Registration Nos. 002-65539/811-2958
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 /X/
Post-Effective Amendment No. 152 /X/
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 /X/
Amendment No. 134 /X/
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL FUNDS, INC.
Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter
100
East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Address of Principal Executive Offices
410-345-2000
Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area Code
David Oestreicher
100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland
21202
Name and Address of Agent for Service
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering August 26, 2015 for T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Value Stock Fund and T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Value Stock Fund—Advisor Class. September 1, 2015 for all other classes.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
// Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
// On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
// 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
// On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/X/ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
// On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
// This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
The Registration Statement of the T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “Registrant”) on Form N-1A (File Nos.: 002-65539/811-2958) is hereby amended under the Securities Act of 1933 to add one new series and 11 new classes.
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PROSPECTUS | |
TBD | |
August 24, 2015 | |
T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Value Stock Fund | |
A fund seeking long-term growth of capital through investments in undervalued stocks of companies in emerging market countries. SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. | |
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Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on | NONE |
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) | NONE |
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) | 2.00% |
Maximum account fee | $20a |
Annual fund operating expenses | |
Management fees | 1.04% |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.00% |
Other expenses | 0.51%b |
Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.55% |
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement | (0.05)%c |
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement | 1.50%c |
a Subject to certain exceptions, accounts with a balance of less than $10,000 are charged an annual $20 fee.
b Other expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
c T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. has agreed (through February 28, 2018) to waive its fees and/or bear any expenses (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees) that would cause the fund’s ratio of expenses to average daily net assets to exceed 1.50%. Termination of the agreement would require approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. Fees waived and expenses paid under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. by the fund whenever the fund’s expense ratio is below 1.50%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after the waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 1.50% (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees).
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, the fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the expense limitation currently in place is not renewed. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
T. Rowe Price | 2 |
1 year | 3 years |
$153 | $477 |
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.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but generally seeks stocks of larger companies that are undervalued in the view of the portfolio manager using various measures. The fund relies on MSCI Barra to determine which countries are considered emerging markets, and expects to make most of its investments in stocks of companies located in, or that have economic ties to, the emerging markets countries listed below in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The fund considers the following countries to be emerging markets (other countries may be added or removed):
· Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
· Latin America: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
· Europe: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
· Africa and the Middle East: Bahrain, Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.
While the fund invests with an awareness of the global economic backdrop and the outlook for industry sectors and individual countries, bottom-up stock selection is the focus of our decision-making. Country allocation is driven largely by stock selection, though we may limit investments in markets or industries that appear to have poor overall prospects. At times, the growth of certain emerging markets relies heavily on the success of the banking industry. As a result, the fund may have significant investments in banks.
Stock selection is driven mainly by fundamental research that seeks to identify companies that are undervalued but have the potential for improving earnings over time. The fund’s value approach to investing relies on a global research team that searches for companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures and may be temporarily out of favor but have good prospects for capital appreciation or dividend growth.
Summary | 3 |
In selecting investments, the fund generally favors companies with one or more of the following characteristics:
· low valuation on various earnings, book value, sales, and cash flow metrics, in absolute terms and/or relative to the company’s peers or its own historical norm;
· low valuation relative to a company’s fundamentals;
· companies that may benefit from restructuring activity or other turnaround opportunities;
· a sound balance sheet and other positive financial characteristics;
· strong or improving position in an overlooked industry or country; and
· above-average dividend yield and/or the potential to grow dividends.
The fund may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
Principal Risks As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:
Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Risks of stock investing Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. The value of a stock in which the fund invests may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect a particular company or industry.
International investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. International securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities and may lose value because of adverse political, social, or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, international investments are subject to settlement practices and regulatory and financial reporting standards that differ from those of the U.S.
Emerging markets risk The risks of international investing are heightened for securities of issuers in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. In addition to all of the risks of investing in international developed markets, emerging markets are more susceptible to governmental interference, local taxes being imposed on international investments,
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restrictions on gaining access to sales proceeds, and less liquid and less efficient trading markets.
Investment style risk Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The fund’s value approach to investing could cause it to underperform other stock funds that employ a different investment style. The intrinsic value of a stock with value characteristics may not be fully recognized by the market for a long time or a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced at a low level.
Industry risk To the extent the fund invests in banking companies, the fund is more susceptible to adverse developments affecting such companies and may perform poorly during a downturn in the banking industry. Banks can be adversely affected by, among other things, regulatory changes, interest rate movements, the availability of capital and cost to borrow, and the rate of debt defaults. The oversight of banks in emerging markets may be ineffective and underdeveloped relative to more mature markets. In particular for emerging markets, the impact of future regulation on any individual bank, or on the financial services sector as a whole, can be very difficult to predict.
Small- and mid-cap stock risk To the extent the fund invests in small- and medium-sized companies, it is exposed to greater volatility than a fund that invests only in large companies. Small- and medium-sized companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. Smaller companies may have limited trading markets and tend to be more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions.
Performance Because the fund commenced operations in 2015, there is no historical performance information shown here. Performance history will be presented after the fund has been in operation for one full calendar year.
Current performance information may be obtained through troweprice.com or by calling 1-800-225-5132.
Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
Investment Sub-Adviser T. Rowe Price Hong Kong Limited (Price Hong Kong)
Portfolio Manager | Title | Managed Fund Since | Joined Investment |
Ernest C. Yeung | Chairman of Investment Advisory Committee | 2015 | 2003 |
Summary | 5 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund requires a $1,000 minimum initial investment, and a $100 minimum subsequent investment, for individual retirement accounts, small business retirement plan accounts, and Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts. For all other accounts, the fund generally requires a $2,500 minimum initial investment and a $100 minimum subsequent investment. The investment minimums may be modified for financial intermediaries that submit orders on behalf of their customers.
You may purchase, redeem, or exchange fund shares by accessing your account online at troweprice.com, by calling 1-800-225-5132, or by written request. If you hold shares through a financial intermediary, you must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares through your intermediary.
Tax Information
Any dividends or capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (although you may be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to Investor Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price family of funds.
How and When Shares Are Priced
The share price, also called the “net asset value,” for the funds is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the net asset value, the fund’s assets are valued and totaled; liabilities are subtracted; and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available or normal valuation procedures are deemed to be inappropriate, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security by taking into account various factors that have been approved by the fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money funds and certain other debt securities held by a fund. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If a fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the New York Stock Exchange will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices and information used for adjusting those prices and to value most fixed income
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 7 |
securities. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. The fund also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
The various ways you can buy, sell, and exchange shares are explained at the end of this prospectus and on the New Account form. These procedures may differ for institutional and employer-sponsored retirement accounts or if you hold your account through an intermediary.
How Your Purchase, Sale, or Exchange Price Is Determined
If your request is received by T. Rowe Price in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET), your transaction will be priced at that business day’s net asset value. If your request is received by T. Rowe Price after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, your transaction will be priced at the next business day’s net asset value.
The funds generally do not accept orders that request a particular day or price for a transaction or any other special conditions.
Fund shares may be purchased through various third-party intermediaries, including banks, brokers, and investment advisers. Where authorized by a fund, orders will be priced at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the intermediary. Contact your intermediary for trade deadlines and the applicable policies for purchasing, selling, or exchanging your shares, as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
When authorized by the fund, certain financial institutions or retirement plans purchasing fund shares on behalf of customers or plan participants through T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services or T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The financial institution or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. In the event of an emergency closing, a fund’s shareholders will receive the next share price calculated by the fund. There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price
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website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and accepted by T. Rowe Price prior to the time the New York Stock Exchange closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value. Under certain conditions, a money fund may accept and process purchase and redemption orders beyond the close of the New York Stock Exchange on days that the New York Stock Exchange closes early and does not reopen, and may accept orders on a business day that the New York Stock Exchange is unexpectedly closed.
How You Can Receive the Proceeds From a Sale
When filling out the New Account form, you may wish to give yourself the widest range of options for receiving proceeds from a sale.
If your request is received in correct form by T. Rowe Price on a business day prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange, proceeds are usually sent on the next business day. Proceeds can be mailed to you by check or sent electronically to your bank account by Automated Clearing House transfer or bank wire. Automated Clearing House is an automated method of initiating payments from, and receiving payments in, your financial institution account. Proceeds sent by Automated Clearing House transfer are usually credited to your account the second business day after the sale, and there are typically no fees associated with such payments. Proceeds sent by bank wire are usually credited to your account the next business day after the sale, although your financial institution may charge an incoming wire fee.
Exception Under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interest, your proceeds may not be sent for up to seven calendar days after we receive your redemption request. Under certain limited circumstances, the Board of Directors/Trustees of a money fund may elect to suspend redemptions and postpone payment of redemption proceeds in order to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the money fund.
If for some reason we cannot accept your request to sell shares, we will contact you.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund’s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed in the following table, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges out of a fund), which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Africa & Middle East | 2% | 90 days or less |
Asia Opportunities | 2% | 90 days or less |
Credit Opportunities | 2% | 90 days or less |
Diversified Small-Cap Growth | 1% | 90 days or less |
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 9 |
T. Rowe Price Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Emerging Europe | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Bond | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Corporate Bond | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Value Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Equity Index 500 | 0.5% | 90 days or less |
European Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Extended Equity Market Index | 0.5% | 90 days or less |
Floating Rate | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Growth Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global High Income Bond | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Real Estate | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
High Yield | 2% | 90 days or less |
Intermediate Tax-Free High Yield | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Bond | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Concentrated Equity | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Discovery | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Equity Index | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Growth & Income | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Japan | 2% | 90 days or less |
Latin America | 2% | 90 days or less |
New Asia | 2% | 90 days or less |
Overseas Stock | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Assets | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Estate | 1% | 90 days or less |
Small-Cap Value | 1% | 90 days or less |
Spectrum International | 2% | 90 days or less |
Tax-Efficient Equity | 1% | less than 365 days |
Tax-Free High Yield | 2% | 90 days or less |
Total Equity Market Index | 0.5% | 90 days or less |
U.S. Bond Enhanced Index | 0.5% | 90 days or less |
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Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund’s long-term shareholders. Subject to the exceptions described on the following pages, all persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund; through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper; or indirectly through an intermediary (such as a broker, bank, or investment adviser), recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or other third party.
Computation of Holding Period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the “first-in, first-out” method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The day after the date of your purchase is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the holding period. For a fund with a 365-day holding period, a redemption fee will be charged on shares sold before the end of the required holding period. For funds with a 90-day holding period, a redemption fee will be charged on shares sold on or before the end of the required holding period. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day from the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period will be applied.
Transactions Not Subject to Redemption Fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
· Shares redeemed through an automated, systematic withdrawal plan;
· Shares redeemed through or used to establish certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;*
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums);
· Shares purchased by rollover or changes of account registration within the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that other shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy);
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 11 |
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares that are redeemed in-kind;
· Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third-party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically;* and
· Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
* Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption Fees on Shares Held in Retirement Plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, redemption fees generally will be assessed on shares redeemed by exchange only if they were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus Accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions previously listed to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Certain intermediaries may exempt transactions not listed from redemption fees, if approved by T. Rowe Price. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
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To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Distributions not reinvested may be paid by check or transmitted to your bank account via Automated Clearing House or may be automatically invested into another fund account. If the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your check remains uncashed for six months, the fund reserves the right to reinvest your distribution check in your account at the net asset value on the day of the reinvestment and to reinvest all subsequent distributions in shares of the fund. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Money funds | · Purchases received by T. Rowe Price by noon ET via wire begin to earn dividends on that day. Other shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
Bond funds | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
These stock funds only: · Balanced · Dividend Growth · Equity Income · Equity Index 500 · Global Real Estate · Growth & Income · Personal Strategy Balanced · Personal Strategy Income · Real Estate | · Declared and paid quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Other stock funds | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
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Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Retirement, Spectrum, and Target Retirement Funds: | |
· Retirement
Balanced and | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
· All others | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Bond and money fund shares earn dividends through the date of redemption (except for wire redemptions from money funds prior to noon ET, which earn dividends through the calendar day prior to the date of redemption). Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond or money fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond or money fund shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Capital gain payments are not expected from money funds, which are managed to maintain a constant share price.
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Tax Information
In most cases, you will be provided information for your tax filing needs no later than mid-February.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
Additional information about the taxation of dividends for certain T. Rowe Price funds is listed below:
Tax-Free and Municipal Funds |
· Regular monthly dividends (including those from the state-specific tax-free funds) are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. |
· Exemption is not guaranteed, since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. |
· Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax. |
· For state-specific funds, the monthly dividends you receive are expected to be exempt from state and local income tax of that particular state. For other funds, a small portion of your income dividend may be exempt from state and local income taxes. |
· If a fund invests in certain “private activity” bonds that are not exempt from the alternative minimum tax, shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax must include income generated by those bonds in their alternative minimum tax calculation. Private activity bonds issued in 2009 and 2010, and refunding bonds issued in 2009 and 2010 to refund private activity bonds that were issued from the beginning of 2004 to the end of 2008, are exempt from the alternative minimum tax. The portion of a fund’s income dividend that should be included in your alternative minimum tax calculation, if any, will be reported to you by mid-February on Form 1099-DIV. |
For individual shareholders,
a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income” received by the fund
may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income.
You may report it as “qualified dividend income” in computing your taxes, provided you have
held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the
121-day period
beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower
rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion
of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from nonqualified
foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan.
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Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Global Real Estate Fund, Real Estate Fund, or the bond and money funds is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock funds or the bond and money funds is expected to qualify for this deduction.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes.
T. Rowe Price will make available to you Form 1099-B, if applicable, no later than mid-February, indicating the date and amount of each sale you made in the fund during the prior year. This information will also be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. For most new accounts or those opened by exchange in 1984 or later, we will provide you with the gain or loss on the shares you sold during the year based on the average cost single category method. You may calculate the cost basis using other methods acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service, such as specific identification.
