or improper valuation. Structured instruments typically constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks, broker-dealers or their relevant affiliates that issue them, which subjects the Fund to counterparty risk (and this risk may be amplified if the Fund purchases structured instruments from only a small number of issuers). Structured instruments also have the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying securities, instruments or markets that they seek to replicate.

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), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and indexes of CMBS (CMBX), credit default swaps, interest rate caps, price lock swaps, 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, also known as a “swaption”, 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 swaption 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.

 

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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 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.

Under the Dodd-Frank Act, swaps are subject to rules requiring central clearing and mandatory trading on an exchange or facility that is regulated by the CFTC. Swaps traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to margin requirements that are expected to be implemented with respect to the Funds beginning in 2017. Implementation of the regulations regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps may increase the cost to the Fund of hedging currency risk and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund.

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). CDS include credit default swaps, which are contracts on individual securities, and Credit Default Swap Indices (“CDX”) which are contracts on baskets or indices of securities.

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. In cases where a Fund is a seller of a CDS contract including a CDX contract, the Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets equal the notional amount of the contract. Furthermore, a Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets to cover any accrued payment

 

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obligations when it is the buyer of a CDS including CDX. In calculating the amount to be segregated for this purpose, the Fund is not considered to have an accrued payment obligation when it is the buyer of a CDS including a CDX when the contract is in a gain position as no additional amounts are owed to the counterparty. In cases where a Fund is a buyer of a CDS contract including a CDX contract, the Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets equal to the mark-to-market value when the contract is in a loss position.

If a Fund is a seller of protection under 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 such 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 protection under 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 downgrade in credit rating) 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. In addition to general market risks, CDSs involve liquidity, credit and counterparty risks. The recent increase in corporate defaults further raises these liquidity and credit risks, increasing the possibility that sellers will not have sufficient funds to make payments. As unregulated instruments, CDSs are difficult to value and are therefore susceptible to liquidity and credit risks. Counterparty risks also stem from the lack of regulation of CDSs. Collateral posting requirements are individually negotiated between counterparties and there is no regulatory requirement concerning the amount of collateral that a counterparty must post to secure its obligations under a CDS. Because they are unregulated, there is no requirement that parties to a contract be informed in advance when a CDS is sold. As a result, investors may have difficulty identifying the party responsible for payment of their claims.

If a counterparty’s credit becomes significantly impaired, multiple requests for collateral posting in a short period of time could increase the risk that the Fund may not receive adequate collateral. There is no readily available market for trading out of CDS contracts. In order to eliminate a position it has taken in a CDS, the Fund must terminate the existing CDS contract or enter into an offsetting trade. The Fund may only exit its obligations under a CDS contract by terminating the contract and paying applicable breakage fees, which could result in additional losses to the Fund. Furthermore, the cost of entering into an offsetting CDS position could cause the Fund to incur losses.

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.

Trust Preferred Securities

Certain Funds may purchase trust preferred securities, also known as “trust preferreds”, which are preferred stocks issued by a special purpose trust subsidiary backed by subordinated debt of the corporate parent. An issuer creates trust preferred securities by creating a trust and issuing debt to the trust. The trust in turn issues trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities are hybrid securities with characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Such characteristics include long maturities (typically 30 years or more), early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. In addition, trust preferred securities issued by a bank holding company may allow deferral of interest payments for up to 5 years. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company.

 

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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 U.S., 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. U.S. government obligations are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk.

The principal and interest components of U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. Treasury bills with comparable maturities.

Other obligations include those issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, GSEs or instrumentalities. These obligations may or may not be backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Securities which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. include obligations of the Government National Mortgage Association, the Farmers Home Administration, and the Export-Import Bank. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S., 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. Unsustainable debt levels can cause devaluations of currency, prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns, and contribute to market volatility.

In the past, U.S. sovereign credit has experienced downgrades and there can be no guarantee that it will not experience further downgrades in the future by rating agencies. The market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected by a rating agency’s decision to downgrade the sovereign credit rating of the United States.

When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments

Securities may be purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. For example, delivery of and payment for these securities can take place a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. The purchase price and the interest rate payable, if any, on the securities are fixed on the purchase commitment date or at the time the settlement date is fixed. The value of such securities is subject to market fluctuation, and for money market instruments and other fixed income securities, no interest accrues to a Fund until settlement takes place. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, it will record the transaction, reflect the value each day of such securities in determining its NAV and, if applicable, calculate the maturity for the purposes of average maturity from that date. At the time of settlement, a when-issued security may be valued at less than the purchase price. To facilitate such acquisitions, each Fund will earmark and reserve Fund assets, in cash or liquid securities, in an amount at least equal to such commitments. On delivery dates for such transactions, each Fund will meet its obligations from maturities or sales of the securities earmarked and reserved for such purpose and/or from cash flow. If a Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition, it could, as with the disposition of any other portfolio obligation, incur a gain or loss due to market fluctuation. Also, a Fund may be disadvantaged if the other party to the transaction defaults.

 

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Forward Commitments. Securities may be purchased for delivery at a future date, which may increase their overall investment exposure and involves a risk of loss if the value of the securities declines prior to the settlement date. 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 Fund makes a commitment to purchase a security on a forward commitment basis, 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 the commitments will equal the amount of such commitments purchased by the respective Fund.

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, from 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, Delayed Delivery 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.

QUALITY DESCRIPTION FOR THE FUNDS

The Funds only purchase securities that meet the rating criteria described below or in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. The Adviser will look at a security’s rating at the time of investment. If the securities are unrated, the Adviser must determine that they are of comparable quality to rated securities. Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, a security may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by a Fund. The Adviser will consider such an event in determining whether a Fund should continue to hold the security.

Debt Securities. The Funds may invest in debt securities rated in any of the four investment grade rating categories.

Preferred Stock. The Funds may only invest in preferred stock rated in any of the four highest rating categories.

Municipal Securities. The Funds may only invest in municipal bonds rated in any of the four highest rating categories. The Core Bond Trust and the Intermediate Bond Trust may only invest in other municipal securities, such as tax-exempt commercial paper, notes and variable rate demand obligations which are rated in the highest or second highest rating categories.

Commercial Paper. The 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 NRSRO (such as A-2 or better by S&P, Prime- 2 or better by Moody’s, F2 or better by Fitch, or R-2 or better by DBRS) or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.

 

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Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Funds may 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 the Adviser to be of comparable quality.

INVESTMENT POLICIES

The following investment policies (including the Funds’ investment objectives) 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 policies 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. The Funds may also borrow money or engage in economically similar transactions if those transactions do not constitute “senior securities” under the 1940 Act. Under current pronouncements, certain Fund positions (e.g., reverse repurchase agreements) are excluded from the definition of “senior security” so long as the Fund maintains adequate cover, segregation of assets or otherwise. Similarly, a short sale will not be considered a senior security if a Fund takes certain steps contemplated by SEC staff pronouncements, such as ensuring the short sale transaction is adequately covered.

 

  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 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 Securities 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

 

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

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 29, 2016
       Fiscal Year
Ended February 28, 2017
 

Core Bond Trust

       22        16

Intermediate Bond Trust

       27          32  

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. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Except as otherwise noted in the Confidential Offering Memorandum, the Funds are not intended for foreign shareholders. As a result, this section does not address in detail the tax consequences affecting any shareholder who, as to the U.S., 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 following tax discussion is very general; 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 gain, net income and operating expenses therefore will be determined separately for each Fund.

Special tax rules apply to investments held 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.

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 gain from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gain from options, swaps, 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” (“QPTP”, defined below);

 

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  (b) 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, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, 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 (x) 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 (y) in the securities of one or more QPTPs. 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; and

 

  (c) 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 gain over net long-term capital loss) and net tax-exempt interest income, for such taxable year.

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 (x) interests in which are traded on an established securities markets or readily tradable on a secondary market as the substantial equivalents thereof, (y) that derives at least 90% of its income from passive income sources defined in Section 7704(d) of the Code, and (z) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. Although income from a QPTP is qualifying income, as discussed above, investments in QPTPs cannot exceed 25% of the Fund’s assets. 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 QPTP.

For purposes of paragraph (b) above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a QPTP. Also, for purposes of the diversification test in (b) above, the identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular Fund investment can depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In some cases, identification of the issuer (or issuers) is uncertain under current law, and an adverse determination of future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to issuer identification for a particular type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to meet the diversification test in (b) above.

Gains from foreign currencies (including foreign currency options, foreign currency swaps, foreign currency futures and foreign currency forward contracts) currently constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% test, described in paragraph (a) above. However, the Treasury Department has the authority to issue regulations (possibly with retroactive effect) 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 a Fund qualifies for a taxable year 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). If a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to taxation on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gain, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Some portions of such distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and for treatment as qualified dividend income in the case of individual shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gain, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before re-qualifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and may distribute its net capital gain (that is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Investment company taxable income which is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate tax rates. A Fund might also retain for investment its net capital gain. If a Fund does retain such net capital gain, such gain will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gain in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax

 

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purposes, as long-term capital gain, their respective shares of the undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their respective shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

In determining its net capital gain, including in connection with determining the amount available to support a Capital Gain Dividend, its taxable income and its earnings and profits, a Fund may elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as the greatest of net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss, in each case attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31) or late-year ordinary loss (generally, (i) net ordinary loss from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property, attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31, plus (ii) other net ordinary loss attributable to the portion of the taxable year after December 31) as if incurred in the succeeding taxable year.

Excise Tax on Regulated Investment Companies. If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) 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 nondeductible 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 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, all or a portion of 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. Distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gain earned by the Fund before a shareholder’s investment (and thus were included in the price the shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. A shareholder whose distributions are reinvested in shares will be treated as having received a dividend equal to the amount of cash that the shareholder would have received if such shareholder had elected to receive the distribution in cash.

Dividends and distributions on a Fund’s shares generally are 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 represent economically 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 (i) unrealized, or (ii) realized but not distributed.

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gain are determined by how long a Fund owned the investment that generated it, rather than how long a shareholder may have owned shares in the Fund. Distributions of net capital gain 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”) will be taxable as long-term capital gain. Distributions of capital gain generally are made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains is either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts. A distribution of gain from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

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. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet certain holding-period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet certain 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

 

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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 U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”, as defined below). The Funds do not expect a significant portion of their distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

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 non-corporate taxable shareholder so long as 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 equal to or greater than 95% of its “gross income”, then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than dividends that are properly designated as 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.

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 basis (for tax purposes) in its shares, and any distribution in excess of basis will be treated as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces the shareholder’s basis in its shares, which reduces the loss (or increases the gain) on a subsequent taxable disposition by such shareholder of the shares.

Dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders (other than shareholders that are S corporations) of a Fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by a Fund will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (1) if the stock on which the dividend is paid is considered to be “debt-financed” (generally, acquired with borrowed funds), (2) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Fund has held less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (3) to the extent that the Fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends-received deduction may be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of a Fund or (2) by application of the Code. However, any distributions received by a Fund from REITs and PFICs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, but excluding any exempt-interest dividends from a Fund) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.

 

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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. Additionally, any loss realized upon the sale or exchange of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less may be disallowed to the extent of any distributions treated as exempt interest dividends with respect to such shares. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains is either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.

Fund Investments. Certain investments of the Funds, including transactions in options, swaptions, futures contracts, forward contracts, straddles, swaps, short sales, foreign currencies, inflation-linked securities and foreign securities, including for hedging purposes, 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 gain into short-term capital gain, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital loss, 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 its taxable income. If a Fund’s book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess generally will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in its shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If a Fund’s book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment. 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 each Fund and its shareholders.

The Fund’s participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders. With respect to any security subject to 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 Funds 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.

Certain debt securities purchased by the Funds are sold at an original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments. Similarly, zero-coupon bonds do not make periodic interest payments. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount is treated as interest income and is included in taxable income (and required to be distributed) over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. In addition, payment-in-kind securities will give rise to income that is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. 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. 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 any possible taxation at the Fund level. Certain debt securities that may be acquired by a Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. A Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

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A Fund may invest to a significant extent in debt obligations that are in the lowest rated categories (or are unrated), including debt obligations of issuers that are not currently paying interest or that are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of being in default (or are presently 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 taxation or any 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 accelerate income recognition and 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 that are taxable as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. In general, the Fund will not recognize income earned by such an investment company until the close of the investment company’s taxable year. But 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 taxable 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 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 generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.

A Fund might invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”). Under a notice issued by the IRS in October 2006 and Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued (but may apply with retroactive effect), a portion of a Fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC or a TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income taxation in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as each of the Funds, will generally 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 or TMP residual interest directly.

In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), and (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income.

In addition, because the Code provides that excess inclusion income is ineligible for treaty benefits, a regulated investment company must withhold tax on excess inclusions attributable to its foreign shareholders at a 30% rate of withholding, regardless of any treaty benefits for which a shareholder is otherwise eligible.

 

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Any investment in residual interests of 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 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 Section 514(b) of the Code. 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 TMPs 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).

In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in regulated investment companies that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or in TMPs. Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a charitable remainder trust (“CRT”), as defined in Section 664 of the Code that realizes UBTI for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely 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 U.S., 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. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. 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 a Fund.

If a Fund invests in PFICs, certain special tax consequences may apply. 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 includes 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. 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. This 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.

If a Fund is in a position to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), the Fund will be required to include in its gross income its share of the company’s income and net capital gain annually, regardless of whether it receives any distributions 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 PFICs on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gain and loss 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 invests indirectly in PFICs by virtue of the Fund’s investment in other investment companies that qualify as “U.S. persons” within the meaning of the Code may not make a QEF election; rather, such underlying investment companies investing directly in the PFICs would decide whether to make such election. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.”

Backup Withholding. Each Fund generally is required to backup 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 backup withholding. The backup withholding rules may also apply to distributions that are properly designated as exempt-interest dividends. The backup withholding tax rate is 28%.

 

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Foreign Shareholders. Shares of the Funds have not been registered for sale outside of the United States. This Supplement is not intended for distribution to prospective investors outside of the United States. The Funds generally do not market or sell shares to investors domiciled outside of the United States, even, with regard to individuals, if they are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States.

Distributions properly designated as Capital Gain Dividends and exempt-interest dividends generally will not be subject to withholding of federal income tax. However, 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 (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or 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, the 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 of types similar to those not 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 (“interest-related dividends”), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) 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 and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests (as described below) 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 (“short-term capital gain dividends”). Depending on the circumstances, a Fund may make designations of interest-related and/or short-term capital gain dividends 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 these exemptions from withholding. 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 regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends or exempt-interest dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met or (iii) the shares constitute “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) or the Capital Gain Dividends are attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs in accordance with the rules set forth below.

Special rules apply to distributions to foreign shareholders from a Fund that is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of the exceptions to the definition thereof described below. Additionally, special rules apply to the sale of shares in a Fund that is a USRPHC. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds U.S. real property interests (“USRPIs”) — USRPIs are defined as any interest in U.S. real property or any equity interest in a USRPHC — the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States and certain other assets. A Fund that holds (directly or indirectly) significant interests in REITs may be a USRPHC. The special rules discussed in the next paragraph will also generally apply to distributions from a Fund that would be a USRPHC absent exclusions from USRPI treatment for interests in domestically controlled REITs or regulated investment companies and not-greater-than-5% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in REITs or regulated investment companies.

In the case of a Fund that is a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the exceptions from the definition of USRPI (described immediately above), distributions by the Fund that are attributable to (a) gains realized on the disposition of USRPIs by the Fund and (b) distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier regulated investment company or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands will retain their character as gains realized from USRPIs in the hands of the Fund’s foreign shareholders. If the foreign shareholder holds (or has held in the prior year) more than a 5% interest in the Fund, such distributions will be treated as gains “effectively connected” with the conduct of a “U.S. trade or business,” and subject to tax at graduated rates. Moreover, such

 

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shareholders will be required to file a U.S. income tax return for the year in which the gain was recognized and the Fund will be required to withhold 35% of the amount of such distribution. In the case of all other foreign shareholders (i.e., those whose interest in the Fund did not exceed 5% at any time during the prior year), the USRPI distribution will be treated as ordinary income (regardless of any designation by the Fund that such distribution is a short-term capital gain dividend or a Capital Gain Dividend), and the Fund must withhold 30% (or a lower applicable treaty rate) of the amount of the distribution paid to such foreign shareholder. Foreign shareholders of a Fund are also subject to “wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the tax-filing and -payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of Fund shares.

In addition, a Fund that is a USRPHC must typically withhold 15% of the amount realized in a redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, and that shareholder must file a U.S. income tax return for the year of the disposition of the USRPI and pay any additional tax due on the gain. No withholding is generally required with respect to amounts paid in redemption of shares of a Fund if the Fund is a domestically controlled USRPHC or, in certain limited cases, if the Fund (whether or not domestically controlled) holds substantial investments in regulated investment companies that are domestically controlled USRPHCs.

In order to qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in general, furnishing an applicable IRS Form W-8 or substitute form). Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard.

If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal tax on income referred to above. Foreign shareholders in a Fund should consult their tax advisors with respect to the potential application of the above rules.

A Fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends and (effective January 1, 2019) redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to a Fund to enable the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.

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 and the Treasury Regulations issued thereunder, 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 the end of the year 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 U.S. 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.

State and Local Tax Matters. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions may also be subject to state and local taxation. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend income, ordinary income dividends and capital gain dividends from regulated investment companies may differ

 

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from the rules of U.S. federal income tax in many respects. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors 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 taxation 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 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. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of shares of each of the Funds, as well as the effects of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

Capital Loss Carryforwards

For Federal income tax purposes, the Funds did not have any capital loss carryforwards for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017.

To the extent that these capital losses are used to offset future capital gain, it is probably that gain so offset will not be distributed to shareholders.

VALUATION

The net asset value (“NAV”) of a class of a Fund is equal to the value of all of the assets attributable to that class, minus the liabilities attributable to such class, divided by the number of outstanding shares of such class. The following is a discussion of the procedures used by the Funds in valuing their assets.

Securities for which market quotations are readily available are generally valued at their current market value. Other securities and assets, including securities for which market quotations are not readily available, quotations are determined not to be reliable, or their 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, may be valued at its fair value in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the J.P. Morgan Funds’ Board of Trustees. Fair value represents a good faith determination of the value of a security or other asset based upon specifically applied procedures. Fair valuation determinations may require subjective determinations. There can be no assurance that the fair value of an asset is the price at which the asset could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair value was used in determining the Fund’s NAV.

Equity securities listed on a North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean (“Americas”) securities exchange are generally valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally

 

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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. is generally the NASDAQ official closing price.

The Funds have implemented fair value pricing on a daily basis for all equity securities other than Americas equity securities. The fair value pricing utilizes the quotations of an independent pricing service. Generally, trading of foreign securities on most foreign markets is completed before the close in trading in U.S. markets. Trading on foreign markets may also take place on days on which the U.S. markets and the Funds are closed.

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

Fixed income securities are valued using market quotations supplied by approved independent third party pricing services, affiliated pricing services or broker/dealers. In determining security prices, pricing services and broker/dealers may consider a variety of inputs and factors, including but not limited to proprietary models that may take into account market transactions in securities with comparable characteristics, yield curves, option-adjusted spreads, credit spreads, estimated default rates, coupon rates, underlying collateral and estimated cash flows.

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 ET.

Options (e.g., on stock indices or equity securities) traded on U.S. equity securities exchanges are valued at the composite mean price, using the National Best Bid and Offer quotes at the close of options trading on such exchanges.

Options traded on foreign exchanges or U.S. commodity exchanges are valued at the settled price, or if no settled price is available, at the last sale price available prior to the calculation of a Fund’s NAV and will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable, for any options involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchanges.

Exchange traded futures (e.g., on stock indices, debt securities or commodities) are valued at the settled price, or if no settled price is available, at the last sale price as of the close of the exchanges on which they trade. Any futures involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchanges will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable.

Non-listed over-the-counter options and futures are valued utilizing market quotation provided by approved pricing services.

Swaps and structured notes are priced generally by an approved independent third party or affiliated pricing service or at an evaluated price provided by a counterparty or broker/dealer.

Any derivatives involving equity reference obligations listed on exchanges other than North American, Central American, South American or Caribbean securities exchanges will be fair valued by applying fair value factor provided by independent pricing services, as applicable.

Certain fixed income securities and swaps may be valued using market quotations or valuations provided by pricing services affiliated with the Adviser. Valuations received by the Funds from affiliated pricing services are the same as those provided to other affiliated and unaffiliated entities by these affiliated pricing services.

With respect to all Funds, 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 policies and procedures (“Policies”) established by and under the supervision and responsibility of the Trustees. The Board of Trustees has established an Audit and Valuation Committee to assist the Board of Trustees in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities and delegated to JPMorgan Investment Management Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (the “Administrator” or “JPMIM”), the responsibility for implementing the day-to-day operational aspects of the valuation process. The Administrator has created the J.P. Morgan Asset Management (“JPMAM”) Americas Valuation Committee (“VC”) to oversee and carry out the Policies for the valuation of investments held in the Funds. The VC is comprised of senior representatives from JPMIM, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“JPMIM” or the “Adviser”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Asset Management Holdings Inc. (“JPMAM Holdings”), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, JPMorgan’s Legal, Compliance and Risk Management and the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. 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

 

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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 VC believes that market quotations do not accurately reflect the value of a security.

From time to time, there may be errors in the calculation of the NAV of a Fund or the processing of purchases and redemptions. Shareholders will generally not be notified of the occurrence of an error or the resolution thereof.

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 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, 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 U.S. consistent with applicable regulatory requirements.

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.

 

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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 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017.

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, Current Administrator as of 4/1/16
J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments Inc.   Placement Agent
JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.   Former Administrator
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.   Custodian, Fund Accountant, and Securities Lending Agent

Board of Trustees

The names of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, together with information regarding their year of birth, the year each Trustee became a Board member of the Trust, the year each Trustee first became a Board member of any of the heritage JPMorgan Funds or heritage One Group Mutual Funds, principal occupations and other board memberships, including those in any company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act or any company registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, are shown below. The contact address of each of the Trustees is 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

The following table contains basic information regarding the Trustees that oversee operations of the Trust and other investment companies within the J.P. Morgan Funds Complex.

 

Name (Year of Birth); Positions
With the Funds (Since)

 

Principal Occupations
During Past 5 Years

 

Number of Funds
in Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(1)

   

Other Directorships Held
Outside Funds Complex
During the Past 5 Years

Independent Trustees

     

John F. Finn

(1947); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage One Group Mutual Funds since 1998.

  Chairman (1985–present), Chief Executive Officer, Gardner, Inc. (supply chain management company serving industrial and consumer markets) (1974–present).     150     Director, Greif, Inc. (GEF) (industrial package products and services) (2007–present); Trustee, Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (1988–present); Director, Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) (1994–2014).

Dr. Matthew Goldstein

(1941); Chairman since 2013; Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage JPMorgan Funds since 2003.

  Chancellor Emeritus, City University of New York (2015–present); Professor, City University of New York (2013–present); Chancellor, City University of New York (1999–2013); President, Adelphi University (New York) (1998–1999).     150     Trustee, Museum of Jewish Heritage (2011–present); Trustee, National Museum of Mathematics (present); Chair, Association of College and University Administrators (present).

 

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Name (Year of Birth); Positions
With the Funds (Since)

 

Principal Occupations
During Past 5 Years

 

Number of Funds
in Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(1)

   

Other Directorships Held
Outside Funds Complex
During the Past 5 Years

Dennis P. Harrington

(1950); Trustee of Trust since 2017

  Retired; Partner, Deloitte LLP (1984–2012).     149     None.

Frankie D. Hughes

(1952); Trustee of Trust since 2009.

  President, Ashland Hughes Properties (property management) (2014–present); President and Chief Investment Officer, Hughes Capital Management, Inc. (fixed income asset management) (1993–2014).     150    

None.

Raymond Kanner

(1953); Trustee of Trust since 2017.

  Retired; Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, IBM Retirement Funds (2007–2016).     149     Director, Emerging Markets Growth Fund (1997–2016); Acting Executive Director, Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA), 2016–17; Advisory Board Member, Betterment for Business (2016–present) (robo advisor); Advisory Board Member, Blue Star Indexes (2013–present) (index creator); Member, Russell Index Client Advisory Board (2001–2015).

Peter C. Marshall

(1942); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage One Group Mutual Funds since 1985.

  Self-employed business consultant (2002–present).     150     None.

Mary E. Martinez

(1960); Trustee of Trust since 2013

  Associate, Special Properties, a Christie’s International Real Estate Affiliate (2010–present); Managing Director, Bank of America (Asset Management) (2007–2008); Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Trust Asset Management, U.S. Trust Company (asset management) (2003–2007); President, Excelsior Funds (registered investment companies) (2004–2005).     150     None.

Marilyn McCoy*

(1948); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage One Group Mutual Funds since 1999.

  Vice President of Administration and Planning, Northwestern University (1985–present).     150     None.

 

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Name (Year of Birth); Positions
With the Funds (Since)

 

Principal Occupations
During Past 5 Years

 

Number of Funds
in Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(1)

   

Other Directorships Held
Outside Funds Complex
During the Past 5 Years

Mitchell M. Merin

(1953); Trustee of Trust since 2013

  Retired; President and Chief Operating Officer, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Member Morgan Stanley & Co. Management Committee (registered investment adviser) (1985–2005).     150     Director, Sun Life Financial (SLF) (2007–2013) (financial services and insurance).

Dr. Robert A. Oden, Jr.

(1946); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage One Group Mutual Funds since 1997.

  Retired; President, Carleton College (2002–2010); President, Kenyon College (1995–2002).     150     Chairman, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (2011–present); Trustee, American Schools of Oriental Research (2011–present); Trustee, American University in Cairo (1999–2014); Trustee, American Museum of Fly Fishing (2013–present).

Marian U. Pardo**

(1946); Trustee of Trust since 2013

  Managing Director and Founder, Virtual Capital Management LLC (Investment Consulting) (2007–present); Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (portfolio manager) (2003–2006).     150     Member, Board of Governors, Columbus Citizens Foundation (not-for-profit supporting philanthropic and cultural programs) (2006–present).

Frederick W. Ruebeck

(1939); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage One Group Mutual Funds since 1994.

 

Consultant (2000–present); Advisor, JP Greene & Associates, LLC (broker-dealer) (2000–2009);

Chief Investment Officer, Wabash College (2004–2015); Director of Investments, Eli Lilly and Company (pharmaceuticals) (1988–1999).

    150     Trustee, Wabash College (2000–present).

James J. Schonbachler

(1943); Trustee of Trust since 2009; Trustee of heritage JPMorgan Funds since 2001.

  Retired; Managing Director of Bankers Trust Company (financial services) (1968–1998).     150     None.

 

(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 registered investment companies. The J.P. Morgan Funds Complex for which the Board of Trustees serves currently includes twelve registered investment companies (150 funds).
* Two members of the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University are executive officers of registered investment advisers (not affiliated with JPMorgan) that are under common control with sub-advisers to certain J.P. Morgan Funds.
** In connection with prior employment with JPMorgan Chase, Ms. Pardo was the recipient of non-qualified pension plan payments from JPMorgan Chase in the amount of approximately $2,055 per month, which she irrevocably waived effective January 1, 2013, and deferred compensation payments from JPMorgan Chase in the amount of approximately $7,294 per year, which ended in January 2013. In addition, Ms. Pardo receives payments from a fully-funded qualified plan, which is not an obligation of JPMorgan Chase.

The Trustees serve for an indefinite term, subject to the Trust’s current retirement policy, which is age 78 for all Trustees. The Board of Trustees decides upon general policies and is responsible for overseeing the business affairs of the Trust.

 

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Ownership of Securities

The following table shows the dollar range of each Trustee’s beneficial ownership of equity securities in the Funds and each Trustee’s aggregate dollar range of ownership in any J.P. Morgan Funds that the Trustee (each of whom is an independent Trustee) oversees in the Family of Investment Companies as of December 31, 2016.

 

Name of Trustee

   Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
the Funds
      

Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
All Registered
Investment  Companies
overseen by the
Trustee in the Family of
Investment
Companies(1),(2)

Independent Trustees

       

John F. Finn

     None        Over $100,000

Dr. Matthew Goldstein

     None        Over $100,000

Dennis P. Harrington*

     None        $50,001-$100,000

Frankie D. Hughes

     None        Over $100,000

Raymond Kanner**

     None        None

Peter C. Marshall

     None        Over $100,000

Mary E. Martinez

     None        Over $100,000

Marilyn McCoy

     None        Over $100,000

Mitchell M. Merin

     None        Over $100,000

Dr. Robert A. Oden, Jr.

     None        Over $100,000

Marian U. Pardo

     None        Over $100,000

Frederick W. Ruebeck

     None        Over $100,000

James J. Schonbachler

     None        Over $100,000

 

(1) A Family of Investment Companies means any two or more registered investment companies that share the same investment adviser or principal underwriter and hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services. The Family of Investment Companies for which the Board of Trustees currently serves includes twelve registered investment companies (150 funds).
(2) For Ms. McCoy and Messrs. Finn, Marshall, Oden, and Ruebeck, this amount includes deferred compensation balances through participation in the J.P. Morgan Funds’ Deferred Compensation Plan for Eligible Trustees.
* Mr. Harrington became a Trustee of the Trusts, effective 1/1/17.
** Mr. Kanner became a Trustee of the Trusts, effective 4/7/17.

As of December 31, 2016, none of the independent Trustees or their immediate family members owned securities of the Adviser or JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. (“JPMDS”) or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or JPMDS.

Qualifications of Trustees

The Governance Committee and the Board considered the commitment that each Trustee has demonstrated in serving on the Board including the significant time each Trustee has devoted to preparing for meetings and the active engagement and participation of each Trustee at Board meetings. The Governance Committee and the Board also considered the character of each Trustee noting that each Trustee is committed to executing his or her duties as a trustee with diligence, honesty and integrity. The Governance Committee and the Board also considered the contributions that each Trustee has made to the Board in terms of experience, leadership, independence and the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other Board members.

The Governance Committee also considered the significant and relevant experience and knowledge that each Trustee has with respect to registered investment companies and asset management. The Governance Committee and the Board noted the additional experience that each of the Trustees has gained with respect to registered investment companies as a result of his or her service on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board. The J.P. Morgan Funds overseen by the J.P. Morgan Funds Board represent almost every asset class including (1) fixed income funds including traditional bond funds, municipal bond funds, high yield funds, government funds, and emerging markets debt funds, (2) money market funds, (3) international, emerging markets and country/region funds, (4) equity funds including small, mid and large capitalization funds and value and growth funds, (5) index funds, (6) funds of funds, including target date funds, and (7) specialty funds including market neutral funds, long/short funds and funds that invest in real estate securities and commodity-related securities and derivatives. The Governance Committee and the Board also considered the experience that each Trustee had with respect to reviewing agreements with the Funds’

 

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service providers in connection with their broader service to the J.P. Morgan Funds including the Funds’ investment advisers, custodian, and fund accountant.

The Governance Committee and the Board also considered the experience and contribution of each Trustee in the context of the Board’s leadership and committee structure. The Board has six committees including the Audit and Valuation Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Equity Committee, the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee, and a Fixed Income Committee. Different members of the Board serve on these three investment committees with respect to each asset type thereby allowing the J.P. Morgan Funds Board to effectively evaluate information for the Funds in the complex in a focused, disciplined manner.

The Governance Committee also considered the operational efficiencies achieved by having a single Board for the Funds and the other registered investment companies overseen by the Adviser and its affiliates as well as the extensive experience of certain Trustees in serving on Boards for registered investment companies advised by subsidiaries or affiliates of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and/or Bank One Corporation (known as “heritage J.P. Morgan Funds” or “heritage One Group Mutual Funds”).

In reaching its conclusion that each Trustee should serve as a Trustee of the Trust, the Board also considered the following additional specific qualifications, contributions and experience of the following Trustees:

John F. Finn. Mr. Finn has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005 and was a member of the heritage One Group Mutual Funds Board since 1998. Until February 2013, Mr. Finn served on the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, Mr. Finn has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Mr. Finn currently serves as a Chairman of the Equity Committee and a member of the Governance Committee. As a member of the Governance Committee, he has participated in the selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees, periodic review of the compensation payable to the Trustees, review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees, oversight of any ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees, oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds and oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds. In addition, until June 2014, Mr. Finn was also the head of the Strategic Planning Working Group, comprised of independent Trustees. The Strategic Planning Working Group worked with the administrator to the Trust on initiatives related to efficiency and effectiveness of Board materials and meetings.