If you hold your fund through an intermediary, the intermediary is responsible for providing you with any necessary tax forms. You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
For mutual fund shares acquired
after 2011, new tax regulations require us to
report the cost basis information to you and the Internal
Revenue Service on
Form 1099-B using a cost basis method selected by you or, in the absence of
such selected method, our default method if you acquire your shares directly from us. Our default method
is average cost. If you acquire your fund shares through an intermediary after 2011, you should check
with your intermediary regarding the applicable cost basis method. You should, however, note that the
cost basis information reported to you may not always be the same as what you should report on your tax
return because the rules applicable to the determination of cost basis on Form 1099-B may be different
from the rules applicable to the determination of cost basis for reporting on your tax return. Therefore,
you should save your transaction records to make sure the information reported on your tax return is
accurate. To help you maintain accurate records, T. Rowe Price will make available to you a confirmation
promptly following each transaction you make (except for systematic purchases and systematic redemptions)
and a year-end statement detailing all of your
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transactions in each fund account during the year. If you hold your fund through an intermediary, the intermediary is responsible for providing you with transaction confirmations and statements.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
T. Rowe Price (or your intermediary) will make available to you, as applicable, no later than mid-February, a Form 1099-DIV, or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as required, indicating the tax status of any income dividends, dividends exempt from federal income taxes, and capital gain distributions made to you. This information will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Taxable distributions are generally taxable to you in the year in which they are paid. Your bond or money fund dividends for each calendar year will include dividends accrued up to the first business day of the next calendar year. You will be sent any additional information you need to determine your taxes on fund distributions, such as the portion of your dividends, if any, that may be exempt from state and local income taxes. Dividends from tax-free funds are generally expected to be tax-exempt.
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held for more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held for six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital, which are generally nontaxable but reduce your tax basis in the fund’s shares. A recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs), and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest significantly in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting
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credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
If a fund holds Build America Bonds or other qualified tax credit bonds and elects to pass through the corresponding interest income and any available tax credits, you will need to report both the interest income and any such tax credits as taxable income. You may be able to claim the tax credits on your federal tax return as an offset to your income tax (including alternative minimum tax) liability, but the tax credits generally are not refundable. There is no assurance, however, that a fund will elect to pass through the income and credits.
The following table provides additional details on distributions for certain funds:
Taxes on Fund Distributions |
Tax-Free and Municipal Funds |
· Gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. · Payments received or gains realized on certain derivative transactions may result in taxable ordinary income or capital gains. · To the extent the fund makes such investments, the likelihood of a taxable distribution will be increased. |
Inflation Protected Bond Fund |
· Inflation adjustments on Treasury inflation-protected securities that exceed deflation adjustments for the year will be distributed as a short-term capital gain resulting in ordinary income. · In computing the distribution amount, the fund cannot reduce inflation adjustments by short- or long-term capital losses from the sales of securities. · Net deflation adjustments for a year may result in all or a portion of dividends paid earlier in the year being treated as a return of capital. |
Retirement, Spectrum, and Target Retirement Funds |
· Distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains. |
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the
T. Rowe Price | 18 |
money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
Following these procedures helps assure timely and accurate transactions.
Purchase Conditions
Nonpayment If you pay with a check or Automated Clearing House transfer that does not clear or if your payment is not received in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. You will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent, and the fund can redeem shares you own in this or another identically registered T. Rowe Price account as reimbursement. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on Immediate Redemptions: 10-Day Hold If you sell shares that you just purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process your redemption but will generally delay sending you the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. If, during the clearing period, we receive a check drawn against your newly purchased shares, it will be returned marked “uncollected.” (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire or automatic purchases through your paycheck.)
Telephone and Online Account Transactions You may access your account and conduct transactions using the telephone or the T. Rowe Price website. The T. Rowe Price funds and their agents use reasonable procedures to verify the identity of the shareholder. If these procedures are followed, the funds and their agents are not liable for any losses that may occur from acting on unauthorized instructions. A confirmation is sent promptly after a transaction. Please review it carefully and contact T. Rowe Price immediately about any transaction you believe to be unauthorized. Telephone conversations are recorded.
Large Redemptions Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to pay all or part
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of redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (“redemption in-kind”). If this occurs, the securities will be selected by the fund in its absolute discretion, and the redeeming shareholder or account will be responsible for disposing of the securities and bearing any associated costs.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the T. Rowe Price funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards of Directors/Trustees deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (the “30-Day Purchase Block”). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the 30-Day Purchase Block:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money funds and ultra short-term bond funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund; and
T. Rowe Price | 20 |
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy).
Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap programs, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct an intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (e.g., following the advice of a newsletter). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days or permanently.
Intermediary Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price funds through an intermediary, you should review the intermediary’s materials carefully or consult with the intermediary directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through an intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Intermediaries may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the intermediary and may request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable). If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred, it will instruct the intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its excessive trading policies for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 21 |
T. Rowe Price may allow an intermediary or other third party to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price funds and their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards of Directors/Trustees.
Retirement Plan
Accounts If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the
30-Day Purchase Block applies
only to shares redeemed by a participant-directed exchange to another fund. However, the 30-Day Purchase
Block may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at
T. Rowe Price or the excessive trading policy applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. An alternative
excessive trading policy may apply to the T. Rowe Price funds where a retirement plan has its own
policy deemed acceptable to T. Rowe Price. You should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper
to determine which of your transactions are subject to the funds’ 30-Day Purchase Block or an alternative
policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Keeping Your Account Open
Due to the relatively high cost to a fund of maintaining small accounts, we ask you to maintain an account balance of at least $1,000 ($10,000 for Summit Funds). If, for any reason, your balance is below this amount for three months or longer, we have the right to redeem your account at the then-current net asset value after giving you 60 days to increase your balance. This could result in a taxable gain.
Signature Guarantees
A Medallion signature guarantee is designed to protect you and the T. Rowe Price funds from fraud by verifying your signature.
You may need to have your signature guaranteed in certain situations, such as:
· Written requests: (1) to redeem over $100,000 or (2) to wire redemption proceeds when prior bank account authorization is not on file.
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file.
· Transferring redemption proceeds to a T. Rowe Price fund account with a different registration (name or ownership) from yours.
· Establishing certain services after the account is opened.
The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed
T. Rowe Price | 22 |
transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
The funds may make payments to retirement plan recordkeepers, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries (at a rate of up to 0.15% of average daily net assets per year) for transfer agency, recordkeeping, and other administrative services that they provide on behalf of the funds. These administrative services may include services such as maintaining account records for each customer; transmitting net purchase and redemption orders; delivering shareholder confirmations, statements, and tax forms; and providing support to respond to customers’ questions regarding their accounts. These payments are reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in a fund’s fee table in Section 1.
In an effort to help offset the disproportionately high costs incurred by the funds in connection with servicing lower-balance accounts, an annual $20 account service fee (paid to T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., or one of its affiliates) is charged to certain fund accounts with a balance below $10,000. The determination of whether a fund account is subject to the account service fee is based on account balances and services selected for accounts as of the last business day of August. The fee will be charged to an account with a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation and recent redemptions. The fee, which is automatically deducted from an account by redeeming fund shares, is typically charged to accounts in early September each calendar year. Such redemption may result in a taxable gain or loss to you.
The account service fee generally does not apply to fund accounts that are held through an intermediary, participant accounts in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services provides recordkeeping services, or money funds that are used as a T. Rowe Price Brokerage sweep account. Regardless of a particular fund account’s balance on the last business day of August, the account service fee is automatically waived for accounts that satisfy any of the following conditions:
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· Any accounts for which the shareholder has elected to receive electronic delivery of all of the following: account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and shareholder reports;
· Any accounts of a shareholder with at least $50,000 in total assets with T. Rowe Price (for this purpose, total assets includes investments in T. Rowe Price mutual funds, except for those held through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services provides recordkeeping services; T. Rowe Price Brokerage; and T. Rowe Price variable annuities); or
· Any accounts of a shareholder who is a T. Rowe Price Preferred Services, Personal Services, or Enhanced Personal Services client (enrollment in these programs generally requires T. Rowe Price assets of at least $100,000—visit troweprice.com or call 1-800-537-1098 for more information).
T. Rowe Price reserves the right to authorize additional waivers for other types of accounts or to modify the conditions for assessment of the account service fee. Fund shares held in a T. Rowe Price individual retirement account, Education Savings Account, or small business retirement plan account (including certain 403(b) plan accounts) are subject to the account service fee and may be subject to additional administrative fees when distributing all fund shares from such accounts.
More About the Fund | 3 | |
How is the fund organized?
T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “corporation”) was incorporated in Maryland in 1979. Currently, the corporation consists of 23 series, each representing a separate pool of assets with different investment objectives and investment policies. Each is an “open-end management investment company,” or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives.
What is meant by “shares”?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund’s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
· Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. For funds with multiple share classes, the income dividends for each share class will generally differ from those of other share classes to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.
· Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of material changes to the fund’s management contract.
Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold regularly scheduled shareholder meetings. To avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, shareholder meetings are only held when certain matters, such as changes in fundamental policies or elections of directors, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee. If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send or make available to you proxy materials that explain the matters to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail, telephone, or the Internet.
Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The
More About the Fund | 25 |
Board elects the fund’s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (the “Firm”).
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price or an affiliated investment adviser—specifically by the fund’s portfolio manager.
Investment Advisers
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio. T. Rowe Price is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and sub-adviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of March 31, 2015, the Firm had approximately $772 billion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 9 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
T. Rowe Price has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with Price Hong Kong under which Price Hong Kong is authorized to trade securities and make discretionary investment decisions on behalf of the fund. Price Hong Kong is licensed with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong and is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Price Hong Kong serves as a sub-adviser to investment companies and provides investment management services for other clients who seek to primarily invest in the Asia-Pacific securities markets. Price Hong Kong is a subsidiary of T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International, and its address is 1 Connaught Place, Room 2101-2120, Jardine House 21st Floor, Central Hong Kong.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the fund’s portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Ernest C. Yeung, Chairman, Ulle Adamson, Oliver D.M. Bell, Anh Lu, Sebastien Mallet, Gonzalo Pangaro, and Verena E. Wachnitz. The following information provides the year that the chairman first joined the Firm and the chairman’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chairman may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Yeung has been chairman of the committee since the fund’s inception in 2015. He joined the Firm in 2003 and his investment experience dates from 2001. He has served as a portfolio manager with the Firm throughout the past five years. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of fund shares.
T. Rowe Price | 26 |
The Management Fee
The management fee has two parts–an “individual fund fee,” which reflects a fund’s particular characteristics, and a “group fee.” The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, Target Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (in the following table) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule
0.334%* | First $50 billion |
0.305% | Next $30 billion |
0.300% | Next $40 billion |
0.295% | Next $40 billion |
0.290% | Next $60 billion |
0.285% | Next $80 billion |
0.280% | Next $100 billion |
0.275% | Next $100 billion |
0.270% | Thereafter |
* Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. On May 31, 2015, the annual group fee rate was 0.29%. The individual fund fee, also applied to the fund’s average daily net assets, is 0.75%.
A discussion about the factors considered by the Board and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price and the subadvisory contract with Price Hong Kong will appear in the fund’s annual report to shareholders for the period ended October 31.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price provides accounting services to the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. acts as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. provides recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, and administrative services for certain types of retirement plans investing in the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay third-party intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts. All such fees are included in the fees and expenses table under “Other expenses” and in the funds’ financial statements.
More About the Fund | 27 |
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The funds may be appropriate for you if you are seeking diversification for your equity investments and can accept the risks that accompany foreign investments. Your decision should take into account whether you have any other foreign stock investments. If you do not, you may want to consider investing in a more widely diversified fund to gain the broadest exposure to global opportunities. An emerging markets fund may be an appropriate part of your overall portfolio if you are supplementing existing holdings primarily in developed foreign markets and are comfortable with the potentially significant volatility associated with investing in emerging markets.
Funds that employ a value-oriented approach to stock selection seek to invest in companies whose stock prices are low in relation to the value of their assets or future prospects. By identifying companies whose stocks are currently out of favor or undervalued, value funds hope to realize significant appreciation as other investors recognize the stock’s intrinsic value and the price rises accordingly. Generally, careful selection of stocks having value characteristics can, over time, limit the downside risk of a value-oriented portfolio compared with the broad market. In addition, stocks whose prices are below a company’s intrinsic value may offer the potential for substantial capital appreciation.
Investing abroad increases the fund’s available investment opportunities. Some foreign countries may have greater potential for economic growth than the U.S. Investing a portion of your overall portfolio in stock funds with foreign holdings can enhance your diversification while providing the opportunity to increase long-term returns.
Portfolio managers closely monitor fund investments as well as political and economic trends in each country and region. Holdings are adjusted according to the portfolio manager’s analysis and outlook. The impact of unfavorable developments in a particular country may be reduced when investments are spread among many countries. However, the economies and financial markets of countries in a certain region may be heavily influenced by one another and the global economy.
As with all stock funds, a fund’s share price can fall because of weakness in one or more of its primary equity markets, a particular industry, or specific holdings. Stock markets can decline for many reasons, including adverse political, social, or economic developments, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. The prospects for an industry or company may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including disappointing earnings or changes in the competitive environment. In addition, our assessment of companies held in a fund may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets.
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Finding undervalued stocks requires considerable research to identify the particular company, analyze its financial condition and prospects, and assess the likelihood that the stock’s underlying value will be recognized by the market and reflected in its price. A value approach to investing carries the risk that the market will not recognize a security’s intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.
Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets.
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares of the fund. Some particular risks affecting the fund include the following:
Currency risk This refers to a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. The overall impact on a fund’s holdings can be significant, unpredictable, and long-lasting, depending on the currencies represented in the fund’s portfolio and how each foreign currency appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar and whether currency positions are hedged. Under normal conditions, the fund does not engage in extensive foreign currency hedging programs. Further, since exchange rate movements are volatile, a fund’s attempts at hedging could be unsuccessful, and it is not possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many emerging market countries.
Other risks of foreign investing Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development, differing regulatory environments, trading days and accounting standards, uncertain tax laws, and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Investments outside the U.S. could be subject to governmental actions such as capital or currency controls, nationalization of a company or industry, expropriation of assets, or imposition of high taxes. A trading market may close without warning for extended time periods, preventing a fund from buying or selling securities in that market.
Emerging markets risk Investments in emerging markets, which generally include Africa, parts of Europe and much of Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, are subject to the risk of abrupt and severe price declines. The economic and political structures of emerging market countries, in most cases, do not compare favorably with the U.S. or other developed countries in terms of wealth and stability, and their financial markets often lack liquidity. These economies are less developed, can be overly reliant on particular industries, and more vulnerable to the ebb and flow of international trade, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Certain countries have legacies and periodic episodes of hyperinflation and currency devaluations, particularly Russia and many Latin American nations, and more recently many Asian countries. Governments in many emerging market
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countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets. Foreign investments may be restricted and subject to greater government control, including repatriation of sales proceeds. Some countries have histories of instability and upheaval that could cause their governments to act in a detrimental or hostile manner toward private enterprise or foreign investment. Investments in countries or regions that have recently begun moving away from central planning and state-owned industries toward free markets should be regarded as speculative.
While some countries have made progress in economic growth, liberalization, fiscal discipline, and political and social stability, there is no assurance these trends will continue. Significant risks, such as war and terrorism, currently affect some emerging market countries. Fund performance will likely be hurt by exposure to nations in the midst of hyperinflation, currency devaluation, trade disagreements, sudden political upheaval, or interventionist government policies. The volatility of emerging markets may be heightened by the actions (such as significant buying or selling) of a few major investors. For example, substantial decreases in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local securities prices and, therefore, cause fund share prices to decline.
In response to political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the U.S. and European Union have instituted various sanctions against Russia. These sanctions, and other intergovernmental actions that may be undertaken against Russia in the future, could result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country’s credit rating, and a significant decline in the value and liquidity of securities issued by Russian companies or the Russian government. Future sanctions and any retaliatory action by the Russian government could result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of the funds to buy, sell, or receive proceeds from those securities. These sanctions, and the continued disruption of the Russian economy, could severely impact the performance of any funds that have significant exposure to Russia.
Banking industry risk The fund will not concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25%) in a particular industry, but may at times have significant investments in stocks in the banking industry. Banks and other financial services institutions are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and the potential for additional regulation could reduce profit margins and adversely affect the scope of their activities and the amount of capital they must maintain. The oversight of, and regulations applicable to, banks in emerging markets may be ineffective when compared to the regulatory frameworks for banks in developed markets. Banks in emerging markets may have significantly less access to capital than banks in more developed markets, leading them to be more likely to fail under adverse economic conditions.
Some of the principal tools we use to try to reduce overall risk include intensive research when evaluating a company’s prospects and limiting exposure to any one industry or company.
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Additional strategies and risks While most assets will be invested in common stocks, other strategies may be employed that are not considered part of the fund’s principal investment strategies. For instance, the fund may, to a limited extent, use derivatives such as futures contracts and forward currency exchange contracts. Any investments in futures would typically serve as an efficient means of gaining exposure to certain markets or as a cash management tool to maintain liquidity while being invested in the market. Forward currency exchange contracts would primarily be used to settle trades in a foreign currency or to help protect a fund’s holdings from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, although other currency hedging techniques may be used from time to time. To the extent the fund uses futures and forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to potential volatility and losses greater than direct investments in the contract’s underlying assets, and the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted.
Recent regulations have changed the requirements related to the use of certain derivatives. Some of these new regulations have limited the availability of certain derivatives and made their use by funds more costly. It is expected that additional changes to the regulatory framework will occur, but the extent and impact of additional new regulations are not certain at this time.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses.
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as “fundamental policies.” Portfolio managers also follow certain “operating policies” that can be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change in the fund’s policy requiring it to normally invest at least 80% of net assets in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets.
Fund holdings in certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages as set forth in this prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. For instance, there are limitations regarding fund investments in certain types of derivatives. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have a
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significantly greater impact on a fund’s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Certain investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time a fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of a fund’s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of a fund’s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If any of these changes occur, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction and will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time the investment was made (this exception does not apply to a fund’s borrowing policy). However, purchases by a fund during the time it is above or below the stated percentage restriction would be made in compliance with applicable restrictions.
For purposes of determining whether a particular country is considered a developed market or an emerging market, the fund uses the designation set forth by MSCI Barra, a third-party provider of benchmark indexes and data services for institutions worldwide. The fund considers a country that is not classified as a developed market by MSCI Barra to be an emerging market. This means that emerging markets investments may include a country considered to be a frontier market, which is considered by the fund to be a subset of the emerging markets category. For purposes of determining whether the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets, the fund uses a country assigned to a security by MSCI Barra or another unaffiliated third-party data provider. The data providers use various criteria to determine the country that should be assigned to the issuer of a security. Examples include the following: (1) the country under which the company is organized; (2) the location of the company’s principal place of business or principal office; (3) where the company’s securities are listed or traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter market; and (4) where the company conducts the predominant part of its business activities or derives a significant portion of its revenues or profits.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments to fund performance are discussed in the shareholder reports.
Portfolio managers have considerable discretion in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund holdings and investment management practices.
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Diversification As a fundamental policy, the fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of the fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund.
Fund investments are primarily in common stocks and, to a lesser degree, other types of securities as described as follows:
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stocks have a specified dividend rate and rank after bonds and before common stock in their claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Unlike common stock, preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, a fund may decide to purchase preferred stock where the issuer has suspended, or is in danger of suspending, payment of its dividend. The fund may purchase American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, which are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts trade on established markets and are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their local markets and currencies. Such investments are subject to many of the same risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities at specified times in the future and according to a certain exchange ratio. Convertible bonds are typically callable by the issuer, which could in effect force conversion before the holder would otherwise choose. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree than common stock. Some convertible securities combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy, directly from the issuer, a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and can be highly volatile. In some cases, the redemption value of a warrant could be zero.
Participation Notes (P-notes)
A fund may gain exposure to securities traded in foreign markets through investments in P-notes. P-notes are generally issued by banks or broker-dealers and
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are designed to offer a return linked to an underlying common stock or other security. An investment in a P-note involves additional risks beyond the risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying security. While the holder of a P-note is entitled to receive from the broker-dealer or bank any dividends paid by the underlying security, the holder is not entitled to the same rights (e.g., voting rights) as a direct owner of the underlying security. P-notes are considered general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them as the counterparty. As such, the fund must rely on the creditworthiness of the counterparty for its investment returns on the P-notes, and could lose the entire value of its investment in the event of default by a counterparty. Additionally, there is no assurance that there will be a secondary trading market for a P-note or that the trading price of a P-note will equal the value of the underlying security.
Operating policy Fund investments in P-notes are limited to 20% of total assets. Investments in P-notes are not subject to the limit on investments in hybrid instruments.
Fixed Income Securities
From time to time, a fund may invest in corporate and government fixed income securities as well as below investment-grade bonds, commonly referred to as “junk” bonds. These securities would be purchased in companies that meet fund investment criteria. The price of a fixed income security fluctuates with changes in interest rates, generally rising when interest rates fall and falling when interest rates rise. Below investment-grade bonds, or “junk” bonds, can be more volatile and have greater risk of default than investment-grade bonds, and should be considered speculative.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in below investment-grade bonds.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in securities prices and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, and financial indexes. A fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
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Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower a fund’s total return; the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such contracts; and the losses from certain options written by a fund could be unlimited.
Operating policies Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of a fund’s net asset value. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Hybrid Instruments
Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount, redemption, or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market price of some commodity, currency, security, or securities index. Such instruments may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
Currency Derivatives
The fund will normally conduct any foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. The fund will generally not enter into a forward contract with a term greater than one year. A fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security when it enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, and when the fund believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may move substantially against another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell or buy the former foreign currency.
Funds that invest in foreign securities may attempt to hedge their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of forward currency exchange contracts, which are contracts between two counterparties to exchange one currency for another on a future date at a specified exchange rate. A fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond, which is issued in one currency with the currency component transformed into another currency. However, futures, swaps, and options on foreign currencies may also be used. In certain circumstances, a fund may use currency derivatives to substitute a different currency for the currency in which the investment is
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denominated, a strategy known as proxy hedging. If a fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, it could serve to protect the fund’s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar, although the fund may also use currency derivatives in an effort to gain exposure to a currency expected to appreciate in value versus other currencies. As a result, a fund could be invested in a currency without holding any securities denominated in that currency. Such transactions involve, among other risks, the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce a fund’s total return. There are certain markets, including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging.
Hedging may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Investments in Other Investment Companies
A fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds.
A fund may purchase the securities of another investment company to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the market while awaiting purchase of securities or as an efficient means of gaining exposure to a particular asset class. The fund might also purchase shares of another investment company to gain exposure to the securities in the investment company’s portfolio at times when the fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. Any investment in another investment company would be consistent with the fund’s objective and investment program.
The risks of owning another investment company are generally similar to the risks of investing directly in the securities in which that investment company invests. However, an investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect the fund’s performance. In addition, because closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds trade on a secondary market, their shares may trade at a premium or discount to the actual net asset value of their portfolio securities and their shares may have greater volatility if an active trading market does not exist.
As a shareholder of another investment company, the fund must pay its pro-rata share of that investment company’s fees and expenses. The fund’s investments in non-T. Rowe Price investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to investments in other funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any applicable exemptive order.
A fund may also invest in certain other T. Rowe Price funds as a means of gaining efficient and cost-effective exposure to certain asset classes, provided the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment program and policies. Such an investment
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could allow the fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio than might otherwise be available through direct investments in the asset class, and will subject the fund to the risks associated with the particular asset class. Examples of asset classes in which other T. Rowe Price mutual funds concentrate their investments include high yield bonds, inflation-linked securities, floating rate loans, international bonds, emerging market bonds, stocks of companies involved in activities related to real assets and emerging market stocks. If the fund invests in another T. Rowe Price fund, the management fee paid by the fund will be reduced to ensure that the fund does not incur duplicate management fees as a result of its investment.
Illiquid Securities
Some fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid securities may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and a fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what it believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets may be held in reserves. Fund reserve positions can consist of: 1) shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money fund or short-term bond fund; 2) short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements; and 3) U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar currencies. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on a fund’s holdings in reserves. If a fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into a fund, and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Non-U.S. dollar reserves are subject to currency risk.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
A fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
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Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Operating policy A fund will not transfer portfolio securities as collateral except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 331/3% of total assets. A fund will not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
A fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform as well as expected.
Fundamental policy The value of loaned securities may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. A fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time a fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in its net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on a fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the initial period of operations may exceed 100%.
Each T. Rowe Price fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund’s first and third fiscal quarter-end. The money funds also file detailed month-end portfolio holdings information with the SEC each month. Such information will be made available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains. In addition, the funds disclose their calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of a fund’s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would not be individually identified if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be excluded for these purposes from a fund’s quarter-end holdings disclosure for more than one year. Money funds also disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com five business days after each
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month. The quarter-end portfolio holdings will remain on the website for one year and the month-end money fund portfolio holdings will remain on the website for six months. Each fund also discloses its 10 largest holdings on troweprice.com on the seventh business day after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets that these 10 holdings represent. Each monthly top 10 list will remain on the website for six months. A description of T. Rowe Price’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is available in the Statement of Additional Information and through troweprice.com.
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If you are purchasing fund shares through a third-party intermediary, contact the intermediary for information regarding its policies on purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming fund shares, as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums. |
Tax Identification | We must have your correct Social Security number or employer identification number on a signed New Account form or W-9 Form. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of your dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject you to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after your account is established, your account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value. |
Transaction Confirmations | We send immediate confirmations for most of your fund transactions. However, certain
transactions, such as systematic purchases and systematic redemptions, dividend reinvestments, checkwriting
redemptions for money funds, and transactions in money funds used as a T. Rowe Price Brokerage sweep
account, do not receive an immediate transaction confirmation but are reported on your account statement.