Dr. Matthew Goldstein. Dr. Goldstein has served as the Chairman of the Board since January 2013 and on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005. Dr. Goldstein was a member of the heritage J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2003. Dr. Goldstein serves as the Chairman of the Governance Committee. As a member of the Governance Committee, he has participated in the selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees, periodic review of the compensation payable to the Trustees, review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees, oversight of any ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees, oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds and oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds.

Dennis P. Harrington. Mr. Harrington joined the J.P. Morgan Funds Board effective January 1, 2017. Mr. Harrington retired after a 40-year career in public accounting with Deloitte LLP, including service as the Global Lead Client Service Partner for major financial service company clients. Mr. Harrington has extensive experience servicing banking, securities, asset management and insurance clients, including serving as audit and engagement partner on mutual fund audits. Through his service to financial services clients, Mr. Harrington has developed a broad range of knowledge and experience on accounting and governance issues affecting financial services companies, asset managers and investment companies, including complex accounting, valuation, and corporate governance matters; risk assessment and risk oversight issues; knowledge of information systems, financial information and reporting, and operational matters; regulatory and compliance matters; and mergers and acquisitions in the financial services industry. Mr. Harrington serves as a member of the Equity Committee and the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, he has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity

 

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of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board.

Two family members of Mr. Harrington are partner and managing director, respectively, of the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. Such firm has represented to the Board that those family members are not involved in the audit of the Funds’ financial statements and do not provide other services to the Funds. The Board has concluded that such association does not interfere with Mr. Harrington’s exercise of independent judgment as an Independent Trustee.

Frankie D. Hughes. Ms. Hughes has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2008. Until February 2013, Ms. Hughes was a member of the Fixed Income Sub Committee. Until January 2016, Ms. Hughes was a member of the Compliance Committee. As a member of the Compliance Committee, she has participated in the oversight of the Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance policies and procedures, as well as the appointment and compensation of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. The members of the Compliance Committee also oversee the investigation and resolution of any significant compliance incidents. Ms. Hughes is a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, she has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Ms. Hughes also serves as a member of the Fixed Income Committee.

Raymond Kanner. Mr. Kanner joined the J.P. Morgan Funds Board effective April 7, 2017. Mr. Kanner started his career with IBM in 1978, joined IBM’s Credit Corporation in 1985 and moved to the Retirement Funds in 1993, initially overseeing IBM’s Saving Plan. He assumed responsibility for non-US equities in 1995, and became Director of Global Equities in 1998. From 2007 to his retirement in 2016, Mr. Kanner served as the Chief Investment Officer for IBM Retirement Funds, overseeing approximately $150 billion of IBM pension and savings funds worldwide. During his career at IBM, Mr. Kanner gained experience overseeing substantial investments in the treasury, mortgage and credit markets as well as equities. Since his retirement, he has served as the Acting Executive Director of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA), an industry association of corporate pension officers overseeing $2 trillion in defined benefit and defined contribution plan assets. He previously served as a director of a multi-billion dollar emerging markets equity fund. He currently serves as an advisory board member to Betterment for Business, a robo-advisor, and Blue Star Indexes, which creates specialized indexes for the Israeli capital markets. Mr. Kanner serves as a member of the Compliance Committee and the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee.

A family member of Mr. Kanner is employed by JPMorgan Chase Bank, which is affiliated with JPMIM and JPMDS. In that capacity, this employee provides services to various JPMorgan affiliates including JPMIM and JPMDS and for which JPMIM and JPMDS bear some portion of the expense thereof.

Peter C. Marshall. Mr. Marshall has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005. Mr. Marshall was also the Chairman of the heritage One Group Mutual Funds Board, serving as a member of such Board since 1985. Mr. Marshall was also an Audit Committee Financial Expert for the heritage One Group Mutual Funds. Until January 2016, Mr. Marshall served as a member of the Governance Committee. As a member of the Governance Committee, he has participated in the selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees, periodic review of the compensation payable to the Trustees, review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees, oversight of any ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees, oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds and oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds. Mr. Marshall is a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, he has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Mr. Marshall also served as Chair of the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. Effective January 1, 2017, Mr. Marshall is the Director of Education and Strategic Initiatives for the Board, which involves overseeing educational and training matters for the Board, coordination of investment committees, oversight of the Board’s independent performance consultant and other matters.

 

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Mary E. Martinez. Ms. Martinez has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since January 2013 and is a co-Chair of the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. In addition to the experience that Ms. Martinez has gained through her service on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board, Ms. Martinez is a senior financial services executive with over 25 years of experience in asset management, wealth management and private banking services. She has extensive experience with respect to registered investment companies and asset management products as a result of serving as president to other registered investment companies and as a chief operating officer of an asset management firm with responsibility for product development, management, infrastructure and operating oversight, including experience with respect to: (1) diversified product offerings including fundamental, quantitative, traditional and alternative asset classes; (2) asset and portfolio management analytics; (3) risk management and governance; and (4) regulatory and financial reporting. Ms. Martinez also serves on the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, she has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board.

Marilyn McCoy. Ms. McCoy has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005 and was a member of the heritage One Group Mutual Funds Board since 1999. Ms. McCoy is the Chairman of the Compliance Committee. As Chair of the Compliance Committee, she has participated in the oversight of the Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance policies and procedures, as well as the appointment and compensation of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. The members of the Compliance Committee also oversee the investigation and resolution of any significant compliance incidents. Ms. McCoy also serves as a member of the Equity Committee.

Mitchell M. Merin. Mr. Merin has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since January 2013 and is the Chair of the Fixed Income Committee. In addition to the experience that Mr. Merin has gained through his service on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board, Mr. Merin has been in the securities and asset management business for over 30 years and has served as both a board member and president of other registered investment companies and has extensive experience with respect to (1) taxable fixed income products and derivatives; (2) investment oversight; and (3) board governance of registered investment companies and other public companies. Mr. Merin has held leadership positions within the investment company industry including serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and the Chair of the Fixed Income Securities and Investment Company Committees of NASDR. Until January 2016, Mr. Merin also served on the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, he has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Mr. Merin also serves on the Governance Committee. As a member of the Governance Committee, he has participated in the selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees, periodic review of the compensation payable to the Trustees, review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees, oversight of any ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees, oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds and oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds.

Dr. Robert A. Oden Jr. Dr. Oden has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005 and was a member of the heritage One Group Mutual Funds Board since 1997. Until February 2013, Dr. Oden was a member of the Compliance Committee. As a member of the Compliance Committee, he has participated in the oversight of the Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance policies and procedures, as well as the appointment and compensation of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. The members of the Compliance Committee also oversee the investigation and resolution of any significant compliance incidents. Dr. Oden currently serves as a member of the Governance Committee. As a member of the Governance Committee, he has participated in the selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees, periodic review of the compensation payable to the Trustees, review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees, oversight of any ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees, oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds and oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds. Dr. Oden also serves as a member of the Fixed Income Committee.

 

 

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Marian U. Pardo. Ms. Pardo has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since February 2013 and is a co-Chair of the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. In addition to the experience that Ms. Pardo has gained through her service on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board, Ms. Pardo has been in the financial services industry since 1968, with experience in banking, lending, and investment management, and has specific experience with respect to (1) portfolio management, (2) the J.P. Morgan Funds’ investment advisory business, and (3) banking and investment management. She served as a portfolio manager for equity funds across the capitalization spectrum including, prior to 2002, small cap US equity funds advised by JPMIM. Ms. Pardo is also a member of the Compliance Committee. As a member of the Compliance Committee, she has participated in the oversight of the Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance policies and procedures, as well as the appointment and compensation of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. The members of the Compliance Committee also oversee the investigation and resolution of any significant compliance incidents.

Frederick W. Ruebeck. Mr. Ruebeck has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005 and was a member of the heritage One Group Mutual Funds Board since 1994. Until January 2016, Mr. Ruebeck served on the Audit and Valuation Committee. As a member of the Audit and Valuation Committee, Mr. Ruebeck has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Mr. Ruebeck serves as a member of the Compliance Committee. As a member of the Compliance Committee, he has participated in the oversight of the J.P. Morgan Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance policies and procedures, as well as the appointment and compensation of the J.P. Morgan Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer. The members of the Compliance Committee also oversee the investigation and resolution of any significant compliance incidents. Mr. Ruebeck also serves as a member of the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee.

James J. Schonbachler. Mr. Schonbachler has served on the J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2005 and was a member of the heritage J.P. Morgan Funds Board since 2001. Mr. Schonbachler serves as Chairman of the Audit and Valuation Committee. In connection with his duties to the Audit and Valuation Committee, Mr. Schonbachler has participated in the appointment of the Funds’ independent accountants, the oversight of the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. Mr. Schonbachler also serves as a member of the Fixed Income Committee.

Board Leadership Structure and Oversight

The Board has structured itself in a manner that allows it to effectively perform its oversight function. The Chairman of the Board is an independent Trustee, which allows him to carry out his leadership duties as Chairman with objectivity.

The Board has adopted a committee structure that allows it to effectively perform its oversight function for all of the Funds in the complex. As described under “Qualifications of Trustees” and “Standing Committees,” the Board has six committees: the Audit and Valuation Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Equity Committee, the Fixed Income Committee and the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. The Board has determined that the leadership and committee structure is appropriate for the Funds and allows the Board to effectively and efficiently evaluate issues that impact the Funds as a whole as well as issues that are unique to each Fund.

The Board and the Committees take an active role in risk oversight including the risks associated with registered investment companies including investment risk, compliance and valuation. In addition, in connection with its oversight, the Board receives regular reports from the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), the Advisers, the Administrator, and the internal audit department of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Board also receives periodic reports from the Chief Risk Officer of Investment Management Americas and Alternatives of J.P. Morgan Asset Management1 (“JPMAM”) including reports concerning operational controls that are designed to address market

 

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1 

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the marketing name for the asset management businesses of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Those businesses include, but are not limited to, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., Security Capital Research & Management Incorporated and J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc.


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risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk among others. The Board also receives regular reports from personnel responsible for JPMAM’s business resiliency and disaster recovery.

In addition, the Board and its Committees work on an ongoing basis in fulfilling the oversight function. At each quarterly meeting, each of the Equity Committee, the Fixed Income Committee and the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee meets with representatives of the Advisers as well as an independent consultant to review and evaluate the ongoing performance of the Funds. Each of these three Committees reports these reviews to the full Board. The Audit and Valuation Committee is responsible for oversight of the performance of the Fund’s audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies, assisting the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Advisers, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds, and acting as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. The Compliance Committee is responsible for oversight of the Funds’ compliance with legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and compliance with policy and procedures. The Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, oversight of matters relating to the Funds’ corporate governance obligations, Fund service providers and litigation. At each quarterly meeting, each of the Governance Committee, the Audit and Valuation Committee and the Compliance Committee report their committee proceedings to the full Board. This Committee structure allows the Board to efficiently evaluate a large amount of material and effectively fulfill its oversight function. Annually, the Board considers the efficiency of this committee structure.

Additional information about each of the Committees is included below in “Standing Committees.”

Standing Committees

The Board of Trustees has six standing committees: the Audit and Valuation Committee, the Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Equity Committee, the Fixed Income Committee and the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. The following table shows how often each Committee met for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017:

 

Committee

   Fiscal Year
Ended 2/28/17
 

Audit and Valuation Committee

     4  

Compliance Committee

     4  

Governance Committee

     5  

Equity Committee

     5  

Fixed Income Committee

     5  

Money Market and Alternative Products Committee

     5  

The members of each Committee are set forth below:

 

Name of Committee

  

Members

  

Committee Chair

Audit and Valuation Committee

  

Mr. Schonbachler

Mr. Harrington

Ms. Hughes

Mr. Marshall

Ms. Martinez

   Mr. Schonbachler

Compliance Committee

  

Ms. McCoy

Mr. Kanner

Ms. Pardo

Mr. Ruebeck

   Ms. McCoy

Governance Committee

  

Dr. Goldstein

Mr. Finn

Mr. Merin

Dr. Oden

   Dr. Goldstein

Equity Committee

  

Mr. Finn

Mr. Harrington

Ms. McCoy

   Mr. Finn

 

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Name of Committee

  

Members

  

Committee Chair

Fixed Income Committee

  

Mr. Merin

Ms. Hughes

Dr. Oden

Mr. Schonbachler

   Mr. Merin

Money Market and Alternative Products Committee

  

Ms. Martinez

Ms. Pardo

Mr. Kanner

Mr. Ruebeck

  

Ms. Martinez

Ms. Pardo

Audit and Valuation Committee. The purposes of the Audit and Valuation Committee are to: (i) appoint and determine compensation of the Funds’ independent accountants; (ii) evaluate the independence of the Funds’ independent accountants; (iii) oversee the performance of the Funds’ audit, accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls and valuation policies; (iv) approve non-audit services, as required by the statutes and regulations administered by the SEC, including the 1940 Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; (v) assist the Board in its oversight of the valuation of the Funds’ securities by the Adviser, as well as any sub-adviser; (vi) oversee the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ independent audit and the financial statements of the Funds; and (vii) act as a liaison between the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. The Audit and Valuation Committee has delegated valuation responsibilities to any member of the Committee to respond to inquiries on valuation matters and participate in fair valuation determinations when the Funds’ valuation procedures require Board action, but it is impracticable or impossible to hold a meeting of the entire Board. Prior to November 18, 2009, the Board delegated these valuation responsibilities to a Valuation Sub-Committee of the Audit Committee.

Compliance Committee. The primary purposes of the Compliance Committee are to (i) oversee the Funds’ compliance with legal and regulatory and contractual requirements and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures; and (ii) consider the appointment, compensation and removal of the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer.

Governance Committee. The members of the Governance Committee are each Independent Trustees of the J.P. Morgan Funds. The duties of the Governance Committee include, but are not limited to, (i) selection and nomination of persons for election or appointment as Trustees; (ii) periodic review of the compensation payable to the non-interested Trustees; (iii) establishment of non-interested Trustee expense policies; (iv) periodic review and evaluation of the functioning of the Board and its committees; (v) with respect to the JPMT II Funds, appointment and removal of the Funds’ Senior Officer, and approval of compensation for the Funds’ Senior Officer and retention and compensation of the Senior Officer’s staff and consultants; (vi) selection of independent legal counsel to the non-interested Trustees and legal counsel to the Funds; (vii) oversight of ongoing litigation affecting the Funds, the Adviser or the non-interested Trustees; (viii) oversight of regulatory issues or deficiencies affecting the Funds (except financial matters considered by the Audit Committee) and (ix) oversight and review of matters with respect to service providers to the Funds (except the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm). When evaluating a person as a potential nominee to serve as an Independent Trustee, the Governance Committee may consider, among other factors, (i) whether or not the person is “independent” and whether the person is otherwise qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a Trustee; (ii) whether or not the person is willing to serve, and willing and able to commit the time necessary for the performance of the duties of an Independent Trustee; (iii) the contribution that the person can make to the Board and the J.P. Morgan Funds, with consideration being given to the person’s business experience, education and such other factors as the Committee may consider relevant; (iv) the character and integrity of the person; (v) the desirable personality traits, including independence, leadership and the ability to work with the other members of the Board; and (vi) to the extent consistent with the 1940 Act, such recommendations from management as are deemed appropriate. The process of identifying nominees involves the consideration of candidates recommended by one or more of the following: current Independent Trustees, officers, shareholders and other sources that the Governance Committee deems appropriate. The Governance Committee will review nominees recommended to the Board by shareholders and will evaluate such nominees in the same manner as it evaluates nominees identified by the Governance Committee. Nominee recommendations may be submitted to the Secretary of the Trusts at each Trust’s principal business address.

Equity Committee, Fixed Income Committee and Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. Each member of the Board, other than Dr. Goldstein, serves on one of the following committees: the Equity Committee, the Fixed Income Committee and Money Market and Alternative Products Committee. These three Committees are divided by asset type and different members of the Board serve on each committee with respect to each asset type.

 

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The function of the Committees is to assist the Board in the oversight of the investment management services provided by the Adviser to the Funds, as well as any sub-adviser to the Funds. The primary purpose of each Committee is to (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the investment management services provided by the Adviser to the Funds designated for review by each Committee; and (ii) review and make recommendations to the Board concerning the approval of proposed new or continued advisory and distribution arrangements for the Funds or for new Funds. The full Board may delegate to the applicable Committee from time to time the authority to make Board level decisions on an interim basis when it is impractical to convene a meeting of the full Board. Each of the Committees receives reports concerning investment management topics, concerns or exceptions with respect to particular Funds that the Committee is assigned to oversee, and work to facilitate the understanding by the Board of particular issues related to investment management of Funds reviewed by the applicable Committee.

Trustee Compensation

The Funds of the J.P. Morgan Funds Complex overseen by the Trustees pay each Trustee an annual base fee of $340,000. Committee chairs who are not already receiving an additional fee are each paid $50,000 annually in addition to their base fee, except for the co-chairs (Ms. Martinez and Ms. Pardo) of the Money Market and Alternative Products Committee who receive an additional $25,000 annually. On January 1, 2017, Mr. Marshall was appointed to the position of Director of Strategic and Education Initiatives, for which he receives an additional $50,000 annually. In addition, the Funds pay the Chairman $225,000 annually and reimburse expenses of the Chairman in the amount of $4,000 per month. The Chairman receives no additional compensation for service as committee chair.

 

Name of Trustee

   Intermediate
Bond Trust
     Core Bond
Trust
     Total
Compensation
From Fund
Complex(1)
 

Independent Trustees

        

John F. Finn

   $ 1,683      $ 2,749      $ 390,000  

Dr. Matthew Goldstein

     1,804        3,998        565,000  

Dennis P. Harrington*

                    

Robert J. Higgins**

     1,649        2,392        340,000 (2) 

Frankie D. Hughes

     1,649        2,392        340,000  

Raymond Kanner***

                    

Peter C. Marshall

     1,683        2,749        390,000 (3) 

Mary E. Martinez

     1,649        2,392        340,000  

Marilyn McCoy

     1,683        2,749        390,000 (4) 

Mitchell M. Merin

     1,683        2,749        390,000  

Dr. Robert A. Oden, Jr.

     1,649        2,392        340,000 (5) 

Marian U. Pardo

     1,649        2,392        340,000  

Frederick W. Ruebeck

     1,649        2,392        340,000 (6) 

James J. Schonbachler

     1,683        2,749        390,000 (7) 

 

(1) A Fund Complex means two or more registered investment companies that (i) hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services or (ii) have a common investment adviser or have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. The J.P. Morgan Funds Complex for which the Board of Trustees currently serves includes twelve registered investment companies (153 funds).
(2) Includes $340,000 of Deferred Compensation.
(3) Includes $117,000 of Deferred Compensation.
(4) Includes $319,000 of Deferred Compensation.
(5) Includes $32,833 of Deferred Compensation.
(6) Includes $238,000 of Deferred Compensation.
(7) Includes $273,000 of Deferred Compensation.
* Mr. Harrington became a Trustee of the Trusts, effective 1/1/17.
** Effective 1/1/17, Mr. Higgins is no longer a Trustee of the Trusts.
*** Mr. Kanner became a Trustee of the Trusts, effective 4/7/17.

 

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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, 2016, 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 and principal occupations are shown below. The contact address for each of the officers unless otherwise noted is 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

 

Name (Year of Birth),
Positions Held With
the Funds (Since)

  

Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years

Brian S. Shlissel (1964),

President and Principal Executive Officer (2016)

   Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer for J.P. Morgan pooled vehicles, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) (2014-present); Managing Director and Head of Mutual Fund Services, Allianz Global Investors; President and Chief Executive Officer, Allianz Global Investors Mutual Funds and PIMCO Closed-End Funds (1999-2014).

Laura M. Del Prato (1964),

Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer (2014)*

   Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) since 2014; Partner, Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd. (2012–2013); Partner (2004–2012) and various other titles (1990–2004) at KPMG, LLP.

Frank J. Nasta (1964),

Secretary (2009)

   Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since 2008.
Stephen M. Ungerman (1953), Chief Compliance Officer (2005)    Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Mr. Ungerman has been with JPMorgan Chase & Co. since 2000.
Elizabeth A. Davin (1964), Assistant Secretary (2005)*    Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since February 2012; formerly Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase from 2005 until February 2012; Senior Counsel JPMorgan Chase (formerly Bank One Corporation) from 2004 to 2005.
Jessica K. Ditullio (1962), Assistant Secretary (2009)*    Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since February 2011; Ms. Ditullio has served as an attorney with various titles for JPMorgan Chase (formerly Bank One Corporation) since 1990.

John T. Fitzgerald (1975),

Assistant Secretary (2008)

   Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since February 2011; formerly, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase from 2005 until February 2011.
Carmine Lekstutis (1980), Assistant Secretary (2011)    Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since February 2015; formerly Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase from 2011 to February 2015; Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) from 2006 to 2011.

Gregory S. Samuels (1980),

Assistant Secretary (2010)

   Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since February 2014; formerly Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase from 2010 to February 2014.

Pamela L. Woodley (1971),

Assistant Secretary (2012)

   Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since November 2004.
Zachary E. Vonnegut-Gabovitch (1986), Assistant Secretary (2017)    Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase since September 2016; Associate, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (law firm) from 2012 to 2016.

 

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Name (Year of Birth),
Positions Held With
the Funds (Since)

  

Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years

Michael M. D’Ambrosio (1969), Assistant Treasurer (2012)    Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) since May 2014; Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) from 2012 to May 2014; prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Mr. D’Ambrosio was a Tax Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP since 2006.

Joseph Parascondola (1963),

Assistant Treasurer (2011)**

   Vice President, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) since August 2006.

Matthew J. Plastina (1970),

Assistant Treasurer (2011)**

  

Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) since February 2016, Vice President, JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. from 2010 to January 2016. 

Julie A. Roach (1971),

Assistant Treasurer (2012)*

   Vice President, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) from August 2012; prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Ms. Roach was a Senior Manager with Deloitte since 2001.
Gillian I. Sands (1969),
Assistant Treasurer (2012)**
   Vice President, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (formerly JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc.) from September 2012; Assistant Treasurer, Wells Fargo Funds Management (2007–2009).

 

* The contact address for the officer is 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240.
** The contact address for the officer is 4 New York Plaza, Floor 21, New York, NY 10004.

As of December 31, 2016, the officers and Trustees as a group owned less than 1% of the shares of each Fund.

THE ADVISER

The Trust has retained J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“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, (the “Advisers Act”). 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.

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. The Funds are managed by employees of JPMIM who, in acting for their customers, including the Funds, do not discuss their investment decisions with any personnel of JPMorgan Chase or any personnel of other divisions of JPMIM or with any of their affiliated persons, with the exception of certain other investment management affiliates of JPMorgan Chase which execute transactions on behalf of the Funds.

 

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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 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: 0.07% of the average daily net assets of the JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust and 0.12% of the average daily net assets of the JPMorgan Core Bond Trust, for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017.

For the fiscal year ended as indicated, the operational Funds of the Trust paid the following investment advisory fees to JPMIM (waived amounts in parentheses), (amounts in thousands) as follows:

 

       Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2015
     Fiscal Year Ended
February 29, 2016
     Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2017
 

Fund

     Paid        Waived      Paid        Waived      Paid        Waived  

Core Bond Trust

     $ 4,635        $ (7,181    $ 5,429        $ (7,671    $ 4,829        $ (6,549

Intermediate Bond Trust

       232          (804      372          (969      199          (757

Other Accounts Managed by the Funds’ Portfolio Managers*.

The following table shows information regarding all of the other accounts for which advisory fees are not based on the performance of the accounts that are managed by each portfolio manager as of February 28, 2017:

 

     Non-Performance Based Fee Advisory Accounts  
     Registered Investment
Companies
     Other Pooled Investment
Vehicles
     Other Accounts  
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
 

Core Bond Trust

                 

Barbara Miller

     9      $ 40,176,560        2      $ 9,297,399        11      $ 671,676  

Richard Figuly

     12        44,938,537        16        3,987,183        17        4,984,163  

Intermediate Bond Trust

                 

Scott Grimshaw

     3        547,919        2        2,158,020        20        2,571,555  

Peter Simons

     12        42,037,237        5        10,350,640        42        9,672,854  

The following table shows information on the other accounts managed by each portfolio manager that have advisory fees wholly or partly based on performance as of February 28, 2017:

 

     Performance Based Fee Advisory Accounts  
     Registered Investment
Companies
     Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
     Other Accounts  
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
     Number
of
Accounts
     Total Assets
($thousands)
 

Core Bond Trust

                 

Barbara Miller

     0        $    0        0      $     0        0      $ 0  

Richard Figuly

     0        0        0        0        1        1,005,108  

Intermediate Bond Trust

                 

Scott Grimshaw

     0        0        0        0        0        0  

Peter Simons

     0        0        0        0        1        53,713  

 

* The total value and number of accounts managed by a portfolio manager may include sub-accounts of asset allocation, multi-managed and other accounts.

 

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Potential Conflicts of Interest

JPMIM1

JPMIM and/or its affiliates (the “Affiliates” and, together, “JPMorgan”) provide an array of discretionary and non-discretionary investment management services and products to institutional clients and individual investors. In addition, JPMorgan is a diversified financial services firm that provides a broad range of services and products to its clients and is a major participant in the global currency, equity, commodity, fixed-income and other markets in which a Fund invests or will invest. Investors should carefully review the following, which describes potential and actual conflicts of interest that JPMorgan can face in the operation of its investment management services. JPMorgan and the Funds have adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to appropriately prevent, limit or mitigate the conflicts of interest described below. In addition, many of the activities that create these conflicts of interest are limited and/or prohibited by law, unless an exception is available.

This section is not, and is not intended to be, a complete enumeration or explanation of all of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise. Additional information about potential conflicts of interest regarding JPMIM and JPMorgan is set forth in JPMIM’s Form ADV. A copy of Part 1 and Part 2A of JPMIM’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).

Acting for Multiple Clients. In general, JPMIM faces conflicts of interest when it renders investment advisory services to several clients and, from time to time, provides dissimilar investment advice to different clients. For example, when funds or accounts managed by JPMIM (“Other Accounts”) engage in short sales of the same securities held by a Fund, JPMIM could be seen as harming the performance of a Fund for the benefit of the Other Accounts engaging in short sales, if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall. In addition, a conflict could arise when one or more Other Accounts invest in different instruments or classes of securities of the same issuer than those in which a Fund invests. In certain circumstances, Other Accounts have different investment objectives or could pursue or enforce rights with respect to a particular issuer in which a Fund has also invested and these activities could have an adverse effect on the Fund. For example, if a Fund holds debt instruments of an issuer and an Other Account holds equity securities of the same issuer, then if the issuer experiences financial or operational challenges, the Fund (which holds the debt instrument) may seek a liquidation of the issuer, whereas the Other Account (which holds the equity securities) may prefer a reorganization of the issuer. In addition, an issuer in which the Fund invests may use the proceeds of the Fund’s investment to refinance or reorganize its capital structure which could result in repayment of debt held by JPMorgan or an Other Account. If the issuer performs poorly following such refinancing or reorganization, the Fund’s results will suffer whereas the Other Account’s performance will not be affected because the Other Account no longer has an investment in the issuer. Conflicts are magnified with respect to issuers that become insolvent. It is possible that in connection with an insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, or similar proceeding, a Fund will be limited (by applicable law, courts or otherwise) in the positions or actions it will be permitted to take due to other interests held or actions or positions taken by JPMorgan or Other Accounts.

Positions taken by Other Accounts may also dilute or otherwise negatively affect the values, prices or investment strategies associated with positions held by a Fund. For example, this may occur when investment decisions for the Fund are based on research or other information that is also used to support portfolio decisions by JPMIM for Other Accounts following different investment strategies or by Affiliates in managing their clients’ accounts. When an Other Account or an account managed by an Affiliate implements a portfolio decision or strategy ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar portfolio decisions or strategies for a Fund (whether or not the portfolio decisions emanate from the same research analysis or other information), market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in the Fund receiving less favorable investment results, and the costs of implementing such portfolio decisions or strategies could be increased or the Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged.

Investment opportunities that are appropriate for a Fund may also be appropriate for Other Accounts and there is no assurance the Fund will receive an allocation of all or a portion of those investments it wishes to pursue. JPMIM’s management of an Other Account that pays it a performance fee or a higher management fee and follows the same or similar strategy as a Fund or invests in substantially similar assets as a Fund, creates an incentive for JPMIM to favor the account paying it the potentially higher fee, e.g., in placing securities trades.

 

1 

The affiliates of JPMIM that act as investment adviser or sub-adviser to a fund or funds in the JPMorgan family of mutual funds (a “JPMorgan Fund” or “JPMorgan Funds”)—Security Capital Research & Management Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc., JF International Management, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Private Investments Inc.—will also face some or all of the conflicts of interest described in this section. References to JPMIM should be read to apply to these other advisers for a JPMorgan Fund advised or sub-advised by such other adviser.

 

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JPMIM and its Affiliates, and any of their directors, officers or employees, also buy, sell, or trade securities for their own accounts or the proprietary accounts of JPMIM and/or an Affiliate. JPMIM or its Affiliates, within their discretion, may make different investment decisions and take other actions with respect to their own proprietary accounts than those made for client accounts, including the timing or nature of such investment decisions or actions. Further, JPMIM is not required to purchase or sell for any client account securities that it, an Affiliate or any of its or their employees may purchase or sell for their own accounts or the proprietary accounts of JPMIM or an Affiliate or its clients. JPMIM, its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers and employees face a conflict of interest as they will have income or other incentives to favor their own accounts or proprietary accounts.

The portfolio managers of certain JPMorgan Funds-of-Funds have access to the holdings and may have knowledge of the investment strategies and techniques of certain underlying JPMorgan Funds because they are portfolio managers of separately managed accounts following similar strategies as a JPMorgan Fund-of-Funds. They therefore face conflicts of interest in the timing and amount of allocations to an underlying JPMorgan Fund, as well as in the choice of an underlying fund. JPMorgan also faces conflicts of interest when waiving certain fees if those waivers enhance performance.

The chart in this Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement entitled “Other Accounts Managed by the Funds’ Portfolio Managers” shows the number, type and market value as of a specified date of the accounts and other Funds managed by each Fund’s portfolio managers.

Acting in Multiple Commercial Capacities. JPMorgan is a diversified financial services firm that provides a broad range of services and products to its clients and is a major participant in the equity, fixed-income and other markets in which a Fund invests or may invest. JPMorgan is typically entitled to compensation in connection with these activities and the Funds will not be entitled to any such compensation. In providing services and products to clients other than the Funds, JPMorgan, from time to time, faces conflicts of interest with respect to activities recommended to or performed for a Fund on one hand and for JPMorgan’s other clients on the other hand. For example, JPMorgan has, and continues to seek to develop, banking and other financial and advisory relationships with numerous U.S. and non-U.S. persons and governments. JPMorgan also advises and represents potential buyers and sellers of businesses worldwide. The Funds have invested in, or may wish to invest in, such entities represented by JPMorgan or with which JPMorgan has a banking or other financial relationship. In addition, certain clients of JPMorgan may invest in entities in which JPMorgan holds an interest, including a Fund. In providing services to its clients, JPMorgan from time to time recommends activities that compete with or otherwise adversely affect a Fund or the Fund’s investments. It should be recognized that such relationships may also preclude the Fund from engaging in certain transactions and may constrain the Fund’s investment flexibility. For example, Affiliates that are broker dealers cannot deal with the Funds as principal in the purchase and sale of securities unless an exemptive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC. Certain of the Funds have received exemptive orders permitting the Funds to engage in principal transactions with Affiliates involving taxable and tax exempt money market instruments. However, for the purchase and sale of longer term fixed income securities, which are generally principal transactions, the Funds cannot use broker dealer Affiliates. Or, if an Affiliate is the sole underwriter of an initial or secondary offering, the Funds could not purchase in the offering. In both cases the number of securities and counterparties available to the Funds will be fewer than are available to mutual funds that are not affiliated with major broker dealers.