Please review transaction confirmations and account statements as soon as you receive them and promptly
report any discrepancies to Shareholder Services by calling |
Employer-Sponsored | Transaction procedures in the following sections may not apply to employer-sponsored retirement plans and institutional accounts. For procedures regarding employer-sponsored retirement plans, please call T. Rowe Price Trust Company or consult your plan administrator. For institutional account procedures, please call your designated account manager or service representative. For information on all retirement plans, please call 1-800-492-7670. |
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$2,500 minimum initial investment; $1,000 for individual retirement accounts, certain small business retirement accounts, and Uniform Gifts to Minors Act/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts ($25,000 minimum initial investment for Summit Funds only); purchases through an intermediary or certain employer-sponsored retirement plans may be subject to different minimums |
Important
Information | Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. This information is needed not only for the account owner and any other person who opens the account, but also for any person who has authority to act on behalf of the account. |
When you open an account, you
will be asked for the name, residential U.S. street address, date of birth, and Social Security number
or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of
others, such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers. Corporate and other institutional
accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or
partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power
of attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the
trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. For more information, call Investor Services
at |
We do not accept third-party checks for initial purchases; however, we do accept third-party checks for subsequent purchases. In addition, T. Rowe Price does not accept purchases by cash, traveler’s checks, or credit card checks. |
We will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. We will not be able to open your account until we receive all of this information. If we are unable to verify your identity, we are authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.) |
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The funds are generally available only to investors residing in the United States. In addition, purchases in state tax-free funds are limited to investors living in states where the fund is available for sale. The address of record on your account must be located in one of these states, or you will be restricted from purchasing fund shares. Contact Investor Services for more information. |
Account Registration | If you own other T. Rowe Price funds, you should consider registering any new account identically to your existing accounts so you can exchange shares among them easily. (The name(s) of the account owner(s) and the account type must be identical.) |
For joint accounts or other types of accounts owned or controlled by more than one party, either owner/party has complete authority to act on behalf of all and give instructions concerning the account without notice to the other party. T. Rowe Price may, in its sole discretion, require written authorization from all owners/parties to act on the account for certain transactions (for example, to transfer ownership). |
By Mail | Please make your check payable to T. Rowe Price Funds (otherwise it may be returned), and send your check, together with the New Account form, to the appropriate address below: via U.S. Postal Service via private carriers/overnight services |
Note: Please use the correct address to avoid a delay in opening your new account. |
By Wire | Visit us online at troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, or call Investor Services for an account number and wire transfer instructions. |
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In order to obtain an account number, you must supply the name, date of birth, Social Security number or employer identification number, and residential or business street address for each owner on the account. |
Complete a New Account form and mail it to one of the appropriate addresses listed under By Mail. |
Note: Although the purchase will be made, services may not be established and Internal Revenue Service penalty withholding may occur until we receive a signed New Account form. |
Online | You can open a new mutual fund account online. Go to troweprice.com/newaccount to choose the type of account you wish to open. |
To open an account electronically, you must be a U.S. citizen residing in the U.S. or a resident alien and not subject to Internal Revenue Service backup withholding. Additionally, you must provide consent to receive certain documents electronically. |
You will have the option of providing your bank account information that will enable you to make electronic funds transfers to and from your bank account. To set up this banking service online, additional steps will be taken to verify your identity. |
By Exchange
| Visit us online at troweprice.com, or call Shareholder Services. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging. Services for the new account may be carried over by telephone request if they are preauthorized on the existing account. For limitations on exchanging, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Excessive and Short-Term Trading. |
In Person | Drop off your New Account form at any Investor Center location listed on the back cover and obtain a receipt. |
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$100 minimum per fund account for all additional purchases, including those made through Automatic Asset Builder (all funds except Summit Funds); $100 minimum per fund account for additional purchases through Automatic Asset Builder and $1,000 for all other additional purchases (Summit Funds); purchases through an intermediary or certain employer-sponsored retirement plans may be subject to different minimums |
By Automated | Visit us online at troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, or call Shareholder Services if you have established electronic transfers using the Automated Clearing House system. |
By Wire | Go to troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, or call Shareholder Services for wire transfer instructions. T. Rowe Price must receive the wire by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that you will receive the share price for the same day you initiated the wire from your financial institution. |
By Mail | 1. Make your check payable to T. Rowe Price Funds (otherwise, it may be returned). 2. Mail the check to us at the following address with either a fund reinvestment slip or a note indicating the fund you want to purchase and your fund account number. 3. Please use the correct address to avoid a delay in processing your transaction and remember to provide your account number and the fund name on the memo line of your check. |
via U.S. Postal Service (To send mail directly to T. Rowe Price via private carriers and overnight services, see previous section.) |
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Your transaction will receive the share price for the business day that the request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) (not the day the request is received at the P.O. Box). |
Systematic Purchases | To automatically transfer money to your account from a bank account or through payroll deductions, complete the appropriate section of the New Account form when opening a new account or complete the Account Services form to add the service to an existing account. |
Exchange Service | You can move money from one account to an existing, identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. For taxable accounts, an exchange from one fund to another is considered a sale and purchase for tax purposes. (Exchanges into a state tax-free fund are limited to investors living in states where the fund is available.) For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy. |
Redemptions | Redemption proceeds can be mailed to your account address, sent by Automated Clearing House transfer to your bank, or wired to your bank (provided your bank information is already on file). Redemption proceeds of less than $5,000 sent by wire are subject to a $5 fee paid to the fund. Please note that large purchase and redemption requests initiated through automated services, including the National Securities Clearing Corporation, may be rejected and, in such instances, the transaction must be placed by contacting a service representative. |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 45 |
If you request to redeem a specific dollar amount, and the market value of your account is less than the amount of your request, your redemption will not be processed and you will need to submit a new redemption request in proper form. If you change your address on an account, proceeds will not be mailed to the new address for 15 calendar days after the address change, unless we receive a signature guaranteed letter of instruction. |
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund’s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund. |
You can set up systematic redemptions and have the proceeds automatically sent via check or electronic transfer. For redemptions by check or electronic transfer, please see Information About Your Services. |
Online | Visit us online at troweprice.com. Customers can electronically exchange shares between identically registered T. Rowe Price accounts and electronically redeem shares from their mutual fund accounts. |
By Phone | You can call Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132 to place your transaction. If you find our phones busy during unusually volatile markets, please consider placing your order online through troweprice.com. |
By Mail | For each account involved, provide the account name and number, fund name, and exchange or redemption amount. For exchanges, be sure to specify any fund you are exchanging out of and the fund or funds you are exchanging into. T. Rowe Price may require a signature guarantee of all registered owners (see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Signature Guarantees). Please use one of the following addresses: |
T. Rowe Price | 46 |
For
nonretirement and individual retirement accounts: via private carriers/overnight services For employer-sponsored retirement accounts: via private carriers/overnight services |
For requests that are not sent via private carriers or overnight services, your transaction will receive the share price for the business day that the request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) (not the day the request is received at the P.O. Box). |
Requests for redemptions from employer-sponsored retirement accounts may be required to be in writing; please call T. Rowe Price Trust Company or your plan administrator for instructions. Individual retirement account distributions may be requested in writing or by telephone; please call Shareholder Services to obtain an Individual Retirement Account Distribution form or an Individual Retirement Account Shareholder Services form to authorize the telephone redemption service. |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 47 |
T. Rowe Price funds and their agents, in their sole discretion, reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute regarding the ownership of the account, or a legal claim against an account, upon initial notification to T. Rowe Price of a shareholder’s death until T. Rowe Price receives required documentation in good order, or if there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and modify or terminate any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; (10) to involuntarily redeem an account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account; and (11) for money funds, to suspend redemptions and postpone the payment of proceeds to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the fund. |
T. Rowe Price | 48 |
Shareholder Services 1-800-225-5132 Investor Services 1-800-638-5660 | Many services are available to you as a shareholder, some of which you receive automatically and others that you must authorize or request when you open a new account. Signing up for services during the new account process is the most effective way to authorize services that you will need to manage your account in a secure and efficient manner. You can open a new account by visiting us online at troweprice.com/newaccount or by calling an Investment Services Specialist at 1-800-638-5660. If you already have accounts and wish to learn more about available services or conducting online transactions, please visit us at troweprice.com. For additional questions on existing accounts, you may contact Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132. |
Retirement Plans | We offer a wide range of plans for individuals, institutions, and large and small businesses: Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP-IRAs, and 401(k)s. For information on individual retirement accounts or our no-load variable annuity (for existing variable annuity contract holders), call Investor Services. For information on all other retirement plans, please call 1-800-492-7670. |
Investing for College | We can help you save for future college expenses on a tax-advantaged basis. |
529
Plans (1-888-463-4723); and University of Alaska College Savings Plan, call 1-866-277-1005. |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 49 |
Automated Services | Online Account Access |
Tele*AccessSM 1-800-638-2587 | ||
Plan Account Line 1-800-401-3279 |
By Telephone and | Purchase, redeem, or exchange shares by calling one of our service representatives or by visiting one of our Investor Center locations listed on the back cover. |
Electronic Transfers | By
Automated Clearing House |
By Wire |
Checkwriting | You may write an unlimited number of free checks on any money fund and certain bond funds, with a minimum of $500 per check. Keep in mind, however, that a check results in a redemption; a check written on a bond fund will create a taxable event that you and we must report to the Internal Revenue Service. |
T. Rowe Price | 50 |
Automatic Investing | Automatic Asset Builder |
Automatic
Exchange |
To Open a Brokerage Account 1-800-638-5660 For Existing 1-800-225-7720 | Open your account online at troweprice.com/brokerage. Investments available through our Brokerage service include stocks, options, bonds, and other securities at commission savings over full-service brokers.* We also provide a wide range of services, including: Automated Telephone
and Computer Services |
Investor Information |
Dividend Reinvestment
Service *Services vary by firm. T. Rowe Price Brokerage is a division of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 51 |
To help you monitor your investments and make decisions that accurately reflect your financial goals, T. Rowe Price offers a wide variety of information in addition to account statements. Most of this information is also available on our website at troweprice.com. |
If your account has no activity in it for a certain period of time, T. Rowe Price may be required to transfer your account to the appropriate state under its abandoned property laws. |
A note on mailing procedures: If two or more members of a household own the same fund, we economize on fund expenses by sending only one fund report and prospectus. If you need additional copies or do not want your mailings to be “householded,” please call Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132 or write to us at P.O. Box 17630, Baltimore, MD 21297-1630. |
Shareholder Reports |
The T. Rowe Price Report |
Insights |
Investment Guides |
T. Rowe Price | 52 |
In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confidential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies’ use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Finally, our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confidence.
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
For mutual fund or T. Rowe Price Brokerage information
Investor Services
1-800-638-5660
For existing accounts
Shareholder Services
1-800-225-5132
For the hearing impaired
1-800-367-0763
For performance, prices, or account information
Tele*AccessSM
24 hours, 7 days
1-800-638-2587
Internet address
troweprice.com
Plan Account Line
For retirement plan investors: The appropriate 800 number appears on your retirement account statement.
Investor Centers For directions,
call Baltimore Area Downtown 105 East
Lombard Owings Mills Three Financial Center Colorado Springs Financial Center One | Tampa 4211 W. Boy Scout Washington, D.C. Area Downtown 1717 K Street, N.W. Tysons Corner 1600 Tysons
Boulevard | A Statement of Additional Information for the T. Rowe Price family of funds, which includes additional information about the funds, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager’s recent investment strategies and their impact on performance during the past fiscal year, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, or for shareholder inquiries, call 1-800-638-5660. These documents and updated performance information are available through troweprice.com. Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the SEC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. |
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
|
1940 Act File No. 811-2958 | TBD 8/24/15 |
| |
PROSPECTUS | |
TBD | |
August 24, 2015 | |
T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Value Stock Fund—Advisor Class | |
A fund seeking long-term growth of capital through investments in undervalued stocks of companies in emerging market countries. This class of shares is sold only through financial intermediaries. SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. | |
| |
Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund’s Advisor Class
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) | 2.00% |
Annual
fund operating expenses | |
Management fees | 1.04% |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.69%a |
Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.98% |
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement | (0.33)%b |
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement | 1.65%b |
a Other expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
b T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. has agreed (through February 28, 2018) to waive its fees and/or bear any expenses (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees) that would cause the fund’s ratio of expenses to average daily net assets to exceed 1.65%. Termination of the agreement would require approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. Fees waived and expenses paid under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. by the fund whenever the fund’s expense ratio is below 1.65%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after the waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 1.65% (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees).
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, the fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the expense limitation currently in place is not renewed. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years |
$168 | $537 |
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
T. Rowe Price | 2 |
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.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but generally seeks stocks of larger companies that are undervalued in the view of the portfolio manager using various measures. The fund relies on MSCI Barra to determine which countries are considered emerging markets, and expects to make most of its investments in stocks of companies located in, or that have economic ties to, the emerging markets countries listed below in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The fund considers the following countries to be emerging markets (other countries may be added or removed):
· Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
· Latin America: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
· Europe: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
· Africa and the Middle East: Bahrain, Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.
While the fund invests with an awareness of the global economic backdrop and the outlook for industry sectors and individual countries, bottom-up stock selection is the focus of our decision-making. Country allocation is driven largely by stock selection, though we may limit investments in markets or industries that appear to have poor overall prospects. At times, the growth of certain emerging markets relies heavily on the success of the banking industry. As a result, the fund may have significant investments in banks.
Stock selection is driven mainly by fundamental research that seeks to identify companies that are undervalued but have the potential for improving earnings over time. The fund’s value approach to investing relies on a global research team that searches for companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures and may be temporarily out of favor but have good prospects for capital appreciation or dividend growth.
In selecting investments, the fund generally favors companies with one or more of the following characteristics:
· low valuation on various earnings, book value, sales, and cash flow metrics, in absolute terms and/or relative to the company’s peers or its own historical norm;
Summary | 3 |
· low valuation relative to a company’s fundamentals;
· companies that may benefit from restructuring activity or other turnaround opportunities;
· a sound balance sheet and other positive financial characteristics;
· strong or improving position in an overlooked industry or country; and
· above-average dividend yield and/or the potential to grow dividends.
The fund may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
Principal Risks As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:
Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Risks of stock investing Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. The value of a stock in which the fund invests may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect a particular company or industry.
International investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. International securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities and may lose value because of adverse political, social, or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, international investments are subject to settlement practices and regulatory and financial reporting standards that differ from those of the U.S.
Emerging markets risk The risks of international investing are heightened for securities of issuers in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. In addition to all of the risks of investing in international developed markets, emerging markets are more susceptible to governmental interference, local taxes being imposed on international investments, restrictions on gaining access to sales proceeds, and less liquid and less efficient trading markets.
Investment style risk Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The fund’s value approach
T. Rowe Price | 4 |
to investing could cause it to underperform other stock funds that employ a different investment style. The intrinsic value of a stock with value characteristics may not be fully recognized by the market for a long time or a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced at a low level.
Industry risk To the extent the fund invests in banking companies, the fund is more susceptible to adverse developments affecting such companies and may perform poorly during a downturn in the banking industry. Banks can be adversely affected by, among other things, regulatory changes, interest rate movements, the availability of capital and cost to borrow, and the rate of debt defaults. The oversight of banks in emerging markets may be ineffective and underdeveloped relative to more mature markets. In particular for emerging markets, the impact of future regulation on any individual bank, or on the financial services sector as a whole, can be very difficult to predict.
Small- and mid-cap stock risk To the extent the fund invests in small- and medium-sized companies, it is exposed to greater volatility than a fund that invests only in large companies. Small- and medium-sized companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. Smaller companies may have limited trading markets and tend to be more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions.
Performance Because the fund commenced operations in 2015, there is no historical performance information shown here. Performance history will be presented after the fund has been in operation for one full calendar year.
Current performance information may be obtained through troweprice.com or by calling 1-800-638-8790.
Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
Investment Sub-Adviser T. Rowe Price Hong Kong Limited (Price Hong Kong)
Portfolio Manager | Title | Managed Fund Since | Joined Investment |
Ernest C. Yeung | Chairman of Investment Advisory Committee | 2015 | 2003 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your financial intermediary. Generally, the fund’s minimum initial investment requirement is $2,500 and the fund’s minimum subsequent investment requirement is $100, although the investment minimums may be modified or waived for financial intermediaries submitting orders on behalf of their customers. You should check with
Summary | 5 |
your financial intermediary to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.
Tax Information
Any dividends or capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (although you may be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 2 | |
As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to Advisor Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price family of funds.
How and When Shares Are Priced
The share price, also called the “net asset value,” for each class of shares is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the net asset value, the fund’s assets are valued and totaled; liabilities are subtracted; and each class’s proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available or normal valuation procedures are deemed to be inappropriate, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security by taking into account various factors that have been approved by the fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money funds and certain other debt securities held by a fund. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If a fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the New York Stock Exchange will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 7 |
and information used for adjusting those prices and to value most fixed income securities. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. The fund also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
How Your Purchase, Sale, or Exchange Price Is Determined
Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others. Contact your intermediary to find out how to purchase, sell, or exchange your shares; trade deadlines; and other applicable procedures for these transactions. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
The fund may have an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET). In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange and is transmitted to T. Rowe Price and paid for in accordance with the agreement, the transaction will be priced at the next net asset value computed after the intermediary received your order. If the fund does not have an agreement with your intermediary, T. Rowe Price must receive the request in correct form from your intermediary by the close of the New York Stock Exchange in order for your transaction to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
When authorized by the fund, certain financial institutions or retirement plans purchasing fund shares on behalf of customers or plan participants through T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services or T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The financial institution or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or an intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. In the event of an emergency closing, a fund’s shareholders will receive the next share price calculated by the fund. There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and accepted by T. Rowe Price prior to the
T. Rowe Price | 8 |
time the New York Stock Exchange closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
How Proceeds Are Received
Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, depending on the arrangement with the intermediary. Under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interests, proceeds may not be sent to intermediaries for up to seven calendar days after receipt of the redemption order. You must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund’s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed in the following table, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges out of a fund), which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Asia Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Credit Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Corporate Bond— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Value Stock— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Floating Rate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Growth Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global High Income Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Real Estate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Intermediate Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Concentrated Equity—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Growth & Income—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 9 |
T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Overseas Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Estate—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Small-Cap Value—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund’s long-term shareholders. Subject to the exceptions described on the following pages, all persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund; through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper; or indirectly through an intermediary (such as a broker, bank, or investment adviser), recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or other third party.
Computation of Holding Period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the “first-in, first-out” method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The day after the date of your purchase is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the holding period. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold on or before the end of the required holding period. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day after the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period will be applied.
Transactions Not Subject to Redemption Fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
· Shares redeemed through an automated, systematic withdrawal plan;
· Shares redeemed through or used to establish certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions; *
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums);
· Shares purchased by rollover or changes of account registration within the same fund; *
T. Rowe Price | 10 |
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that other shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy);
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares that are redeemed in-kind;
· Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third-party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically; * and
· Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
* Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption Fees on Shares Held in Retirement Plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, redemption fees generally will be assessed on shares redeemed by exchange only if they were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus Accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions previously listed to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Certain intermediaries may exempt transactions not listed from redemption fees, if approved by T. Rowe Price. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income
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tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Bond funds | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
These stock funds only: · Dividend Growth—Advisor Class · Equity Income—Advisor Class · Global Real Estate—Advisor Class · Real Estate—Advisor Class | · Declared and paid quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Other stock funds | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Retirement and Target Retirement Funds: | |
· Retirement Balanced—Advisor Class | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
· All others | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Bond fund shares will earn dividends through the date of redemption. Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond fund
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shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that, if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Tax Information
You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income” received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income. You may report it as “qualified dividend income” in computing your taxes, provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Global Real Estate Fund—Advisor
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Class, Real Estate Fund—Advisor Class, or the bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock or bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Regular monthly dividends from the Summit Municipal Income Fund—Advisor Class, Summit Municipal Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free High Yield Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free Income Fund—Advisor Class, and the Tax-Free Short-Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. Exemption is not guaranteed since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. You must report your total tax-free income on Internal Revenue Service Form 1040. The Internal Revenue Service uses this information to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received during the year. Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
The
tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities,
not how long you held the shares in the fund.
Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions
are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are
taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or
exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified
as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during
the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from
the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains
on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly
dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital, which are generally nontaxable but reduce
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your tax basis in the fund’s shares. Recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as REITs, and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
If a fund holds Build America Bonds or other qualified tax credit bonds and elects to pass through the corresponding interest income and any available tax credits, you will need to report both the interest income and any such tax credits as taxable income. You may be able to claim the tax credits on your federal tax return as an offset to your income tax (including alternative minimum tax) liability, but the tax credits generally are not refundable. There is no assurance, however, that a fund will elect to pass through the income and credits.
For the tax-free bond fund Advisor Classes, gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. Payments received or gains realized on certain derivative transactions may result in taxable ordinary income or capital gain. To the extent the fund invests in these securities, the likelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
For the Retirement Funds and Target Retirement Funds, distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
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Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
The Advisor Class is a share class of its respective T. Rowe Price fund and is not a separate mutual fund. The fund’s Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and other financial intermediaries that provide various distribution and administrative services.
The Advisor Class is designed for use by investors investing through intermediaries and requires an agreement between the intermediary and T. Rowe Price to be executed prior to investment. Purchases of Advisor Class shares for which the required agreement with T. Rowe Price has not been executed, or that are not made through an eligible intermediary, are subject to rejection or cancellation without prior notice to the intermediary or investor. Existing investments in the Advisor Class shares that are not held through an eligible intermediary may be transferred by T. Rowe Price to another class (with lower expenses) in the same fund following notice to the intermediary or shareholder.
Purchase Conditions for Intermediaries
Nonpayment If the fund does not receive payment for an order in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The intermediary will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on Immediate Redemptions: 10-Day Hold If an intermediary sells shares that it just purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire.)
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Large Redemptions Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to pay all or part of redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (“redemption in-kind”). If this occurs, the securities will be selected by the fund in its absolute discretion, and the redeeming shareholder or account will be responsible for disposing of the securities and bearing any associated costs.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the T. Rowe Price funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards of Directors/Trustees deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (the “30-Day Purchase Block”). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the 30-Day Purchase Block:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
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· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund; and
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy).
Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap programs, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct an intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (e.g., following the advice of a newsletter). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days or permanently.
Intermediary Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price funds through an intermediary, you should review the intermediary’s materials carefully or consult with the intermediary directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through an intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Intermediaries may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the intermediary and may request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable). If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred, it will instruct the intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its
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excessive trading policies for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
T. Rowe Price may allow an intermediary or other third party to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price funds and their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards of Directors/Trustees.
Retirement Plan Accounts If
shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the
30-Day Purchase Block applies only to shares redeemed
by a participant-directed exchange to another fund. However, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply to transactions
other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or the excessive
trading policy applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. An alternative excessive trading policy may
apply to the T. Rowe Price funds where a retirement plan has its own policy deemed acceptable to
T. Rowe Price. You should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper to determine which
of your transactions are subject to the funds’ 30-Day Purchase Block or an alternative policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Signature Guarantees
An intermediary may need to obtain a Medallion signature guarantee in certain situations, such as:
· Written requests to redeem over $5 million;
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file; or
· Changing the account registration or broker-dealer of record for an account.
Intermediaries should consult their T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative for specific requirements.
The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
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The Advisor Class has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which it pays a fee at a rate of up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets per year to various unaffiliated intermediaries, such as brokers, banks, insurance companies, and retirement plan recordkeepers for distribution and/or shareholder servicing of the Advisor Class shares. Distribution payments may include payments to intermediaries for making the Advisor Class shares available to their customers (e.g., providing the fund with “shelf space” or inclusion on a “preferred list” or “supermarket” platform). Shareholder servicing payments may include payments to intermediaries for providing shareholder support services to existing shareholders of the Advisor Class. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the Advisor Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, could result in your paying more than with other types of sales charges. The Advisor Class may also separately make payments to retirement plans, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries (at a rate of up to 0.15% of average daily net assets per year) for various recordkeeping, transfer agency, and other administrative services they provide on behalf of the Class. These administrative services may include such services as maintaining separate account records for each customer; transmitting net purchase and redemption orders; delivering shareholder confirmations, statements, and tax forms; and providing telephone and Internet support to respond to questions regarding the customer’s account. These separate administrative fee payments are reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in a fund’s fee table in Section 1, whereas 12b-1 payments are reflected in the “Distribution and service (12b-1) fees” line that appears in the fee table.
Payment of these fees may influence your financial advisor’s recommendation of the fund or of any particular share class of the fund.
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How is the fund organized?
T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “corporation”) was incorporated in Maryland in 1979. Currently, the corporation consists of 23 series, each representing a separate pool of assets with different investment objectives and investment policies. Each is an “open-end management investment company,” or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders of each class into a single portfolio and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2015, the Emerging Markets Value Stock Fund issued a separate class of shares known as the Advisor Class.
What is meant by “shares”?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund’s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
· Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. For funds with multiple share classes, the income dividends for each share class will generally differ from those of other share classes to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.
· Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of material changes to the fund’s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voting rights on matters affecting only that class.
Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold regularly scheduled shareholder meetings. To avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, shareholder meetings are only held when certain matters, such as changes in fundamental policies or elections of directors, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee. If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send or make available to you proxy materials that explain the matters to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail, telephone, or the Internet.
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Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (the “Firm”).
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price or an affiliated investment adviser—specifically by the fund’s portfolio manager.
Investment Advisers
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio. T. Rowe Price is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and sub-adviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of March 31, 2015, the Firm had approximately $772 billion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 9 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
T. Rowe Price has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with Price Hong Kong under which Price Hong Kong is authorized to trade securities and make discretionary investment decisions on behalf of the fund. Price Hong Kong is licensed with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong and is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Price Hong Kong serves as a sub-adviser to investment companies and provides investment management services for other clients who seek to primarily invest in the Asia-Pacific securities markets. Price Hong Kong is a subsidiary of T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International, and its address is 1 Connaught Place, Room 2101-2120, Jardine House 21st Floor, Central Hong Kong.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the fund’s portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Ernest C. Yeung, Chairman, Ulle Adamson, Oliver D.M. Bell, Anh Lu, Sebastien Mallet, Gonzalo Pangaro, and Verena E. Wachnitz. The following information provides the year that the chairman first joined the Firm and the chairman’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chairman may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Yeung has been chairman of the committee since the fund’s inception in 2015. He joined the Firm in 2003 and his investment experience dates from 2001. He has served as a portfolio manager with the Firm throughout the past five years. The Statement of Additional
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Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of fund shares.
The Management Fee
The management fee has two parts–an “individual fund fee,” which reflects a fund’s particular characteristics, and a “group fee.” The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, Target Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (in the following table) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule
0.334%* | First $50 billion |
0.305% | Next $30 billion |
0.300% | Next $40 billion |
0.295% | Next $40 billion |
0.290% | Next $60 billion |
0.285% | Next $80 billion |
0.280% | Next $100 billion |
0.275% | Next $100 billion |
0.270% | Thereafter |
* Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. On May 31, 2015, the annual group fee rate was 0.29%. The individual fund fee, also applied to the fund’s average daily net assets, is 0.75%.
A discussion about the factors considered by the Board and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price and the subadvisory contract with Price Hong Kong will appear in the fund’s annual report to shareholders for the period ended October 31.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price provides accounting services to the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. acts as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay third-party intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts.
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Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The funds may be appropriate for you if you are seeking diversification for your equity investments and can accept the risks that accompany foreign investments. Your decision should take into account whether you have any other foreign stock investments. If you do not, you may want to consider investing in a more widely diversified fund to gain the broadest exposure to global opportunities. An emerging markets fund may be an appropriate part of your overall portfolio if you are supplementing existing holdings primarily in developed foreign markets and are comfortable with the potentially significant volatility associated with investing in emerging markets.
Funds that employ a value-oriented approach to stock selection seek to invest in companies whose stock prices are low in relation to the value of their assets or future prospects. By identifying companies whose stocks are currently out of favor or undervalued, value funds hope to realize significant appreciation as other investors recognize the stock’s intrinsic value and the price rises accordingly. Generally, careful selection of stocks having value characteristics can, over time, limit the downside risk of a value-oriented portfolio compared with the broad market. In addition, stocks whose prices are below a company’s intrinsic value may offer the potential for substantial capital appreciation.
Investing abroad increases the fund’s available investment opportunities. Some foreign countries may have greater potential for economic growth than the U.S. Investing a portion of your overall portfolio in stock funds with foreign holdings can enhance your diversification while providing the opportunity to increase long-term returns.
Portfolio managers closely monitor fund investments as well as political and economic trends in each country and region. Holdings are adjusted according to the portfolio manager’s analysis and outlook. The impact of unfavorable developments in a particular country may be reduced when investments are spread among many countries. However, the economies and financial markets of countries in a certain region may be heavily influenced by one another and the global economy.
As with all stock funds, a fund’s share price can fall because of weakness in one or more of its primary equity markets, a particular industry, or specific holdings. Stock markets can decline for many reasons, including adverse political, social, or economic developments, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. The prospects for an industry or company may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including disappointing earnings or changes in the competitive environment. In addition, our assessment of companies held in a fund may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets.
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Finding undervalued stocks requires considerable research to identify the particular company, analyze its financial condition and prospects, and assess the likelihood that the stock’s underlying value will be recognized by the market and reflected in its price. A value approach to investing carries the risk that the market will not recognize a security’s intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.
Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets.
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares of the fund. Some particular risks affecting the fund include the following:
Currency risk This refers to a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. The overall impact on a fund’s holdings can be significant, unpredictable, and long-lasting, depending on the currencies represented in the fund’s portfolio and how each foreign currency appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar and whether currency positions are hedged. Under normal conditions, the fund does not engage in extensive foreign currency hedging programs. Further, since exchange rate movements are volatile, a fund’s attempts at hedging could be unsuccessful, and it is not possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many emerging market countries.
Other risks of foreign investing Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development, differing regulatory environments, trading days and accounting standards, uncertain tax laws, and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Investments outside the U.S. could be subject to governmental actions such as capital or currency controls, nationalization of a company or industry, expropriation of assets, or imposition of high taxes. A trading market may close without warning for extended time periods, preventing a fund from buying or selling securities in that market.