JPMorgan derives ancillary benefits from providing investment advisory, custody, administration, fund accounting and other services to the Funds, and providing such services to the Funds may enhance JPMorgan’s relationships with various parties, facilitate additional business development and enable JPMorgan to obtain additional business and generate additional revenue.

Participations Adverse to the Funds. JPMorgan’s participation in certain markets or its actions for certain clients may also restrict or affect a Fund’s ability to transact in those markets and JPMorgan may face conflicts with respect to the interests involved. For example, when a Fund and another JPMorgan client invest in different parts of an issuer’s capital structure, decisions over whether to trigger an event of default, over the terms of any workout, or how to exit an investment implicate conflicts of interest. See also “Acting for Multiple Clients”.

Preferential Treatment. JPMIM receives more compensation with respect to certain Funds or Other Accounts than it receives with respect to a Fund, or receives compensation based in part on the performance of certain accounts. This creates a conflict of interest for JPMIM and its portfolio managers by providing an incentive to favor those accounts. Actual or potential conflicts of interest also arise when a portfolio manager has management responsibilities to more than one account or Fund, such as devotion of unequal time and attention to the management of the Funds or accounts.

 

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Allocation and Aggregation. Potential conflicts of interest also arise with both the aggregation of trade orders and allocation of securities transactions or investment opportunities. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially filled due to limited availability, and allocation of investment opportunities raise a potential conflict of interest because JPMorgan has an incentive to allocate trades or investment opportunities to certain accounts or Funds. For example, JPMorgan has an incentive to cause accounts it manages to participate in an offering where such participation could increase JPMorgan’s overall allocation of securities in that offering. When JPMorgan serves as adviser to the JPMorgan Funds, as well as certain JPMorgan Funds-of-Funds, it faces certain potential conflicts of interest when allocating the assets of the JPMorgan Funds-of-Funds among its underlying JPMorgan Funds. For example, JPMorgan has an incentive to allocate assets of the JPMorgan Fund-of-Funds to seed a new JPMorgan Fund or to allocate to an underlying JPMorgan Fund that is small, pays higher fees to JPMorgan or to which JPMorgan has provided seed capital.

Overall Position Limits. Potential conflicts of interest also exist when JPMorgan maintains certain overall investment limitations on positions in securities or other financial instruments due to, among other things, investment restrictions imposed upon JPMorgan by law, regulation, contract or internal policies. These limitations have precluded and, in the future could preclude, a Fund from purchasing particular securities or financial instruments, even if the securities or financial instruments would otherwise meet the Fund’s objectives. For example, there are limits on the aggregate amount of investments by affiliated investors in certain types of securities that may not be exceeded without additional regulatory or corporate consent. There also are limits on the writing of options by a Fund that could be triggered based on the number of options written by JPMIM on behalf of other investment advisory clients. If certain aggregate ownership thresholds are reached or certain transactions are undertaken, the ability of a Fund to purchase or dispose of investments, or exercise rights or undertake business transactions, will be restricted.

Soft Dollars. JPMIM pays certain broker-dealers with “soft” or commission dollars generated by client brokerage transactions in exchange for access to statistical information and other research services. JPMIM faces conflicts of interest because the statistical information and other research services may benefit certain other clients of JPMIM more than a Fund and can be used in connection with the management of accounts other than the accounts whose trades generated the commissions.

Additionally, when JPMIM uses client brokerage commissions to obtain statistical information and other research services, JPMIM receives a benefit because it does not have to produce or pay for the information or other research services itself. As a result, JPMIM may have an incentive to select a particular broker-dealer in order to obtain such information and other research services from that broker-dealer, rather than to obtain the lowest price for execution.

Redemptions. JPMorgan, as a seed investor, JPMorgan Funds of Funds and JPMorgan on behalf of its discretionary clients have significant ownership in certain JPMorgan Funds. JPMorgan faces conflicts of interest when considering the effect of redemptions on such JPMorgan Funds and on other shareholders in deciding whether and when to redeem its shares. A large redemption of shares by JPMorgan, by a JPMorgan Fund of Funds or by JPMorgan acting on behalf of its discretionary clients could result in the JPMorgan Fund selling securities when it otherwise would not have done so, accelerating the realization of capital gains and increasing transaction costs. A large redemption could significantly reduce the assets of a JPMorgan Fund, causing decreased liquidity and, depending on any applicable expense caps, a higher expense ratio.

Affiliated Transactions. The Funds are subject to conflicts of interest if they engage in principal or agency transactions with other Funds or with JPMorgan. To the extent permitted by law, the Funds can enter into transactions in which JPMorgan acts as principal on its own behalf (principal transactions), advises both sides of a transaction (cross transactions) and acts as broker for, and receives a commission from, the Funds (agency transactions). Principal and agency transactions create the opportunity for JPMorgan to engage in self-dealing. JPMorgan faces a conflict of interest when it engages in a principal or agency transaction on behalf of a Fund, because such transactions result in additional compensation to JPMorgan. JPMorgan faces a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to the parties in these transactions.

In addition, Affiliates of JPMIM have direct or indirect interests in electronic communication networks and alternative trading systems (collectively “ECNs”). JPMIM, in accordance with its fiduciary obligation to seek to obtain best execution, from time to time executes client trades through ECNs in which an Affiliate has, or may acquire, an interest. In such case, the Affiliate will be indirectly compensated based upon its ownership percentage in relation to the transaction fees charged by the ECNs.

 

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JPMorgan also faces conflicts of interest if a Fund purchases securities during the existence of an underwriting syndicate for such securities, of which JPMorgan is a member because JPMorgan typically receives fees for certain services that it provides to the syndicate and, in certain cases, will be relieved directly or indirectly of certain financial obligations as a result of a Fund’s purchase of securities.

Affiliated Service Providers. JPMorgan faces conflicts of interest when the Funds use service providers affiliated with JPMorgan because JPMorgan receives greater overall fees when they are used. Affiliates provide investment advisory, custody, administration and fund accounting to the Funds for which they are compensated by the Funds. Similarly, JPMIM faces a conflict of interest if it decides to use or negotiate the terms of a credit facility for a Fund if the facility is provided by an Affiliate. In addition, in selecting actively managed underlying funds for JPMorgan Funds of Funds, JPMIM limits its selection to JPMorgan Funds. JPMIM does not consider or canvass the universe of unaffiliated investment companies available, even though there may be unaffiliated investment companies that may be more appropriate for the JPMorgan Fund of Funds or that have superior returns. The JPMorgan affiliates providing services to the JPMorgan Funds benefit from additional fees when a JPMorgan Fund is included as an underlying JPMorgan Fund in a JPMorgan Fund of Funds.

Proxy Voting. Potential conflicts of interest can arise when JPMIM votes proxies for securities held by a Fund. A conflict is deemed to exist when the proxy is for JPMorgan Chase & Co. stock or for J.P. Morgan Funds, or when the proxy administrator has actual knowledge indicating that an Affiliate is an investment banker or rendered a fairness opinion with respect to the matter that is the subject of the proxy vote. When such conflicts are identified, the proxy will be voted by an independent third party either in accordance with JPMIM’s proxy voting guidelines or by the third party using its own guidelines. Potential conflicts of interest can arise when JPMIM invests Fund assets in securities of companies that are also clients of JPMIM or that have material business relationships with JPMIM or an Affiliate and a vote against management could harm or otherwise affect JPMIM’s or the Affiliate’s business relationship with that company. See the Proxy Voting section in this Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

Lending. JPMorgan faces conflicts of interest with respect to interfund lending or the JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. credit facility, which could harm the lending or the borrowing Fund if JPMorgan favors one Fund’s or JPMorgan’s interests over those of another Fund. If a Fund engages in securities lending transactions, JPMIM faces a conflict of interest when a JPMIM affiliate operates as a service provider in the securities lending transaction or otherwise receives compensation as part of the securities lending activities.

Personal Trading. JPMorgan and any of its directors, officers, agents or employees, face conflicts of interest when transacting in securities for their own accounts because they could benefit by trading in the same securities as a Fund, which could have an adverse effect on a Fund.

Valuation. JPMIM acting in its capacity as the Funds’ administrator is the primary valuation agent of the Funds. JPMIM values securities and assets in the Funds according to the Funds’ valuation policies. From time to time JPMIM will value an asset differently than an Affiliate values the identical asset, including because the Affiliate has information regarding valuation techniques and models or other information that it does not share with JPMIM. This arises particularly in connection with 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 (e.g., startup companies) and which are fair valued. JPMIM will also face a conflict with respect to valuations as they affect the amount of JPMIM’s compensation as investment adviser and administrator.

Information Access. As a result of JPMorgan’s various other businesses, Affiliates, from time to time, comes into possession of information about certain markets and investments which, if known to JPMIM, could cause JPMIM to seek to dispose of, retain or increase interests in investments held by a Fund or acquire certain positions on behalf of a Fund. However, JPMorgan’s internal information barriers restrict JPMIM’s ability to access such information even when it would be relevant to its management of the Funds. Such Affiliates can trade differently from the Funds potentially based on information not available to JPMIM. If JPMIM acquires or is deemed to acquire material non-public information regarding an issuer, JPMIM will be restricted from purchasing or selling securities of that issuer for its clients, including a Fund, until the information has been publicly disclosed or is no longer deemed material. (Such an issuer could include an underlying JPMorgan Fund in a JPMorgan Fund-of-Funds.)

Gifts and Entertainment. From time to time, employees of JPMIM receive gifts and/or entertainment from clients, intermediaries, or service providers to the Funds or JPMIM, which could have the appearance of affecting or may potentially affect the judgment of the employees, or the manner in which they conduct business.

 

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Portfolio Manager Compensation

JPMorgan’s portfolio managers participate in a competitive compensation program that is designed to attract, retain and motivate talented people and closely link the performance of investment professionals to client investment objectives. JPMorgan manages compensation on a total compensation basis, the components being base salary fixed from year to year and a variable discretionary incentive award. Base salaries are reviewed annually and awarded based on individual performance and business results taking into account level and scope of position, experience and market competitiveness. The variable discretionary performance based incentive award consists of cash incentives and deferred compensation which includes mandatory notional investments (as described below) in selected mutual funds advised by JPMorgan or its affiliates (“Mandatory Investment Plan”). These elements reflect individual performance and the performance of JPMorgan’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 risk and return objectives, and adherence with JPMorgan’s compliance, risk and regulatory procedures. In evaluating each portfolio manager’s performance with respect to the mutual funds he or she manages, the pre-tax performance of the funds (or the portion of the funds managed by the portfolio manager) is compared to the appropriate market peer group and to competitive indices JPMorgan has identified for the investment strategy over one, three and five year periods (or such shorter time as the portfolio manager has managed the funds). Investment performance is generally more heavily weighted to the long-term.

Deferred compensation granted as part of an employee’s annual incentive compensation comprises from 0% to 60% of a portfolio manager’s total performance based incentive. As the level of incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in deferred incentives also increases. JPMorgan’s portfolio managers are required to notionally invest a certain percentage of their deferred compensation (typically 20% to 50% depending on the level of compensation) into the selected funds they manage. The remaining portion of the non-cash incentive is elective and may be notionally invested in any of the other mutual funds available in the Mandatory Investment Plan or will take the form of a JPMorgan restricted stock unit award. 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 or shares of JPMorgan Common Stock.

In evaluating each portfolio manager’s performance with respect to the mutual funds he or she manages, the Adviser uses the following indices as benchmarks to evaluate the performance of the portfolio manager identified below with respect to the Funds:

 

Name of Fund

   Benchmark

Core Bond Trust

   Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index

Intermediate Bond Trust

   Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate U.S. Government/
Credit Index

Ownership of Securities

The following table indicates for each Fund the dollar range of shares beneficially owned by each Fund’s portfolio managers as of February 28, 2017. 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

   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

                    

Barbara Miller

     X                    

Richard Figuly

     X                    

Intermediate Bond Trust

                    

Scott Grimshaw

     X                    

Peter Simons

     X                    

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust and JPMIM have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act with respect to JPMIM. 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,

 

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however, are subject to procedures reasonably necessary to prevent access persons from engaging in any unlawful conduct set forth in Rule 17j-1.

The Trust’s code of ethics includes policies which require “access persons” (as defined in Rule 17j-1) to: (i) place the interest of Trust shareholders first; (ii) conduct personal securities transactions in a manner that avoids any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of a position of trust and responsibility; and (iii) refrain from taking inappropriate advantage of his or her position with the Trust or a Fund. The Trust’s code of ethics prohibits any access person from: (i) employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Trust or a Fund; (ii) making to the Trust or a Fund any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to the Trust or a Fund a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; (iii) engaging in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Trust or a Fund; or (iv) engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to the Trust or a Fund. The Trust’s code of ethics permits personnel subject to the code to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund so long as such investment transactions are not in contravention of the above noted policies and prohibitions.

The code of ethics adopted by the Adviser requires that all employees must: (i) place the interest of the accounts which are managed by the Adviser first; (ii) conduct all personal securities transactions in a manner that is consistent with the code of ethics and the individual employee’s position of trust and responsibility; and (iii) refrain from taking inappropriate advantage of their position. Employees of the Adviser are also prohibited from certain mutual fund trading activity including excessive trading of shares of a mutual fund as described in the applicable Fund’s Confidential Offering Memorandum or Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement and effecting or facilitating a mutual fund transaction to engage in market timing. The Adviser’s code of ethics permits personnel subject to the code to invest in securities including securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund subject to certain restrictions. However, all employees are required to preclear securities trades (except for certain types of securities such as non-proprietary mutual fund shares and U.S. government securities). Each of the Adviser’s affiliated sub-advisers has also adopted the code of ethics described above.

Portfolio Transactions

Investment Decisions and 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. JPMIM operates independently in providing services to their respective clients. Investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular client involved. Thus, for example, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain clients even though it could have been bought or sold for other clients at the same time. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. In some instances, one client may sell a particular security to another client. It also happens that two or more clients may simultaneously buy or sell the same security, in which event each day’s transactions in such security are, insofar as possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such clients in a manner which in the opinion of JPMIM is equitable to each and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each. There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more clients will have an adverse effect on other clients.

Brokerage and Research Services. On behalf of the Funds, JPMIM places orders for all purchases and sales of portfolio securities, enters into repurchase agreements, and may enter into reverse repurchase agreements and execute loans of portfolio securities on behalf of a Fund unless otherwise prohibited.

Fixed income and debt securities and municipal bonds and notes are generally traded at a net price with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission. The price of the security usually includes profit to the dealers. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price, which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. Transactions on stock exchanges (other than foreign stock exchanges) involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions vary among different brokers. Also, a particular broker may charge different commissions according to such factors as the difficulty and size of the transaction. Transactions in foreign securities generally involve payment of fixed brokerage commissions, which are generally higher than those in the U.S. On occasion, certain securities may be purchased directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.

In connection with portfolio transactions, the overriding objective is to obtain the best execution of purchase and sales orders. In making this determination, the Adviser considers a number of factors including, but not limited

 

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to: the price per unit of the security, the broker’s execution capabilities, the commissions charged, the broker’s reliability for prompt, accurate confirmations and on-time delivery of securities, the broker-dealer firm’s financial condition, the broker’s ability to provide access to public offerings, as well as the quality of research services provided. As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act, JPMIM may cause the Funds to pay a broker-dealer which provides brokerage and research services to JPMIM, or the Funds and/or other accounts for which JPMIM exercises investment discretion an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction for a Fund in excess of the amount other broker-dealers would have charged for the transaction if JPMIM determines in good faith that the greater commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the executing broker-dealer viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or JPMIM’s overall responsibilities to accounts over which it exercises investment discretion. Not all of such services are useful or of value in advising the Funds. JPMIM reports to the Board of Trustees regarding overall commissions paid by the Funds and their reasonableness in relation to the benefits to the Funds. In accordance with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act and consistent with applicable SEC guidance and interpretation, the term “brokerage and research services” includes (i) advice as to the value of securities; (ii) the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities; (iii) the availability of securities or of purchasers or sellers of securities; (iv) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issues, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts; and (v) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody) or required by rule or regulation in connection with such transactions.