Emerging markets risk Investments in emerging markets, which generally include Africa, parts of Europe and much of Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, are subject to the risk of abrupt and severe price declines. The economic and political structures of emerging market countries, in most cases, do not compare favorably with the U.S. or other developed countries in terms of wealth and stability, and their financial markets often lack liquidity. These economies are less developed, can be overly reliant on particular industries, and more vulnerable to the ebb and flow of international trade, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Certain countries have legacies and periodic episodes of hyperinflation and currency devaluations, particularly Russia and many Latin American nations, and more recently many Asian countries. Governments in many emerging market
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countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets. Foreign investments may be restricted and subject to greater government control, including repatriation of sales proceeds. Some countries have histories of instability and upheaval that could cause their governments to act in a detrimental or hostile manner toward private enterprise or foreign investment. Investments in countries or regions that have recently begun moving away from central planning and state-owned industries toward free markets should be regarded as speculative.
While some countries have made progress in economic growth, liberalization, fiscal discipline, and political and social stability, there is no assurance these trends will continue. Significant risks, such as war and terrorism, currently affect some emerging market countries. Fund performance will likely be hurt by exposure to nations in the midst of hyperinflation, currency devaluation, trade disagreements, sudden political upheaval, or interventionist government policies. The volatility of emerging markets may be heightened by the actions (such as significant buying or selling) of a few major investors. For example, substantial decreases in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local securities prices and, therefore, cause fund share prices to decline.
In response to political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the U.S. and European Union have instituted various sanctions against Russia. These sanctions, and other intergovernmental actions that may be undertaken against Russia in the future, could result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country’s credit rating, and a significant decline in the value and liquidity of securities issued by Russian companies or the Russian government. Future sanctions and any retaliatory action by the Russian government could result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of the funds to buy, sell, or receive proceeds from those securities. These sanctions, and the continued disruption of the Russian economy, could severely impact the performance of any funds that have significant exposure to Russia.
Banking industry risk The fund will not concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25%) in a particular industry, but may at times have significant investments in stocks in the banking industry. Banks and other financial services institutions are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and the potential for additional regulation could reduce profit margins and adversely affect the scope of their activities and the amount of capital they must maintain. The oversight of, and regulations applicable to, banks in emerging markets may be ineffective when compared to the regulatory frameworks for banks in developed markets. Banks in emerging markets may have significantly less access to capital than banks in more developed markets, leading them to be more likely to fail under adverse economic conditions.
Some of the principal tools we use to try to reduce overall risk include intensive research when evaluating a company’s prospects and limiting exposure to any one industry or company.
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Additional strategies and risks While most assets will be invested in common stocks, other strategies may be employed that are not considered part of the fund’s principal investment strategies. For instance, the fund may, to a limited extent, use derivatives such as futures contracts and forward currency exchange contracts. Any investments in futures would typically serve as an efficient means of gaining exposure to certain markets or as a cash management tool to maintain liquidity while being invested in the market. Forward currency exchange contracts would primarily be used to settle trades in a foreign currency or to help protect a fund’s holdings from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, although other currency hedging techniques may be used from time to time. To the extent the fund uses futures and forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to potential volatility and losses greater than direct investments in the contract’s underlying assets, and the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted.
Recent regulations have changed the requirements related to the use of certain derivatives. Some of these new regulations have limited the availability of certain derivatives and made their use by funds more costly. It is expected that additional changes to the regulatory framework will occur, but the extent and impact of additional new regulations are not certain at this time.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses.
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as “fundamental policies.” Portfolio managers also follow certain “operating policies” that can be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change in the fund’s policy requiring it to normally invest at least 80% of net assets in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets.
Fund holdings in certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages as set forth in this prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. For instance, there are limitations regarding fund investments in certain types of derivatives. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have a
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significantly greater impact on a fund’s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Certain investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time a fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of a fund’s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of a fund’s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If any of these changes occur, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction and will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time the investment was made (this exception does not apply to a fund’s borrowing policy). However, purchases by a fund during the time it is above or below the stated percentage restriction would be made in compliance with applicable restrictions.
For purposes of determining whether a particular country is considered a developed market or an emerging market, the fund uses the designation set forth by MSCI Barra, a third-party provider of benchmark indexes and data services for institutions worldwide. The fund considers a country that is not classified as a developed market by MSCI Barra to be an emerging market. This means that emerging markets investments may include a country considered to be a frontier market, which is considered by the fund to be a subset of the emerging markets category. For purposes of determining whether the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in stocks issued by companies in emerging markets, the fund uses a country assigned to a security by MSCI Barra or another unaffiliated third-party data provider. The data providers use various criteria to determine the country that should be assigned to the issuer of a security. Examples include the following: (1) the country under which the company is organized; (2) the location of the company’s principal place of business or principal office; (3) where the company’s securities are listed or traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter market; and (4) where the company conducts the predominant part of its business activities or derives a significant portion of its revenues or profits.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments to fund performance are discussed in the shareholder reports.
Portfolio managers have considerable discretion in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund holdings and investment management practices.
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Diversification As a fundamental policy, the fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of the fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund.
Fund investments are primarily in common stocks and, to a lesser degree, other types of securities as described as follows:
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stocks have a specified dividend rate and rank after bonds and before common stock in their claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Unlike common stock, preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, a fund may decide to purchase preferred stock where the issuer has suspended, or is in danger of suspending, payment of its dividend. The fund may purchase American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, which are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts trade on established markets and are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their local markets and currencies. Such investments are subject to many of the same risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities at specified times in the future and according to a certain exchange ratio. Convertible bonds are typically callable by the issuer, which could in effect force conversion before the holder would otherwise choose. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree than common stock. Some convertible securities combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy, directly from the issuer, a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and can be highly volatile. In some cases, the redemption value of a warrant could be zero.
Participation Notes (P-notes)
A fund may gain exposure to securities traded in foreign markets through investments in P-notes. P-notes are generally issued by banks or broker-dealers and
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are designed to offer a return linked to an underlying common stock or other security. An investment in a P-note involves additional risks beyond the risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying security. While the holder of a P-note is entitled to receive from the broker-dealer or bank any dividends paid by the underlying security, the holder is not entitled to the same rights (e.g., voting rights) as a direct owner of the underlying security. P-notes are considered general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them as the counterparty. As such, the fund must rely on the creditworthiness of the counterparty for its investment returns on the P-notes, and could lose the entire value of its investment in the event of default by a counterparty. Additionally, there is no assurance that there will be a secondary trading market for a P-note or that the trading price of a P-note will equal the value of the underlying security.
Operating policy Fund investments in P-notes are limited to 20% of total assets. Investments in P-notes are not subject to the limit on investments in hybrid instruments.
Fixed Income Securities
From time to time, a fund may invest in corporate and government fixed income securities as well as below investment-grade bonds, commonly referred to as “junk” bonds. These securities would be purchased in companies that meet fund investment criteria. The price of a fixed income security fluctuates with changes in interest rates, generally rising when interest rates fall and falling when interest rates rise. Below investment-grade bonds, or “junk” bonds, can be more volatile and have greater risk of default than investment-grade bonds, and should be considered speculative.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in below investment-grade bonds.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in securities prices and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, and financial indexes. A fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
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Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower a fund’s total return; the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such contracts; and the losses from certain options written by a fund could be unlimited.
Operating policies Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of a fund’s net asset value. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Hybrid Instruments
Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount, redemption, or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market price of some commodity, currency, security, or securities index. Such instruments may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
Currency Derivatives
The fund will normally conduct any foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. The fund will generally not enter into a forward contract with a term greater than one year. A fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security when it enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, and when the fund believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may move substantially against another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell or buy the former foreign currency.
Funds that invest in foreign securities may attempt to hedge their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of forward currency exchange contracts, which are contracts between two counterparties to exchange one currency for another on a future date at a specified exchange rate. A fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond, which is issued in one currency with the currency component transformed into another currency. However, futures, swaps, and options on foreign currencies may also be used. In certain circumstances, a fund may use currency derivatives to substitute a different currency for the currency in which the investment is
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denominated, a strategy known as proxy hedging. If a fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, it could serve to protect the fund’s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar, although the fund may also use currency derivatives in an effort to gain exposure to a currency expected to appreciate in value versus other currencies. As a result, a fund could be invested in a currency without holding any securities denominated in that currency. Such transactions involve, among other risks, the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce a fund’s total return. There are certain markets, including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging.
Hedging may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Investments in Other Investment Companies
A fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds.
A fund may purchase the securities of another investment company to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the market while awaiting purchase of securities or as an efficient means of gaining exposure to a particular asset class. The fund might also purchase shares of another investment company to gain exposure to the securities in the investment company’s portfolio at times when the fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. Any investment in another investment company would be consistent with the fund’s objective and investment program.
The risks of owning another investment company are generally similar to the risks of investing directly in the securities in which that investment company invests. However, an investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect the fund’s performance. In addition, because closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds trade on a secondary market, their shares may trade at a premium or discount to the actual net asset value of their portfolio securities and their shares may have greater volatility if an active trading market does not exist.
As a shareholder of another investment company, the fund must pay its pro-rata share of that investment company’s fees and expenses. The fund’s investments in non-T. Rowe Price investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to investments in other funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any applicable exemptive order.
A fund may also invest in certain other T. Rowe Price funds as a means of gaining efficient and cost-effective exposure to certain asset classes, provided the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment program and policies. Such an investment
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could allow the fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio than might otherwise be available through direct investments in the asset class, and will subject the fund to the risks associated with the particular asset class. Examples of asset classes in which other T. Rowe Price mutual funds concentrate their investments include high yield bonds, inflation-linked securities, floating rate loans, international bonds, emerging market bonds, stocks of companies involved in activities related to real assets and emerging market stocks. If the fund invests in another T. Rowe Price fund, the management fee paid by the fund will be reduced to ensure that the fund does not incur duplicate management fees as a result of its investment.
Illiquid Securities
Some fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid securities may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and a fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what it believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets may be held in reserves. Fund reserve positions can consist of: 1) shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money fund or short-term bond fund; 2) short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements; and 3) U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar currencies. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on a fund’s holdings in reserves. If a fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into a fund, and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Non-U.S. dollar reserves are subject to currency risk.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
A fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
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Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Operating policy A fund will not transfer portfolio securities as collateral except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 331/3% of total assets. A fund will not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
A fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform as well as expected.
Fundamental policy The value of loaned securities may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. A fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time a fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in its net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on a fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the initial period of operations may exceed 100%.
Each T. Rowe Price fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund’s first and third fiscal quarter-end. The money funds also file detailed month-end portfolio holdings information with the SEC each month. Such information will be made available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains. In addition, the funds disclose their calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of a fund’s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would not be individually identified if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be excluded for these purposes from a fund’s quarter-end holdings disclosure for more than one year. Money funds also disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com five business days after each
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month. The quarter-end portfolio holdings will remain on the website for one year and the month-end money fund portfolio holdings will remain on the website for six months. Each fund also discloses its 10 largest holdings on troweprice.com on the seventh business day after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets that these 10 holdings represent. Each monthly top 10 list will remain on the website for six months. A description of T. Rowe Price’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is available in the Statement of Additional Information and through troweprice.com.
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Your fund shares must be purchased
through a third-party intermediary, therefore please contact the intermediary |
Tax Identification | The intermediary must provide T. Rowe Price with its certified taxpayer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject the intermediary or account holder to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after the account is established, the account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value. |
All initial and subsequent investments by intermediaries should be made by bank wire
or electronic payment. For more information, contact Financial Institution Services by calling |
Important Information About Opening an Account | Opening a New Account |
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. |
| When an account is opened, the name, residential U.S. street address, date of birth, and Social Security or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others (such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers) must be provided. Corporate and other institutional accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of |
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attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. For more information, call Financial Institution Services at 1-800-638-8790. |
T. Rowe Price will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. An account cannot be opened until all of this information is received. If the identity of the account holder cannot be verified, T. Rowe Price is authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.) |
Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services for an account number, assignment to a dedicated service representative, and wire transfer instructions. |
In order to obtain an account number, the intermediary must supply the name, Social Security or employer identification number, and business street address for the account. |
Intermediaries should complete a New Account form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm to one of the appropriate addresses listed below. Intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent. The funds are generally available only to investors residing in the United States. |
via U.S. Postal Service |
via private carriers/overnight
services |
Note: Please use the correct address to avoid a delay in opening your new account. |
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$100 minimum per fund for all additional purchases and $1,000 minimum required for Summit Funds (your intermediary may impose different minimums) |
By Wire | Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services or access troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, for wire transfer instructions. T. Rowe Price must receive the wire by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that the share price for the purchase will be the same day the wire was initiated. |
Exchange Service | Money can be moved from one account to an existing, identically registered account or a new identically registered account can be opened. Intermediaries should call their Financial Institution Services representative for more information or to place a trade. For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy. |
Redemptions | Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be wired to the intermediary’s designated bank. Intermediaries should contact their Financial Institution Services representative. |
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund’s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund. |
If your account has no activity in it for a certain period of time, your intermediary may be required to transfer your account to the appropriate state under its abandoned property laws. |
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T. Rowe Price funds and their agents, in their sole discretion, reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute regarding the ownership of the account, or a legal claim against an account, upon initial notification to T. Rowe Price of a shareholder’s death until T. Rowe Price receives required documentation in good order, or if there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and modify or terminate any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; (10) to involuntarily redeem an account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account; and (11) for money funds, to suspend redemptions and postpone the payment of proceeds to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the fund. |
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In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confidential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies’ use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Finally, our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confidence.
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
A Statement of Additional Information for the T. Rowe Price family of funds, which includes additional information about the funds, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager’s recent investment strategies and their impact on performance during the past fiscal year, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, call your intermediary. These documents are available through troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the SEC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
1940 Act File No. 811-2958 TBD 8/24/15
| |
PROSPECTUS | |
TBD | |
August 28, 2015 | |
T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class | |
A fund seeking to provide high income and capital appreciation through investments in bonds of emerging markets issuers. This class of shares is sold only through financial intermediaries. SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. | |
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Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The fund seeks to provide high income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund’s Advisor Class
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) | 2.00% |
Annual
fund operating expenses | |
Management fees | 0.74% |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.37%a |
Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.36% |
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement | (0.16)%b |
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement | 1.20% |
a Other expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
b T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. has agreed (through April 30, 2018) to waive its fees and/or bear any expenses (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees) that would cause the class’ ratio of expenses to average daily net assets to exceed 1.20%. Termination of the agreement would require approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. Fees waived and expenses paid under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. by the fund whenever the class’ expense ratio is below 1.20%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after the waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 1.20% (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees).
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year , the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
$122 | $387 | $702 | $1,596 |
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
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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 most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate (for existing classes) was 45.0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies The fund will normally invest at least 80% (and potentially all) of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities of emerging market governments or companies located in emerging market countries. Fund holdings may be denominated in U.S. dollars or non-U.S. dollar currencies, including emerging market currencies. The extent, if any, to which the fund attempts to cushion the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the dollar depends on market conditions. Fund holdings may include the lowest-rated bonds, including those in default, and there are no overall limits on the fund’s investments that are rated below investment-grade (BB or lower, or an equivalent rating), also known as “junk” bonds.
Although the fund expects to maintain an intermediate- to long-term weighted average maturity, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall portfolio or on individual securities. Security selection relies heavily on research, which analyzes political and economic trends as well as creditworthiness of particular issuers. The fund tends to favor bonds it expects will be upgraded. The fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust its average maturity or credit quality, to shift assets into and out of higher-yielding securities, or to alter geographic or currency exposure.
The fund is “nondiversified,” meaning it may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
While most assets will be invested in bonds, the fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in keeping with the fund’s objectives. Forward currency exchange contracts would primarily be used to help protect the fund’s holdings from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, although other currency hedging techniques may be used from time to time.
Principal Risks As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:
Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Summary | 3 |
Fixed income markets risk Economic and other market developments can adversely affect fixed income securities markets. At times, participants in these markets may develop concerns about the ability of certain issuers of debt securities to make timely principal and interest payments, or they may develop concerns about the ability of financial institutions that make markets in certain debt securities to facilitate an orderly market. Those concerns could cause increased volatility and reduced liquidity in particular securities or in the overall fixed income markets and the related derivatives markets. A lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the fund’s ability to sell the debt securities in which it invests or to find and purchase suitable debt instruments.
International investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. International securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities and may lose value because of adverse political, social, or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, international investments are subject to settlement practices and regulatory and financial reporting standards that differ from those of the U.S.
Emerging markets risk The risks of international investing are heightened for securities of issuers in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. In addition to all of the risks of investing in international developed markets, emerging markets are more susceptible to governmental interference, local taxes being imposed on international investments, restrictions on gaining access to sales proceeds, and less liquid and less efficient trading markets.
Currency risk Because the fund generally invests in securities issued in foreign currencies, the fund is subject to the risk that it could experience losses based solely on the weakness of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar and changes in the exchange rates between such currencies and the U.S. dollar. Any attempts at currency hedging may not be successful and could cause the fund to lose money.
Credit risk This is the risk that an issuer of a debt security could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default, security downgrade, or inability to meet a financial obligation. The risk of default is much greater for emerging market bonds and securities rated as below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). The fund is exposed to greater credit risk than other bond funds because companies and governments in emerging markets are usually not as strong financially and are more susceptible to economic downturns. Junk bonds should be considered speculative as they carry greater risks of default and erratic price swings due to real or perceived changes in the credit quality of the issuer.
Interest rate risk This risk refers to the chance that interest rates will increase, causing a decline in bond prices (bond prices and interest rates usually move in
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opposite directions). Generally, securities with longer maturities and funds with longer weighted average maturities carry greater interest rate risk.
Liquidity risk This is the risk that the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Reduced liquidity in the bond markets can result from a number of events, such as significant trading activity, reductions in bond inventory, and rapid or unexpected changes in interest rates. Less liquid markets could lead to greater price volatility and limit the fund’s ability to sell a holding at a suitable price.
Nondiversification risk As a nondiversified fund, the fund has the ability to invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, poor performance by a single issuer could adversely affect fund performance more than if the fund were invested in a larger number of issuers. The fund’s share price can be expected to fluctuate more than that of a comparable diversified fund.
Derivatives risk To the extent the fund uses forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to greater volatility and losses in comparison to investing directly in foreign bonds. Forward currency exchange contracts are also subject to the risks that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, a counterparty will fail to perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and the chance that potential government regulation could negatively affect the fund’s investments in such instruments.
Performance The Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Performance for the class will be presented after the class has been in operation for one full calendar year. As a point of comparison, however, the following bar chart and table show calendar year returns and average annual total returns for the existing Investor Class of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund (“Investor Class”). Because the Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class is expected to have higher expenses than the Investor Class, its performance, had it existed over the periods shown, would have been lower. The Investor Class and the Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class share the same portfolio.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the year depicted for the Investor Class.
Summary | 5 |
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account. In some cases, the figure shown under “returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares” may be higher than the figure shown under “returns before taxes” because the calculations assume the investor received a tax deduction for any loss incurred on the sale of shares.
Average Annual Total Returns | ||||||||||||
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| Periods ended |
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| December 31, 2014 |
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| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years |
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| Emerging Markets Bond Fund |
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| Returns before taxes | 3.21 | % | 6.08 | % | 7.50 | % |
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| Returns after taxes on distributions | 0.55 |
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| 3.59 |
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| 4.74 |
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| Returns after taxes on distributions |
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| and sale of fund shares | 1.98 |
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| 3.82 |
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| 4.91 |
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| J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 5.53 |
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| 7.27 |
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| 7.68 |
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| Lipper Emerging Market Hard Currency Debt Funds Average | 1.36 |
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| 6.02 |
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| 6.94 |
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Current performance information may be obtained through troweprice.com or by calling 1-800-638-8790.
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Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
Portfolio Manager | Title | Managed Fund Since | Joined Investment |
Michael J. Conelius | Chairman of Investment Advisory Committee | 1994 | 1988 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your financial intermediary. Generally, the fund’s minimum initial investment requirement is $2,500 and the fund’s minimum subsequent investment requirement is $100, although the investment minimums may be modified or waived for financial intermediaries submitting orders on behalf of their customers. You should check with your financial intermediary to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.
Tax Information
The fund declares dividends daily and pays them on the first business day of each month. Any capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (although you may be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to Advisor Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price family of funds.
How and When Shares Are Priced
The share price, also called the “net asset value,” for each class of shares is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the net asset value, the fund’s assets are valued and totaled; liabilities are subtracted; and each class’s proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available or normal valuation procedures are deemed to be inappropriate, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security by taking into account various factors that have been approved by the fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money funds and certain other debt securities held by a fund. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If a fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the New York Stock Exchange will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices
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and information used for adjusting those prices and to value most fixed income securities. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. The fund also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
How Your Purchase, Sale, or Exchange Price Is Determined
Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others. Contact your intermediary to find out how to purchase, sell, or exchange your shares; trade deadlines; and other applicable procedures for these transactions. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
The fund may have an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET). In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange and is transmitted to T. Rowe Price and paid for in accordance with the agreement, the transaction will be priced at the next net asset value computed after the intermediary received your order. If the fund does not have an agreement with your intermediary, T. Rowe Price must receive the request in correct form from your intermediary by the close of the New York Stock Exchange in order for your transaction to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
When authorized by the fund, certain financial institutions or retirement plans purchasing fund shares on behalf of customers or plan participants through T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services or T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The financial institution or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or an intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. In the event of an emergency closing, a fund’s shareholders will receive the next share price calculated by the fund. There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and accepted by T. Rowe Price prior to the
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time the New York Stock Exchange closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
How Proceeds Are Received
Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, depending on the arrangement with the intermediary. Under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interests, proceeds may not be sent to intermediaries for up to seven calendar days after receipt of the redemption order. You must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund’s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed in the following table, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges out of a fund), which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Asia Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Credit Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Corporate Bond— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Value Stock— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Floating Rate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Growth Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global High Income Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Real Estate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Intermediate Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Concentrated Equity—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Growth & Income—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
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T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Overseas Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Estate—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Small-Cap Value—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund’s long-term shareholders. Subject to the exceptions described on the following pages, all persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund; through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper; or indirectly through an intermediary (such as a broker, bank, or investment adviser), recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or other third party.
Computation of Holding Period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the “first-in, first-out” method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The day after the date of your purchase is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the holding period. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold on or before the end of the required holding period. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day after the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period will be applied.
Transactions Not Subject to Redemption Fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
· Shares redeemed through an automated, systematic withdrawal plan;
· Shares redeemed through or used to establish certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions; *
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums);
· Shares purchased by rollover or changes of account registration within the same fund; *
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· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that other shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy);
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares that are redeemed in-kind;
· Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third-party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically; * and
· Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
* Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption Fees on Shares Held in Retirement Plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, redemption fees generally will be assessed on shares redeemed by exchange only if they were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus Accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions previously listed to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Certain intermediaries may exempt transactions not listed from redemption fees, if approved by T. Rowe Price. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income
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tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Bond funds | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
These stock funds only: · Dividend Growth—Advisor Class · Equity Income—Advisor Class · Global Real Estate—Advisor Class · Real Estate—Advisor Class | · Declared and paid quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Other stock funds | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Retirement and Target Retirement Funds: | |
· Retirement Balanced—Advisor Class | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
· All others | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Bond fund shares will earn dividends through the date of redemption. Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond fund
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shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that, if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Tax Information
You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income” received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income. You may report it as “qualified dividend income” in computing your taxes, provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Global Real Estate Fund—Advisor
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Class, Real Estate Fund—Advisor Class, or the bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock or bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Regular monthly dividends from the Summit Municipal Income Fund—Advisor Class, Summit Municipal Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free High Yield Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free Income Fund—Advisor Class, and the Tax-Free Short-Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. Exemption is not guaranteed since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. You must report your total tax-free income on Internal Revenue Service Form 1040. The Internal Revenue Service uses this information to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received during the year. Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
The
tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities,
not how long you held the shares in the fund.
Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions
are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are
taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or
exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified
as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during
the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from
the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains
on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly
dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital, which are generally nontaxable but reduce
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your tax basis in the fund’s shares. Recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as REITs, and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
If a fund holds Build America Bonds or other qualified tax credit bonds and elects to pass through the corresponding interest income and any available tax credits, you will need to report both the interest income and any such tax credits as taxable income. You may be able to claim the tax credits on your federal tax return as an offset to your income tax (including alternative minimum tax) liability, but the tax credits generally are not refundable. There is no assurance, however, that a fund will elect to pass through the income and credits.
For the tax-free bond fund Advisor Classes, gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. Payments received or gains realized on certain derivative transactions may result in taxable ordinary income or capital gain. To the extent the fund invests in these securities, the likelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
For the Retirement Funds and Target Retirement Funds, distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
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Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
The Advisor Class is a share class of its respective T. Rowe Price fund and is not a separate mutual fund. The fund’s Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and other financial intermediaries that provide various distribution and administrative services.
The Advisor Class is designed for use by investors investing through intermediaries and requires an agreement between the intermediary and T. Rowe Price to be executed prior to investment. Purchases of Advisor Class shares for which the required agreement with T. Rowe Price has not been executed, or that are not made through an eligible intermediary, are subject to rejection or cancellation without prior notice to the intermediary or investor. Existing investments in the Advisor Class shares that are not held through an eligible intermediary may be transferred by T. Rowe Price to another class (with lower expenses) in the same fund following notice to the intermediary or shareholder.
Purchase Conditions for Intermediaries
Nonpayment If the fund does not receive payment for an order in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The intermediary will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on Immediate Redemptions: 10-Day Hold If an intermediary sells shares that it just purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire.)
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Large Redemptions Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to pay all or part of redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (“redemption in-kind”). If this occurs, the securities will be selected by the fund in its absolute discretion, and the redeeming shareholder or account will be responsible for disposing of the securities and bearing any associated costs.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the T. Rowe Price funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards of Directors/Trustees deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (the “30-Day Purchase Block”). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the 30-Day Purchase Block:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
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· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund; and
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy).
Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap programs, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct an intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (e.g., following the advice of a newsletter). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days or permanently.
Intermediary Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price funds through an intermediary, you should review the intermediary’s materials carefully or consult with the intermediary directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through an intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Intermediaries may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the intermediary and may request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable). If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred, it will instruct the intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its
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excessive trading policies for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
T. Rowe Price may allow an intermediary or other third party to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price funds and their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards of Directors/Trustees.
Retirement Plan Accounts If
shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the
30-Day Purchase Block applies only to shares redeemed
by a participant-directed exchange to another fund. However, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply to transactions
other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or the excessive
trading policy applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. An alternative excessive trading policy may
apply to the T. Rowe Price funds where a retirement plan has its own policy deemed acceptable to
T. Rowe Price. You should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper to determine which
of your transactions are subject to the funds’ 30-Day Purchase Block or an alternative policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Signature Guarantees
An intermediary may need to obtain a Medallion signature guarantee in certain situations, such as:
· Written requests to redeem over $5 million;
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file; or
· Changing the account registration or broker-dealer of record for an account.
Intermediaries should consult their T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative for specific requirements.
The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
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The Advisor Class has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which it pays a fee at a rate of up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets per year to various unaffiliated intermediaries, such as brokers, banks, insurance companies, and retirement plan recordkeepers for distribution and/or shareholder servicing of the Advisor Class shares. Distribution payments may include payments to intermediaries for making the Advisor Class shares available to their customers (e.g., providing the fund with “shelf space” or inclusion on a “preferred list” or “supermarket” platform). Shareholder servicing payments may include payments to intermediaries for providing shareholder support services to existing shareholders of the Advisor Class. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the Advisor Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, could result in your paying more than with other types of sales charges. The Advisor Class may also separately make payments to retirement plans, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries (at a rate of up to 0.15% of average daily net assets per year) for various recordkeeping, transfer agency, and other administrative services they provide on behalf of the Class. These administrative services may include such services as maintaining separate account records for each customer; transmitting net purchase and redemption orders; delivering shareholder confirmations, statements, and tax forms; and providing telephone and Internet support to respond to questions regarding the customer’s account. These separate administrative fee payments are reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in a fund’s fee table in Section 1, whereas 12b-1 payments are reflected in the “Distribution and service (12b-1) fees” line that appears in the fee table.
Payment of these fees may influence your financial advisor’s recommendation of the fund or of any particular share class of the fund.
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How is the fund organized?