Brokerage and research services received from such broker-dealers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by an Adviser under the Advisory Agreement (or with respect to a Sub-Adviser, under the sub-advisory agreement). The fees that the Funds pay to JPMIM are not reduced as a consequence of JPMIM’s receipt of brokerage and research services. To the extent the Funds’ portfolio transactions are used to obtain such services, the brokerage commissions paid by the Funds may exceed those that might otherwise be paid by an amount that cannot be presently determined. Such services generally would be useful and of value to JPMIM in serving one or more of its other clients and, conversely, such services obtained by the placement of brokerage business of other clients generally would be useful to JPMIM in carrying out its obligations to the Funds. While such services are not expected to reduce the expenses of JPMIM, JPMIM would, through use of the services, avoid the additional expenses that would be incurred if it should attempt to develop comparable information through its own staff.

Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best execution of orders, JPMIM may allocate a portion of a Fund’s brokerage transactions to affiliates of JPMIM. Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with a Fund and persons who are affiliated with such persons are prohibited from dealing with the Fund as principal in the purchase and sale of securities unless an exemptive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC. The SEC has granted exemptive orders permitting each Fund to engage in principal transactions with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, an affiliated broker, involving taxable and tax exempt money market instruments (including commercial paper, banker acceptances and medium term notes) and repurchase agreements. The orders are subject to certain conditions. An affiliated person of a Fund may serve as its broker in listed or over-the-counter transactions conducted on an agency basis provided that, among other things, the fee or commission received by such affiliated broker is reasonable and fair compared to the fee or commission received by non-affiliated brokers in connection with comparable transactions.

In addition, a Fund may not purchase securities during the existence of any underwriting syndicate for such securities of which JPMorgan Chase Bank or an affiliate is a member or in a private placement in which JPMorgan Chase Bank or an affiliate serves as placement agent, except pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees that either comply with rules adopted by the SEC or with interpretations of the SEC’s staff. Each Fund expects to purchase securities from underwriting syndicates of which certain affiliates of JPMorgan Chase act as a member or manager. Such purchases will be effected in accordance with the conditions set forth in Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act and related procedures adopted by the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of a Fund. Among the conditions are that the issuer of any purchased securities will have been in operation for at least three years, that not more than 25% of the underwriting will be purchased by a Fund and all other accounts over which the same investment adviser has discretion, and that no shares will be purchased from JPMDS or any of its affiliates.

On those occasions when JPMIM deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as other customers, including other Funds, JPMIM, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but is not obligated to, aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for a Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other customers in order to obtain best execution, including lower brokerage commissions if

 

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appropriate. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold as well as any expenses incurred in the transaction will be made by JPMIM in the manner it considers to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to its customers, including the Funds. In some instances, the allocation procedure might not permit a Fund to participate in the benefits of the aggregated trade.

If a Fund that writes options effects a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option written by it, normally such transaction will be executed by the same broker-dealer who executed the sale of the option. The writing of options by a Fund will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of options in each class which may be written by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. The number of options that a Fund may write may be affected by options written by JPMIM for other investment advisory clients. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.

Allocation of transactions, including their frequency, to various broker-dealers is determined by a Fund’s Adviser based on its best judgment and in a manner deemed fair and reasonable to Shareholders and consistent with the Adviser’s obligation to obtain the best execution of purchase and sales orders. In making this determination, the Adviser considers the same factors for the best execution of purchase and sales orders listed above. Accordingly, in selecting broker-dealers to execute a particular transaction, and in evaluating the best overall terms available, a Fund’s Adviser is authorized to consider the brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act) provided to the Funds and/or other accounts over which a Fund’s Adviser exercises investment discretion. A Fund’s Adviser 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 a Fund’s Adviser 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 a Fund’s Adviser to the Funds. To the extent such services are permissible under the safe harbor requirements of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act and consistent with applicable SEC guidance and interpretation, such brokerage and research services might consist of advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities, the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts, market data, stock quotes, last sale prices, and trading volumes. Shareholders of the Funds should understand that the services provided by such brokers may be useful to a Fund’s Adviser in connection with its services to other clients and not all the services may be used by JPMIM in connection with the Fund.

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, 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 provide lawful and appropriate assistance in the performance of the investment decision-making process. These services include third party research, market data services, and proprietary broker-dealer research. The Funds receive proprietary research where broker-dealers typically incorporate the cost of such research into their commission structure. Many brokers do not assign a hard dollar value to the research they provide, but rather bundle the cost of such research into their commission structure. It is noted in this regard that some research that is available only under a bundled commission structure is particularly important to the investment process. For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017, with respect to the Funds, JPMIM did not allocate any funds for brokerage commissions to brokers who provided broker research. The Funds do not participate in soft dollar arrangements for market data services and third-party research.

Investment decisions for each Fund are made independently from those for the other Funds or any other investment company or account managed by an Adviser. Any such other investment company or account 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 JPMIM of the given Fund believes to be equitable to the Fund 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. 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

 

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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.

For the fiscal year ended as indicated, the Funds of the Trust that paid brokerage commissions and the amounts paid for such period were as follows:

BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

 

Funds

     Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2015
       Fiscal Year Ended
February 29, 2016
       Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2017
 

Core Bond Trust

     $        $        $  

Intermediate Bond Trust

                          

During the last fiscal year, JPMIM utilized JPMorgan Securities, Inc. (“JPMSI”) to execute portfolio transactions for the Funds.

As of February 28, 2017, the 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.      $ 3,510  
     Banc of America Securities LLC        808  
     Bank of America Corporation        29,455  
     Barclays Inc.        5,400  
     Citigroup Global Markets Inc.        14,712  
     Credit Suisse First Boston LLC        5,235  
     Deutsche Bank AG        3,017  
     Goldman Sachs and Company        21,834  
     HSBC Securities Inc.        12,223  
     Morgan Stanley        19,046  
     Royal Bank of Scotland Group        789  
     UBS Financial Services Inc.        1,548  

Intermediate Bond Trust

     Bank of America Corporation        954  
     Barclays Inc.        319  
     Citigroup Global Markets Inc.        209  
     Deutsche Bank AG        419  
     Goldman Sachs and Company        354  
     HSBC Securities Inc.        708  
     Morgan Stanley        1,103  

 

* Investment in an affiliate. This security is included in an index in which the Fund, as an index fund, invests.

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.

 

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Administrator

JPMIM serves as administrator for the Trust (the “Administrator”) pursuant to an administration agreement (“Administration Agreement”).

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

If not terminated, the Administration Agreement between the Trust and the Administrator will continues in effect for annual periods beyond October 31, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of those members of the Board of Trustees who are not parties to the Administration Agreement or interested persons of any such party. The Administration Agreement may be terminated without penalty, on not less than 60 days’ prior written notice, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by JPMIM. The termination of the Administration Agreement with respect to one Fund will not result in the termination of the Administration Agreement with respect to any other Fund.

J.P. Morgan Investor Services, Co (“JPMIS”) serves as the Funds’ sub-administrator. For its services as sub-administrator, JPMIS receives a portion of the fees payable to the Administrator.

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

(amounts 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 (0.10%) of the aggregate daily net assets of all the Funds. The Trust paid fees for administrative services to J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., as Administrator for the fiscal year ended as indicated (waived amounts in parentheses) as follows:

 

       Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2015
     Fiscal Year Ended
February 29, 2016
     Fiscal Year Ended
February 28, 2017
 

Funds

     Paid        Waived      Paid        Waived      Paid        Waived  

Core Bond Trust

     $ 337        $ (3,602    $        $ (4,367    $        $ (3,793

Intermediate Bond Trust

       28          (317               (447               (319

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 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, and is a broker-dealer and member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

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 less 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 by the Trustees of the Trust, including by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act). If the

 

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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 the Amended and Restated Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, JPMorgan Chase Bank 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 is an affiliate of JPMIM.

With respect to fund accounting services, the following schedule shall be employed in the calculation of the fees payable for the services provided under the JPMorgan Custody Agreement. For purposes of determining the asset levels at which a Tier applies, assets for that fund type across the entire J.P. Morgan Funds Complex (which shall be defined to include any 1940 Act fund, commingled funds or Rule 3c-7 fund which is advised or subadvised by an entity which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co.) shall be used.

U.S. Fixed Income Funds:

0.0040% of the first $25 billion

0.0025% on the next $35 billion

0.0020% for such assets over $60 billion

The minimum total annual fund accounting charge per U.S. Fixed Income Funds is $25,000.

For custodian services, each Fund pays to JPMorgan Chase Bank annual safekeeping fees of between 0.0006% and 0.35% of the assets held by the JPMorgan Chase Bank (depending on the domicile in which the asset is held), calculated monthly in arrears and fees between $2.50 and $80 for securities trades (depending on the domicile in which the trade is settled), as well as transaction fees on certain activities of $2.50 to $20 per transaction. JPMorgan Chase Bank is also reimbursed for its reasonable out-of-pocket or incidental expenses, including, but not limited to, registration and transfer fees and related legal fees.

JPMorgan Chase Bank also is paid $15, $35 or $60 per proxy (depending on the country where the issuer is located) for its service which helps facilitate the voting of proxies throughout the world.

In addition, JPMorgan Chase Bank provides derivative servicing with respect to swaps, swaptions and bond and currency options. The fees for these services include a transaction fee of up to $40 per new contract, a fee of up to $10 per contract amendment (including transactions such as trade amendments, cancellations, terminations, novations, option exercise, option expiries, maturities or credit events) and a daily fee of up to $0.40 per contract per day for position management services.

Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”), 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA 02169, 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.

Securities Lending Agent

To generate additional income, certain Funds may lend up to 33 1/3% of their total assets pursuant to agreements (“Borrower Agreements”) requiring that the loan be continuously secured by cash or U.S. Treasury securities. JPMorgan Chase Bank, an affiliate of the Funds serves as lending agents pursuant to the JPMorgan Agreement.

Under the JPMorgan Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank, acting as agents for the Funds, loan securities to approved borrowers pursuant to Borrower Agreements substantially in the form approved by the Board of Trustees in exchange for collateral. During the term of the loan, a Fund receives payments from borrowers equivalent to the

 

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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 JPMorgan Agreement. The Fund retains the interest on cash collateral investments but is required to pay the borrower a rebate for the use of cash collateral. 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 JPMorgan Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank is entitled to a fee equal to (i) 0.03% of the average dollar value of loans of U.S. securities outstanding during a given month; and (ii) 0.09% of the average dollar value of loans of non-U.S. securities outstanding during a given month. The purpose of these fees under the JPMorgan Agreement 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 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.

JPMIM is 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 has 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 U.S., 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 JPMIM, 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 (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.

 

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When other types of potential material conflicts of interest are identified, the proxy administrator and, as necessary a legal representative from the proxy committee 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 or obtaining a recommendation from an third independent party, in which case the proxy will be voted by, or in accordance with the recommendation of, the independent third party.

The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the U.S. Guidelines:

 

   

The Adviser 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; (d) ignore a shareholder proposal that is approved by a majority of either the shares outstanding or the votes cast based on a review over a consecutive two year time frame; (e) unilaterally adopt a litigation fee-shifting by-law without shareholder approval; (f) are insiders and affiliated outsiders on boards that are not at least majority independent; and (g) are CEOs of publically-traded companies who serve on more than three public boards or serve on more than four public company boards. In addition, votes are generally withheld for directors who serve on committees in certain cases. For example, the Adviser generally withholds votes from audit committee members in circumstances in which there is evidence that there exists material weaknesses in the company’s internal controls.

 

   

The Adviser votes proposals to classify boards on a case-by-case basis, but normally 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).

 

   

The Adviser also considers management poison pill proposals on a case-by-case basis, looking for shareholder-friendly provisions before voting in favor.

 

   

The Adviser votes against proposals for a super-majority vote to approve a merger.

 

   

The Adviser 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 such factors as the extent of dilution and whether the transaction will result in a change in control.

 

   

The Adviser considers vote proposals with respect to compensation plans on a case-by-case basis. The analysis of compensation plans focuses primarily on the transfer of shareholder wealth (the dollar cost of pay plans to shareholders) and includes an analysis of the structure of the plan and pay practices of other companies in the relevant industry and peer companies. Other matters included in the analysis are the amount of the company’s outstanding stock to be reserved for the award of stock options, whether the exercise price of an option is less than the stock’s fair market value at the date of the grant of the options, and whether the plan provides for the exchange of outstanding options for new ones at lower exercise prices.

 

   

The Adviser 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 issue proposals.

 

   

The Adviser generally votes for management proposals which seek shareholder approval to make the state of incorporation the exclusive forum for disputes if the company is a Delaware corporation; otherwise, the Adviser votes on a case by case basis.

 

   

The Adviser generally encourages a level of reporting on environmental matters that is not unduly costly or burdensome and which does not place the company at a competitive disadvantage, but which provides meaningful information to enable shareholders to evaluate the impact of the company’s environmental policies and practices on its financial performance. The Adviser considers how environmental and social issues affect the risks to which companies are exposed and how they impact the performance of those companies. In addition, the Adviser considers various factors including: the company’s current level of

 

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disclosure and the consistency of disclosure across its industry; existing and proposed mandated regulatory requirements or formal guidance at the local, state, or national level; if the proposed disclosure would result in unintended consequences such as creating a competitive disadvantage; and whether the company incorporates environmental or social issues in a risk assessment or risk reporting framework. In general, the Adviser supports management disclosure practices that are overall consistent with the goals and objective expressed above. Proposals with respect to companies that have been involved in controversies, fines or litigation are expected to be subject to heightened review and consideration.

 

   

The Adviser reviews Say on Pay proposals on a case by case basis with additional review of proposals where the issuer’s previous year’s proposal received a low level of support.

In accordance with regulations of the SEC, the Funds’ proxy voting records for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 are 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 an open-end, management investment company organized as Delaware statutory trust. Each Fund represents a separate series of shares of beneficial interest. The Trust presently includes two series, which represent interests in the following:

 

  1. JPMorgan Core Bond Trust; and

 

  2. JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares ($0.0001 par value) of one or more series and classes within any series and to divide or combine the shares of any series or class without materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of such shares of such series or class in the assets held with respect to that series. Each share represents an equal beneficial interest in the net assets of a Fund with each other share of that Fund. The Trustees may authorize the issuance of shares of additional series and the creation of classes of shares within any series with such preferences, voting powers, rights, duties and privileges as the Trustees may determine; however, the Trustees may not classify or change outstanding shares in a manner materially adverse to shareholders of each share. Upon liquidation of a Fund, shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of a Fund available for distribution to such shareholders. The rights of redemption and exchange are described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and elsewhere in this Confidential Offering Memorandum Supplement.

The shareholders of each Fund are entitled to one vote for each dollar of NAV (and a proportionate fractional vote with respect to the remainder of the NAV of shares, if any), on matters on which shares of a Fund shall be entitled to vote. Subject to the 1940 Act, the Trustees themselves have the power to alter the number of the Trustees, provided that there are no fewer than three, and to appoint their own successors, provided, however, that immediately after such appointment the requisite majority of the Trustees have been elected by the shareholders of the Trust. The voting rights of shareholders are not cumulative with respect to the election of Trustees. It is the intention of the Trust not to hold meetings of shareholders annually. The Trustees may call meetings of shareholders for action by shareholder vote as may be required by either the 1940 Act or the Declaration of Trust.

Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets in that series or class with each other share of that series or class. The shares of each series or class participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series or class. Any general liabilities of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being held with respect to any particular series or class shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of the series in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. Except as otherwise provided by the trustees, shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights, and when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable. Shares of each series or class generally vote together, except when required under federal securities laws to vote separately on matters that may affect a particular class, such as the approval of distribution plans for a particular class, or when the Trustees have determined that the matter voted upon will only affect a series or class.

The Trustees of the Trust may, without shareholder approval (unless otherwise required by applicable law): (i) cause the Trust to merge or consolidate with or into one or more trusts (or series thereof to the extent permitted by law, partnerships, associations, corporations or other business entities (including trusts, partnerships, associations, corporations, or other business entities created by the Trustees to accomplish such merger or consolidation) so long as the surviving or resulting entity is an investment company as defined in the 1940 Act, or is

 

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a series thereof, that will succeed to or assume the Trust’s registration under the 1940 Act and that is formed, organized, or existing under the laws of the U.S. or of a state, commonwealth, possession or territory of the U.S., unless otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act; (ii) cause any one or more series or classes of the Trust to merge or consolidate with or into any one or more other series or classes of the Trust, one or more trusts (or series or classes thereof to the extent permitted by law), partnerships, associations, corporations; (iii) cause the shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law; or (iv) cause the Trust to reorganize as a corporation, limited liability company or limited liability partnership under the laws of Delaware or any other state or jurisdiction. However, the exercise of such authority may be subject to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act.

The Trustees may, without shareholder vote, generally restate, amend or otherwise supplement the Trust’s governing instruments, including the Declarations of Trust and the By-Laws, without the approval of shareholders, subject to limited exceptions, such as the right to elect Trustees.

The Trustees, without obtaining any authorization or vote of shareholders, may change the name of any series or class or dissolve or terminate any series or class of shares.

Shares have no subscription or preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Trustees may grant in their discretion. When issued for payment as described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum and this Confidential Offering Memorandum 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.

Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares of each Fund affected by the matter. For purposes of determining whether the approval of a majority of the outstanding Shares of a Fund will be required in connection with a matter, a Fund will be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each Fund in the matter are identical, or that the matter does not affect any interest of the Fund. Under Rule 18f-2, the approval of an investment advisory agreement or any change in investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a Fund only if approved by a majority of the outstanding Shares of such Fund. However, Rule 18f-2 also provides that the ratification of independent public accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts, and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by Shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series.

Shareholder and Trustee Liability

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that if any Shareholder or former Shareholder of any series shall be held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a Shareholder, such Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. 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 10 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

 

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on the SEC’s website 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

     

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     Monthly      30 days after month end

JPMorgan Core Bond Trust

     

Rockwell Automation Inc.

     Monthly      30 days after month end

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

     Monthly      30 days after month end

New England Pension Consultants

     Monthly      30 days after month end

Alan Biller

     Monthly      30 days after month end

BNY Mellon

     Monthly      30 days after month end

Timken Company

     Monthly      30 days after month end

University of Illinois

     Monthly      10 days after month end

Wayne State University

     Monthly      10 days after month end

JPMorgan Intermediate Bond Trust

     

Brunswick Corporation

     Monthly      30 days after month end

Blue Cross Blue Shield

     Monthly      10 days after month end

BNY Mellon

     Monthly      10 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 the time periods specified in the Offering Memorandum and this Offering Memorandum Supplement, such as rating and ranking agencies, pricing services, proxy voting service providers, accountants, attorneys, custodians, securities lending agents, consultants retained to assist in the drafting of management discussion of fund performance in shareholder reports, brokers in connection with Fund transactions and in providing price quotations, and transfer agents. These service providers include the following: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.; Financial Graphic Solutions, Inc.; Dechert LLP; Digital Publishing Solutions, Inc.; FT Interactive Data; Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; J.J. Kenny; Jeff Booth; and Morgan Stanley & Co. 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 the time periods specified in the Offering Memorandum and this Offering Memorandum Supplement. 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 therefor. 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;

 

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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. In addition to information on portfolio holdings, no sooner than 10 days after month end, you may obtain a portfolio characteristics summary by calling your client relationship or client service manager. In addition, no sooner than 15 days after month end, you may obtain an attribution analysis report by calling your client relationship or client service manager.

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 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.

The Funds are not subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act because the Fund has claimed an exclusion from that definition.

 

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As of May 31, 2017, the following persons were the owners of record of, or known by the Trust to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding Shares of the following Funds:

 

Name of Fund    Name and Address of Shareholder    Percentage
Held
 
JPMORGAN CORE BOND TRUST  
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

CONCORDIA RETIREMENT PLAN JPMIT

CORE BOND TRUST

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY OH1-1235

WESTERVILLE OH 43082-8212

     7.36%  
JPMORGAN INTERMEDIATE BOND TRUST  
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

500 STANTON CHRISTIANA RD

NEWARK DE 19713-2105

     5.17%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

500 STANTON CHRISTIANA RD OPS3/FLR2

DE3-3650

NEWARK DE 19713-2105

     10.53%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

DRAKE UNIVERSITY

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY # OH1-1235

WESTERVILLE OH 43082-8212

     8.34%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

HEALTH INTELLIGENCE COMPANY LLC

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

1111 POLARIS PKWY # OH1-0084

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

     11.38%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY # OH1-1235

WESTERVILLE OH 43082-8212

     6.48%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

LITTLE COMPANY OF MARY HOSPITAL

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY

COLUMBUS OH 43082-8212

     14.54%  
     

 

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Name of Fund    Name and Address of Shareholder    Percentage
Held
 
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

NASH HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

INTERMEDIATE OPERATING RESERVES

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY OH1-1235

WESTERVILLE OH 43082-8212

     7.98%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

NASH HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

OPERATING RESERVES

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

460 POLARIS PKWY OH1-1235

WESTERVILLE OH 43082-8212

     9.17%  
     
  

JPMIM AS AGENT FOR*

INGALLS HEALTH SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

ATTN CLIENT SERVICES

1111 POLARIS PKWY OH1-0084

COLUMBUS OH 43240-2031

     6.21%  
     

 

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.

Persons owning 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) a Fund. As a result, those persons may have the ability to control the outcome on any matter requiring the approval of shareholders of a Fund.

Financial Statements

The Financial Statements of the Trust for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017 have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, the independent registered public accounting firm to the Funds, as indicated in their reports with respect thereto, and are incorporated herein by reference. These Financial Statements are available to shareholder without charge upon request by calling their Client Service Manager.

 

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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 the investment adviser 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 the investment adviser 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, unless otherwise indicated in a Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

Certain Funds are rated by NRSROs. In order to maintain a rating from a rating organization, the Funds may be subject to additional investment restrictions.

DESCRIPTION OF SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”)

A S&P’s issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P’s view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issuer credit ratings can be either long term or short term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days–including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

 

A-1

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
 
 

 

A-2

A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

A-3

A short-term obligation rated ‘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

A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of ‘B-1’, ‘B-2’, and ‘B-3’ may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the ‘B’ category. 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.

 

B-1

A short-term obligation rated ‘B-1’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

 

B-2

A short-term obligation rated ‘B-2’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

 

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B-3

A short-term obligation rated ‘B-3’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

 

C

A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

D

A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s 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.

Dual Ratings

S&P assigns “dual” ratings to all debt issues that have a put option or demand feature as part of their structure. The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second rating addresses only the demand feature. The long-term rating symbols are used for bonds to denote the long-term maturity and the short-term rating symbols for the put option (for example, ‘AAA/A-1+’). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, note rating symbols are used with the short-term issue credit rating symbols (for example, ‘SP-1+/A-1+’).

Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)

i: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The ‘i’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The ‘i’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘p’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

L: Ratings qualified with ‘L’ apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.

P: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The ‘p’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The ‘p’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘i’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

pi: Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer’s published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer’s management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a ‘pi’ subscript. Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year’s financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer’s credit quality.

Preliminary: Preliminary ratings, with the “prelim” qualifier, may be assigned to obligors or obligations, including financial programs, in the circumstances described below. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt by S&P’s of appropriate documentation. S&P’s reserves the right not to issue a final rating. Moreover, if a final rating is issued, it may differ from the preliminary rating.

 

   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions.

 

   

Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with S&P’s policies.

 

   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations that will likely be issued upon the obligor’s emergence from bankruptcy or similar reorganization, based on late-stage reorganization plans, documentation and

 

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discussions with the obligor. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligors. These ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the reorganized or postbankruptcy issuer as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s).

 

   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to entities that are being formed or that are in the process of being independently established when, in S&P’s opinion, documentation is close to final. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to these entities’ obligations.

 

   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned when a previously unrated entity is undergoing a well-formulated restructuring, recapitalization, significant financing or other transformative event, generally at the point that investor or lender commitments are invited. The preliminary rating may be assigned to the entity and to its proposed obligation(s). These preliminary ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the obligor, as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s), assuming successful completion of the transformative event. Should the transformative event not occur, S&P’s would likely withdraw these preliminary ratings.

 

   

A preliminary recovery rating may be assigned to an obligation that has a preliminary issue credit rating.

sf: The (sf) subscript is assigned to all issues and issuers to which a regulation, such as the European Union Regulation on Credit Rating Agencies, requires the assignment of an additional symbol which distinguishes a structured finance instrument or obligor (as defined in the regulation) from any other instrument or obligor. The addition of this subscript to a credit rating does not change the definition of that rating or our opinion about the issue’s or issuer’s creditworthiness.

t: This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.

Unsolicited: Unsolicited ratings are those credit ratings assigned at the initiative of S&P’s and not at the request of the issuer or its agents.

Inactive Qualifiers (No longer applied or outstanding)

*: This symbol indicated continuance of the ratings is contingent upon S&P’s receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.

c: This qualifier was 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. Discontinued use in January 2001.

pr: The letters ‘pr’ indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, 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.

q: A ‘q’ subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.

r: The ‘r’ modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an ‘r’ modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will not exhibit extraordinary non-credit related risks. S&P discontinued the use of the ‘r’ modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.

Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”)

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

 

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F1

HIGHEST SHORT-TERM 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 SHORT-TERM CREDIT QUALITY. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial obligations.

 

F3

FAIR SHORT-TERM CREDIT QUALITY. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

B

SPECULATIVE SHORT-TERM CREDIT QUALITY. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
 

 

C

HIGH SHORT-TERM DEFAULT RISK. Default is a real possibility.

 

RD

RESTRICTED DEFAULT. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.

 

D

Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a specific short-term obligation.

Limitations of the Short-Term Ratings Scale

Specific limitations relevant to the Short-Term Ratings scale include:

 

   

The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an obligation default.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer or transaction’s profile other that the agency’s opinion on the relative vulnerability to default of the rated issuer or obligation.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”)

Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

P-1

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

P-2

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

P-3

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

NP

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

Note:

Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

Dominion Bond Rating Service (“DBRS”)

The DBRS short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the subcategories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

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R-1 (high)

Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

R-1 (middle)

Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

R-1 (low)

Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favourable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

R-2 (high)

Upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

R-2 (middle)

Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

R-2 (low)

Lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

R-3

Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

R-4

Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

R-5

Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

D

A financial obligation has not been met or it is clear that a financial obligation will not be met in the near future, or a debt instrument has been subject to a distressed exchange. A downgrade to D may not immediately follow an insolvency or restructuring filing as grace periods, other procedural considerations, or extenuating circumstance may exist.

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.

Unlike Moody’s Bank Deposit Ratings, BSFRs do not address the probability of timely payment. Instead, BSFRs are a measure of the likelihood that a bank will require assistance from third parties such as its owners, its industry group, or official institutions.

BSFRs do not take into account the probability that the bank will receive such external support, nor do they address risks arising from sovereign actions that may interfere with a bank’s ability to honor its domestic or foreign currency obligations.

Factors considered in the assignment of BSFRs include bank-specific elements such as financial fundamentals, franchise value, and business and asset diversification. Although BSFRs exclude the external factors specified above, they do take into account other risk factors in the bank’s operating environment, including the strength and prospective performance of the economy, as well as the structure and relative fragility of the financial system, and the quality of banking regulation and supervision.

 

A

Banks rated A possess superior intrinsic financial strength. Typically, they will be institutions with highly valuable and defensible business franchises, strong financial fundamentals, and a very predictable and stable operating environment.

 

B

Banks rated B 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.

 

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C

Banks rated C possess adequate intrinsic financial strength. Typically, they will be institutions with more limited but still valuable 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 the higher and lower ends, respectively, of the generic rating category.

DESCRIPTION OF LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

S&P

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor’s analysis of the following considerations:

 

   

Likelihood of payment — capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

 

   

Nature of and provisions of the obligation;

 

   

Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)

 

AAA

An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

AA

An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

 

A

An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

 

BBB

An obligation rated ‘BBB’ 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.

Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

 

BB

An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

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B

An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

CCC

An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

CC

An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

 

C

A ‘C’ rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the ‘C’ rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

 

D

An obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation, including a regulatory capital instrument, are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s 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 similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

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.

 

NR

This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Moody’s

Long-Term Obligation Ratings

Moody’s long-term ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings use Moody’s Global Scale and reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.

 

Aaa

Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

 

Aa

Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

A

Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa

Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

Ba

Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

B

Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

Caa

Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

Ca

Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

C

Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

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Moody’s applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classified from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

Fitch

Rated entities in a number of sectors, including financial and non-financial corporations, sovereigns and insurance companies, are generally assigned Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs). IDRs opine on an entity’s relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The “threshold” default risk addressed by the IDR is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, IDRs also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts, although the agency recognizes that issuers may also make pre-emptive and therefore voluntary use of such mechanisms.

In aggregate, IDRs provide an ordinal ranking of issuers based on the agency’s view of their relative vulnerability to default, rather than a prediction of a specific percentage likelihood of default.

 

AAA

HIGHEST CREDIT QUALITY. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA

VERY HIGH CREDIT QUALITY. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
 

 

A

HIGH CREDIT QUALITY. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for 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 expectations of credit risk are currently low. 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.

 

BB

SPECULATIVE. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

B

HIGHLY SPECULATIVE. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

 

CCC

SUBSTANTIAL CREDIT RISK. Default is a real possibility.

 

CC

VERY HIGH LEVELS OF CREDIT RISK. Default of some kind appears probable.

 

C

EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH LEVELS OF CREDIT RISK. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:

 

   

the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

 

   

the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

 

   

Fitch otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a coercive debt exchange.

 

RD

RESTRICTED DEFAULT. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased business. This would include:

 

   

the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

 

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the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

 

   

the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or

 

   

execution of a coercive debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

 

D

DEFAULT. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a coercive debt exchange.

“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a coercive debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

Note:

The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below ‘B’.

Limitations of the Issuer Credit Rating Scale:

Specific limitations relevant to the issuer credit rating scale include:

 

   

The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an issuer default.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the suitability of an issuer as a counterparty to trade credit.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer’s business, operational or financial profile other than the agency’s opinion on its relative vulnerability to default.

DBRS

Long-Term Obligations

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligations has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category.

 

AAA

Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

AA

Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

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A

Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

BBB

Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

BB

Speculative, non investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

B

Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

CCC/CC/C

Very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.

 

D

A financial obligation has not been met or it is clear that a financial obligation will not be met in the near future or a debt instrument has been subject to a distressed exchange. A downgrade to D may not immediately follow an insolvency or restructuring filing as grace periods or extenuating circumstances may exist.

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.

Insurance Financial Strength Ratings, shown in connection with property/casualty groups, represent the ratings of individual companies within those groups, as displayed in Moody’s insurance industry ratings list. The rating of an individual property/casualty company may be based on the benefit of its participation in an intercompany pooling agreement. Pooling agreements may or may not provide for continuation of in-force policyholder obligations by pool members in the event that the property/casualty insurer is sold to a third party or otherwise removed from the pooling agreement.

Moody’s assumes in these ratings that the pooling agreement will not be modified by the members of the pool to reduce the benefits of pool participation, and that the insurer will remain in the pool. Moody’s makes no representation or warranty that such pooling agreement will not be modified over time, nor does Moody’s opine on the probability that the rated entity may be sold or otherwise removed from the pooling agreement.

Long-Term Insurance Financial Strength Ratings

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 Aaa 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

Insurance companies rated Aa 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 A offer good financial security. However, elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

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Baa

Insurance companies rated Baa 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 Ba 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 B offer poor financial security. Assurance of punctual payment of policyholder obligations over any long period of time is small.

 

Caa

Insurance companies rated Caa 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 Ca offer extremely poor financial security. Such companies are often in default on their policyholder obligations or have other marked shortcomings.

 

C

Insurance companies rated C 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. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

Short-Term Insurance Financial Strength Ratings

Short-Term Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are 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.

When ratings are supported by the credit of another entity or entities, then the name or names of such supporting entity or entities are listed within parenthesis beneath the name of the insurer, or there is a footnote referring to the name or names of the supporting entity or entities.

In assigning ratings to such insurers, Moody’s evaluates the financial strength of the affiliated insurance companies, commercial banks, corporations, foreign governments, or other entities, but only as one factor in the total rating assessment. Moody’s makes no representation and gives no opinion on the legal validity or enforceability of any support arrangement.

S&P

Insurer Financial Strength Rating Definitions

A S&P’s insurer financial strength rating is a forward-looking opinion about the financial security characteristics of an insurance organization with respect to its ability to pay under its insurance policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. Insurer financial strength ratings are also assigned to health maintenance organizations and similar health plans with respect to their ability to pay under their policies and contracts in accordance with their terms.

 

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This opinion is not specific to any particular policy or contract, nor does it address the suitability of a particular policy or contract for a specific purpose or purchaser. Furthermore, the opinion does not take into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties, timeliness of payment, nor the likelihood of the use of a defense such as fraud to deny claims. For organizations with cross-border or multinational operations, including those conducted by subsidiaries or branch offices, the ratings do not take into account potential that may exist for foreign exchange restrictions to prevent financial obligations from being met.

Insurer financial strength ratings do not refer to an organization’s ability to meet nonpolicy (i.e. debt) obligations. Assignment of ratings to debt issued by insurers or to debt issues that are fully or partially supported by insurance policies, contracts, or guarantees is a separate process from the determination of insurer financial strength ratings, and follows procedures consistent with issue credit rating definitions and practices. An insurer financial strength rating is not a recommendation to purchase or discontinue any policy or contract issued by an insurer.

Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Ratings

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

An insurer rated ‘AAA’ has extremely strong financial security characteristics. ‘AAA’ is the highest insurer financial strength rating assigned by S&P.

 

AA

An insurer rated ‘AA’ has very strong financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.

 

A

An insurer rated ‘A’ has strong financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.

 

BBB

An insurer rated ‘BBB’ has good financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher-rated insurers.

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

An insurer rated ‘BB’ has marginal financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.

 

B

An insurer rated ‘B’ has weak financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.

 

CCC

An insurer rated ‘CCC’ has very weak financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.

 

CC

An insurer rated ‘CC’ has 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

An insurer designated ‘NR’ is not rated, which implies no opinion about the insurer’s financial security.

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.

Fitch

Insurer Financial Strength Ratings

The Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating provides an assessment of the financial strength of an insurance organization. The IFS Rating is assigned to the insurance company’s policyholder obligations, including assumed reinsurance obligations and contract holder obligations, such as guaranteed investment contracts. The IFS Rating reflects both the ability of the insurer to meet these obligations on a timely basis, and expected recoveries received by claimants in the event the insurer stops making payments or payments are interrupted, due to either the failure of

 

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the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention. In the context of the IFS Rating, the timeliness of payments is considered relative to both contract and/or policy terms but also recognizes the possibility of reasonable delays caused by circumstances common to the insurance industry, including claims reviews, fraud investigations and coverage disputes.

The IFS Rating does not encompass policyholder obligations residing in separate accounts, unit-linked products or segregated funds, for which the policyholder bears investment or other risks. However, any guarantees provided to the policyholder with respect to such obligations are included in the IFS Rating.

Expected recoveries are based on the agency’s assessments of the sufficiency of an insurance company’s assets to fund policyholder obligations, in a scenario in which payments have ceased or been interrupted. Accordingly, expected recoveries exclude the impact of recoveries obtained from any government sponsored guaranty or policyholder protection funds. Expected recoveries also exclude the impact of collateralization or security, such as letters of credit or trusteed assets, supporting select reinsurance obligations.

IFS Ratings can be assigned to insurance and reinsurance companies in any insurance sector, including the life & annuity, non-life, property/casualty, health, mortgage, financial guaranty, residual value and title insurance sectors, as well as to managed care companies such as health maintenance organizations.

The IFS Rating does not address the quality of an insurer’s claims handling services or the relative value of products sold.

The IFS Rating uses the same symbols used by the agency for its International and National credit ratings of long-term or short-term debt issues. However, the definitions associated with the ratings reflect the unique aspects of the IFS Rating within an insurance industry context.

Obligations for which a payment interruption has occurred due to either the insolvency or failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention will generally be rated between ‘B’ and ‘C’ on the Long-Term IFS Rating scales (both International and National). International Short-Term IFS Ratings assigned under the same circumstances will align with the insurer’s International Long-Term IFS Rating.

Long-Term International IFS Ratings

The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. Ratings of ‘BBB-’ and higher are considered to be “secure”, and those of ‘BB+’ and lower are considered to be “vulnerable”.

 

AAA

EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG. ‘AAA’ IFS Ratings denote the lowest expectation of ceased or interrupted payments. They are assigned only in the case of exceptionally strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA

VERY STRONG. ‘AA’ IFS Ratings denote a very low expectation of ceased or interrupted payments. They indicate very strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A

STRONG. ‘A’ IFS Ratings denote a low expectation of ceased or interrupted payments. They indicate strong capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations. This capacity may, nonetheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB

GOOD. ‘BBB’ IFS Ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of ceased or interrupted payments. The capacity to meet policyholder and contract obligations on a timely basis is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impact this capacity.

 

BB

MODERATELY WEAK. ‘BB’ IFS Ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to ceased or interrupted payments, particularly as the result of adverse economic or market changes over time. However, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow for policyholder and contract obligations to be met in a timely manner.

 

B

WEAK. ‘B’ IFS Ratings indicate two possible conditions. If obligations are still being met on a timely basis, there is significant risk that ceased or interrupted payments could occur in the future, but a limited margin of safety remains. Capacity for continued timely payments is contingent upon

 

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a sustained, favorable business and economic environment, and favorable market conditions. Alternatively, a ‘B’ IFS Rating is assigned to obligations that have experienced ceased or interrupted payments, but with the potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a recovery assessment of ‘RR1’ (Outstanding).

 

CCC,

VERY WEAK. ‘CCC’ IFS Ratings indicate two possible conditions. If obligations are still being met on a timely basis, there is a real possibility that ceased or interrupted payments could occur in the future. Capacity for continued timely payments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment, and favorable market conditions. Alternatively, a ‘CCC’ IFS Rating is assigned to obligations that have experienced ceased or interrupted payments, and with the potential for average to superior recoveries. Such obligations would possess a recovery assessment of ‘RR2’ (Superior), ‘RR3’ (Good), and ‘RR4’ (Average).

 

CC

EXTREMELY WEAK. ‘CC’ IFS Ratings indicate two possible conditions. If obligations are still being met on a timely basis, it is probable that ceased or interrupted payments will occur in the future. Alternatively, a ‘CC’ IFS Rating is assigned to obligations that have experienced ceased or interrupted payments, with the potential for average to below-average recoveries. Such obligations would possess a recovery assessment of ‘RR4’ (Average) or ‘RR5’ (Below Average).

 

C

DISTRESSED. ‘C’ IFS Ratings indicate two possible conditions. If obligations are still being met on a timely basis, ceased or interrupted payments are imminent. Alternatively, a ‘C’ IFS Rating is assigned to obligations that have experienced ceased or interrupted payments, and with the potential for below average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a recovery assessment of ‘RR5’ (Below Average) or ‘RR6’ (Poor).

“+” 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 ‘B’ category.

Short-Term IFS Ratings

A 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 contract-holders 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.

The agency 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.

The ST-IFS Rating uses the same international ratings scale used by the agency for short-term debt and issuer ratings.

 

F1

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

Insurers are viewed as having a moderately strong capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

F3

Insurers are viewed as having an adequate capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

B

Insurers are viewed as having a weak capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

 

C

Insurers are viewed as having a very weak capacity to meet their near-term obligations.

Recovery Ratings

Recovery Ratings are assigned to selected individual securities and obligations. These currently are published for most individual obligations of corporate issuers with IDRs in the ‘B’ rating category and below, and for most distressed or defaulted structured finance obligations rated “CCC” or below.

Among the factors that affect recovery rates for securities are the collateral, the seniority relative to other obligations in the capital structure (where appropriate), and the expected value of the company or underlying collateral in distress.

 

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The Recovery Rating scale is based upon the expected relative recovery characteristics of an obligation upon the curing of a default, emergence from insolvency or following the liquidation or termination of the obligor or its associated collateral. For structured finance, Recovery Ratings are designed to estimate recoveries on a forward-looking basis while taking into account the time value of money.

Recovery Ratings are an ordinal scale and do not attempt to precisely predict a given level of recovery. As a guideline in developing the rating assessments, the agency employs broad theoretical recovery bands in its ratings approach based on historical averages, but actual recoveries for a given security may deviate materially from historical averages.

 

RR1

OUTSTANDING RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR1’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 91%–100% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR2

SUPERIOR RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR2’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 71%–90% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR3

GOOD RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR3’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 51%–70% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR4

AVERAGE RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR4’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 31%–50% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR5

BELOW AVERAGE RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR5’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 11%–30% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR6

POOR RECOVERY PROSPECTS GIVEN DEFAULT. ‘RR6’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 0%–10% of current principal and related interest.

Limitations of the Recovery Ratings Scale

Specific limitations relevant to the Recovery Ratings scale include:

 

   

The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of recovery should a default occur.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

 

   

The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer or transaction’s profile other than the agency’s opinion on the relative loss severity of the rated obligation should the obligation default.

Recovery Ratings, in particular, reflect a fundamental analysis of the underlying relationship between financial claims on an entity or transaction and potential sources to meet those claims. The size of such sources and claims is subject to a wide variety of dynamic factors outside the agency’s analysis, which will influence actual recovery rates.

DESCRIPTION OF SHORT-TERM MUNICIPAL BOND RATINGS

Moody’s

Short-Term Obligation Ratings

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels — MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

 

MIG 1

This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

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MIG 2

This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3

This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG

This designation denotes speculative-quality credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

Demand Obligation Ratings

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating.

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.

VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.

 

VMIG 1

This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 2

This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 3

This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

SG

This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

S&P

Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings

A S&P’s U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’s analysis will review the following considerations:

 

   

Amortization schedule — the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

   

Source of payment — the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

SP-1

Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

SP-2

Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

SP-3

Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK RATINGS

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. This scale may also apply to certain hybrid securities, in which case references to dividend throughout will reflect interest commitments of the hybrid security.

 

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 securities generally correspond 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 adverse conditions 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. Entities with a Pfd-5 rating generally have senior bond ratings of B or lower. Preferred shares rated Pfd-5 often have characteristics that, if not remedied, may lead to default.

 

D

A security rated D implies the dividend or principal payment is in default per the legal documents, the issuer has made it clear that this will be the case in the near future or in certain cases, that there has been a distressed exchange. As such, the non payment of a dividend does not necessarily give rise to the assignment of a D rating. 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 until such time as the rating is discontinued or reinstated by DBRS.

 

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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, dated September 14, 2004 (amended May 14, 2014). Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2014.

(a) (3) Schedule A to the Declaration of Trust. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 12 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 26, 2009.

(b) (1) By-Laws of JPMorgan Institutional Trust, as Amended and Restated August 20, 2014. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 23 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 15, 2014.

(c) None.

(d) (1) 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.

(d) (2) Form of Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement (amended as of May 18, 2016). Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(e) Not applicable.

(f) Deferred Compensation Plan for Eligible Trustees of the Trust. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2014.

(g) (1) (a) Amended and Restated Global Custody and Fund Accounting Agreement dated September 1, 2010 between JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the entities named on Schedule A. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 12, 2011.

(g) (1) (b) Form of Amended Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement (amended as of February 15, 2017). Filed herewith.

(g) (1) (c) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement, dated December 1, 2013. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2014.

(g) (1) (d) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement, dated September 1, 2014. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 29, 2014.

(g) (1) (e) Joinder and Amendment, dated December 1, 2015, including Schedule A, to Amended and Restated Global Custody and Fund Accounting Agreement dated September 1, 2004. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(h) (1) Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement between the Trust and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”), effective September 1, 2014. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 29, 2014.

(h)(1)(a) Form of Amended Appendix A, dated as of February 15, 2017, to the Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement between the Trust and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”) dated September 1, 2014. Filed herewith.

(h) (1) (b) Form of Amendment to Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement between the Trust and BFDS, dated November 11, 2015. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(h) (2) (a) 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) (2) (b) Schedule A to the Administration Agreement (amended as of June 26, 2009). Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 13 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 2, 2009.

(h) (2) (c) Amendment dated April 1, 2016, to Administration Agreement. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(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 incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 8 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 26, 2006.

(h) (5) Securities Lending Agreement, Amended and Restated as of February 9, 2010, between Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 15 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 10, 2010.

(h) (5) (a) Amendment to Securities Lending Agreement effective March 1, 2011 between Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 18 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2011.

(h) (6) Form of Fee Waiver Agreement, dated June 28, 2017. Filed herewith.

(h) (7) Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agency Agreement, effective March 1, 2011, between the Registrant and The Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 18 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2011.

(h) (7) (a) Schedule 2, revised February 1, 2012, to the Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the Registrant and The Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 20 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 23, 2013.

(h) (7) (b) Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the Registrant and The Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 20 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 23, 2013.

(h) (8) Amended and Restated Third Party Securities Lending Agreement, effective March 1, 2011, between the Registrant, The Goldman Sachs Bank USA, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 18 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2011.

(i) Not applicable.

(j) Not applicable.

(k) Not applicable.

(l) Not applicable.


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(m) Not applicable.

(n) Not applicable.

(o) Reserved.

(p) Codes of Ethics.

(1) Code of Ethics of Trust. Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(2) Code of Ethics of JPMAM, including JPMIM, (Effective February 1, 2005, Revised March 31, 2016). Incorporated herein by reference to Amendment No. 31 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2016.

(99) (a) Powers of Attorney for the Trustees. Filed herewith.

(99) (b) Power of Attorney for Brian S. Shlissel. Filed herewith.

(99) (c) Power of Attorney for Laura M. Del Prato. Filed herewith.

(99) (d) Power of Attorney for Raymond Kanner. 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.


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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: JPMorgan Funds Management, Inc. (named One Group Administrative Services, Inc. through February 15, 2005), the Registrant’s administrator, at 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43240 and 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017; JPMorgan Chase Bank, the Registrant’s custodian at 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017; J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., the Registrant’s investment adviser, at 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017; Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., the Registrant’s transfer agent, at 2000 Crown Colony, Quincy, MA 02169.

 

Item 29. Management Services

None.

 

Item 30. Undertakings

Not applicable.


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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, State of New York on the 28th day of June, 2017.

 

JPMorgan Institutional Trust

By:       BRIAN S. SHISSEL*      
 

Brian S. Shissel

  President & Principal Executive Officer

This amendment to the Registration Statement of the Registrant has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on June 28, 2017.

 

  

JOHN F. FINN*

     

MARILYN MCCOY*

   John F. Finn       Marilyn McCoy
   Trustee       Trustee
  

MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN*

     

MITCHELL M. MERIN*

   Matthew Goldstein       Mitchell M. Merin
   Trustee       Trustee
  

DENNIS P. HARRINGTON*

     

ROBERT A. ODEN, JR.*

   Dennis P. Harrington       Robert A. Oden, Jr.
   Trustee       Trustee
  

FRANKIE D. HUGHES*

     

MARIAN U. PARDO*

   Frankie D. Hughes       Marian U. Pardo
   Trustee       Trustee
  

RAYMOND KANNER*

     

FREDERICK W. RUEBECK*

   Raymond Kanner       Frederick W. Ruebeck.
   Trustee       Trustee
  

PETER C. MARSHALL

     

JAMES J. SCHONBACHLER*

   Peter C. Marshall       James J. Schonbachler
   Trustee       Trustee
  

MARY E. MARTINEZ*

     

BRIAN S. SHISSEL*

   Mary E. Martinez       Brian S. Shissel
   Trustee       President & Principal Executive Officer
  

LAURA M. DEL PRATO*

     

 

   Laura M. Del Prato      
   Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer      

*  By

  

/S/    ZACH VONNEGUT-GABOVITCH        

     
   Zach Vonnegut-Gabovitch      
   Attorney-in-fact      
        
        
        


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Exhibit Index

 

(g)(1)(b)

  

Form of Amended Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Global Custody & Fund Accounting Agreement (amended as of February 15, 2017)

(h)(1)(a)

   Form of Amended Appendix A, dated as of February 15, 2017 to the Amended and Restated Agency Agreement between the Trust and Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”) dated September 1, 2014

(h)(6)

   Form of Fee Waiver Agreement, dated June 28, 2017

(99)(a)

   Powers of Attorney for the Trustees

(99)(b)

   Power of Attorney for Brian S. Shlissel

(99)(c)

   Power of Attorney for Laura M. Del Prato

(99)(d)

   Power of Attorney for Raymond Kanner