T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “corporation”) was incorporated in Maryland in 1979. Currently, the corporation consists of 23 series, each representing a separate pool of assets with different investment objectives and investment policies. Each is an “open-end management investment company,” or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2015, the fund issued a separate class of shares known as the Advisor Class.
What is meant by “shares”?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund’s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
· Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. For funds with multiple share classes, the income dividends for each share class will generally differ from those of other share classes to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.
· Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of material changes to the fund’s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voting rights on matters affecting only that class.
Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold regularly scheduled shareholder meetings. To avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, shareholder meetings are only held when certain matters, such as changes in fundamental policies or elections of directors, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee. If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send or make available to you proxy materials that explain the matters to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail, telephone, or the Internet.
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Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (the “Firm”).
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price or an affiliated investment adviser—specifically by the fund’s portfolio manager.
Investment Adviser
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio. T. Rowe Price is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and sub-adviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of March 31, 2015, the Firm had approximately $772 billion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 9 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chairman have day-to-day responsibility for managing the fund’s portfolio and work with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Michael J. Conelius, Chairman, Roy H. Adkins, Peter I. Botoucharov, Tala Boulos, Carolyn Hoi Che Chu, Bridget A. Ebner, Richard L. Hall, Arif Husain, Andrew J. Keirle, Christopher J. Kushlis, Christopher C. Loop, Samy B. Muaddi, Michael D. Oh, Kenneth A. Orchard, and Christopher J. Rothery. The following information provides the year that the chairman first joined the Firm and the chariman’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chairman may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Conelius has been chairman of the committee since 2001, but has been managing the fund since the fund’s inception in 1994. He joined the Firm in 1988 and his investment experience dates from that time. He has served as a portfolio manager with the Firm throughout the past five years. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of fund shares.
The Management Fee
The management fee has two parts–an “individual fund fee,” which reflects a fund’s particular characteristics, and a “group fee.” The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all
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T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, Target Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (in the following table) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule
0.334%* | First $50 billion |
0.305% | Next $30 billion |
0.300% | Next $40 billion |
0.295% | Next $40 billion |
0.290% | Next $60 billion |
0.285% | Next $80 billion |
0.280% | Next $100 billion |
0.275% | Next $100 billion |
0.270% | Thereafter |
* Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. On May 31, 2015, the annual group fee rate was 0.29%. The individual fund fee, also applied to the fund’s average daily net assets, is 0.45%.
A discussion about the factors considered by the Board and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price appears in the fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended June 30.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price provides accounting services to the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. acts as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay third-party intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts.
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The fund may be appropriate for you if you seek diversification for your equity or domestic fixed income investments and can accept the risks that accompany foreign investing, including the potentially greater volatility associated with emerging markets. Your decision should also take into account whether you have any other foreign bond investments. If you can accept the possibility of share price declines in an effort to achieve high income and some capital growth, the fund could be an appropriate part of your overall investment strategy.
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Buying foreign bonds can be difficult and costly for the individual investor, and gaining access to many foreign markets can be complicated. Few investors have the time, the expertise, or the resources to evaluate foreign markets effectively on their own. The professional management, broad diversification, and relative simplicity of mutual funds make them an attractive, low-cost vehicle for this type of investing.
Interest rates vary from country to country depending on local economic conditions and monetary and fiscal policies. By investing in foreign bond markets, investors can benefit from potentially higher yields than U.S. bond markets provide. Therefore, diversifying internationally across various countries can help reduce portfolio volatility and smooth out returns.
The fund ordinarily invests in the securities of at least three countries; however, it may invest in the securities of one country, including the U.S., for temporary defensive purposes.
Security selection relies heavily on in-depth research that analyzes various factors such as the creditworthiness of particular issuers, shifts in country fundamentals, political and economic trends, anticipated currency movements, and the risk adjusted attractiveness of various countries. The fund focuses its investments on issuers in emerging markets. The fund has wide flexibility to choose among bonds issued in local currencies or the U.S. dollar, and to choose among corporate and sovereign issuers.
The fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in an effort to hedge against an expected decline in the value of currencies in which portfolio holdings are denominated, to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency or to shift the fund’s foreign currency exposure from one country to another, or to enhance the fund’s returns.
Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets. The risk profiles of foreign bond funds vary with the types of bonds they purchase, their degree of currency exposure, and whether they invest in developed markets, emerging markets, or both.
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares of the fund. Some particular risks affecting the fund include the following:
Market risk The market price of securities owned by the fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting the overall securities markets, or particular industries or sectors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for an issuer’s financial condition, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security may
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also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.
Currency risk This is the risk of a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. The overall impact on a fund’s holdings can be significant and long-lasting depending on the currencies represented in the portfolio, how each currency appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar, and whether currency positions are hedged. Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, particularly with respect to emerging markets currencies. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments. Although bonds held by the fund may be denominated in U.S. dollars to improve their marketability, this does not protect them from substantial price declines in the face of political and economic turmoil. Currency trends are unpredictable, and to the extent the fund purchases and sells currencies, it will also be subject to the risk that its trading strategies, including efforts at hedging, will not succeed. Furthermore, hedging and trading costs can be significant and reduce fund net asset value, and many emerging market currencies cannot be effectively hedged.
Other risks of foreign investing Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development, differing regulatory environments, trading days and accounting standards, uncertain tax laws, and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Investments outside the U.S. could be subject to governmental actions such as capital or currency controls, nationalization of a company or industry, expropriation of assets, or imposition of high taxes. A trading market may close without warning for extended time periods, preventing a fund from buying or selling securities in that market.
Emerging markets risk Investments in emerging markets, which generally include Africa, parts of Europe and much of Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, are subject to the risk of abrupt and severe price declines. The economic and political structures of emerging market countries, in most cases, do not compare favorably with the U.S. or other developed countries in terms of wealth and stability, and their financial markets often lack liquidity. These economies are less developed, can be overly reliant on particular industries, and more vulnerable to the ebb and flow of international trade, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Certain countries have legacies and periodic episodes of hyperinflation and currency devaluations, particularly Russia and many Latin American nations, and more recently many Asian countries. Governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets. Foreign investments may be restricted and subject to greater government control, including repatriation of sales proceeds. Some countries have histories of instability and upheaval that could cause their governments to act in a detrimental or hostile
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manner toward private enterprise or foreign investment. Investments in countries or regions that have recently begun moving away from central planning and state-owned industries toward free markets should be regarded as speculative.
In response to political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the U.S. and European Union have instituted various sanctions against Russia. These sanctions, and other intergovernmental actions that may be undertaken against Russia in the future, could result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country’s credit rating, and a significant decline in the value and liquidity of securities issued by Russian companies or the Russian government. Future sanctions and any retaliatory action by the Russian government could result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of the funds to buy, sell, or receive proceeds from those securities. These sanctions, and the continued disruption of the Russian economy, could severely impact the performance of any funds that have significant exposure to Russia.
While some countries have made progress in economic growth, liberalization, fiscal discipline, and political and social stability, there is no assurance these trends will continue. Significant risks, such as war and terrorism, currently affect some emerging market countries. Fund performance will likely be hurt by exposure to nations in the midst of hyperinflation, currency devaluation, trade disagreements, sudden political upheaval, or interventionist government policies. The volatility of emerging markets may be heightened by the actions (such as significant buying or selling) of a few major investors. For example, substantial decreases in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local securities prices and, therefore, cause fund share prices to decline.
All of these factors make investing in such countries significantly riskier than in other countries and any one of these could cause a fund’s share price to decline.
Credit risk This is the risk that an issuer of a debt security held by the fund will default (fail to make scheduled payments), potentially reducing the fund’s income and share price. This risk is increased when a portfolio security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of an issuer or counterparty deteriorates. The risk of default is much greater for emerging market bonds and securities rated as below investment-grade.
Companies and governments issuing lower-rated bonds are not as strong financially as those with higher credit ratings, and their bonds are often viewed as speculative investments. Such issuers are more vulnerable to real or perceived business setbacks and to changes in the economy, such as a recession, that might impair their ability to make timely interest and principal payments. Certain emerging market governments and corporations have in the past defaulted on payment of interest and principal on debt they have issued. As a result, your portfolio managers rely heavily on proprietary T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International research when selecting these investments.
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Liquidity risk This is the risk that a fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Sectors of the bond market can experience sudden downturns in trading activity. During periods of reduced market liquidity, the spread between the price at which a security can be bought and the price at which it can be sold can widen, and the fund may not be able to sell a holding readily at a price that reflects what the fund believes it should be worth. Less liquid securities can also become more difficult to value. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities or the lack of an active market. The potential for liquidity risk may be magnified by a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, potentially causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity.
Emerging market bonds are generally less liquid than higher-quality bonds issued by companies and governments in developed countries. Consequently, large purchases or sales of certain high-yield, emerging market debt issues may cause significant changes in their prices. Because many of these bonds do not trade frequently, when they do trade, their prices may be substantially higher or lower than had been expected. A lack of liquidity also means that more subjectivity will be used in establishing the fair value of the securities.
Interest rate risk This is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed income securities will increase as interest rates fall and prices will decrease as interest rates rise (bond prices and interest rates usually move in opposite directions). Prices fall because the bonds and notes in the fund’s portfolio become less attractive to other investors when securities with higher yields become available. Generally, the longer the maturity of a security or the longer a bond fund’s weighted average maturity, the greater its interest rate risk. As a result, in a rising interest rate environment, the net asset value of a fund with a longer weighted average maturity typically decreases at a faster rate than the net asset value of a fund with a shorter weighted average maturity. In addition, changes in the local interest rates of emerging market countries tend to be more erratic than changes in interest rates of the U.S. and developed market countries.
Other factors The major factor influencing prices of high-quality bonds is changes in interest rate levels, but this is only one of several factors affecting prices of lower-quality bonds. Because the credit quality of the issuer is lower, such bonds are more sensitive to developments affecting the issuer’s underlying fundamentals (for example, changes in financial condition or a particular country’s general economy). In addition, the entire bond market in an emerging market can experience sudden and sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large or sustained sales by institutional investors, a high-profile default, a political upheaval of some kind, or just a change in the
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market’s psychology. This type of volatility is usually associated more with stocks than bonds, but investors in lower-quality bonds should also anticipate it.
Since mutual funds can be a major source of demand in certain markets, substantial cash flows into and out of these funds can affect high-yield and emerging market bond prices. If, for example, a significant number of funds were to sell bonds to meet shareholder redemptions, both bond prices and a fund’s share price could fall more than underlying fundamentals might justify.
Nondiversification risk Because the fund is nondiversified, the fund can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. Concentrating investments could result in greater potential losses than for funds investing in a broader variety of issuers.
Derivatives risk To the extent a fund enters into forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to additional volatility and losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment, the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, and the risk that the other party to the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. If currency values and exchange rates move in a direction not predicted by the investment adviser, the fund could be in a worse position than if it had not entered into such transactions. Any attempts at hedging currencies may not be successful and could cause the fund to lose money or fail to get the benefit of a gain on a hedged position.
Any efforts at buying or selling currencies could result in significant losses for a fund and, if the fund takes a short position in a particular currency, it will lose money if the currency appreciates in value. Further, if the fund’s foreign currency transactions are intended to hedge the currency risk associated with investing in foreign securities and minimize the risk of loss that would result from a decline in the value of the hedged currency, these transactions also may limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
Efforts to reduce risk Consistent with the fund’s objective, the portfolio manager uses various tools to try to reduce risk and increase total return, including:
· Thorough credit research performed by T. Rowe Price analysts.
· Adjusting fund duration to try to reduce the drop in the fund’s price when interest rates rise or to benefit from the rise in price when rates fall.
· Management of the impact of foreign currency changes on the fund’s portfolio.
Additional strategies and risks Other strategies may be employed that are not considered part of the fund’s principal investment strategies. For instance, the fund may also, to a limited extent, use credit default swaps to manage overall credit quality or to protect the value of certain portfolio holdings. To the extent the fund invests in credit default swaps, it is exposed to the risk of losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment and the risk that anticipated changes in the creditworthiness of an issuer
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or the likelihood of a credit event will not be accurately predicted. From time to time, the fund may use other derivatives that are consistent with its investment program.
A derivative involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the assets on which the derivative is based. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid, and difficult to value. Changes in the value of a derivative may not properly correlate with changes in the value of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index. A fund could be exposed to significant losses if it is unable to close a derivatives position due to the lack of a liquid secondary trading market. Derivatives involve the risk that a counterparty to the derivatives agreement will fail to make required payments or comply with the terms of the agreement. There is also the possibility that limitations or trading restrictions may be imposed by an exchange or government regulation, which could adversely impact the value and liquidity of a derivatives contract subject to such regulation.
Recent regulations have changed the requirements related to the use of certain derivatives. Some of these new regulations have limited the availability of certain derivatives and made their use by funds more costly. It is expected that additional changes to the regulatory framework will occur, but the extent and impact of additional new regulations are not certain at this time.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses.
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as “fundamental policies.” Portfolio managers also follow certain “operating policies” that can be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change in the fund’s policy requiring it to normally invest at least 80% of net assets in debt securities of emerging market governments or companies located in emerging market countries.
Fund holdings in certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages as set forth in this prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. For instance, there are limitations regarding fund investments in certain types of derivatives. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments.
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For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have a significantly greater impact on a fund’s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Certain investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time a fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of a fund’s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of a fund’s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If any of these changes occur, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction and will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time the investment was made (this exception does not apply to a fund’s borrowing policy). However, purchases by a fund during the time it is above or below the stated percentage restriction would be made in compliance with applicable restrictions.
For purposes of determining whether a particular country is considered a developed market or an emerging market, the fund considers a country to be an emerging market if it is either included in a JP Morgan emerging market bond index or not included in the International Monetary Fund’s listing of advanced economies. For purposes of determining whether the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in debt securities of emerging markets issuers, the fund uses the country assigned to a security by Bloomberg or another unaffiliated third-party data provider.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments to fund performance are discussed in the shareholder reports.
Portfolio managers have considerable discretion in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund holdings and investment management practices.
Nondiversified Status
The fund is registered with the SEC as a nondiversified mutual fund. Therefore, the fund is able to invest more than 5% of its assets in the securities of individual foreign governments and may invest a greater portion of its assets in a single issuer than a diversified fund. Since the fund is a nondiversified investment company and is permitted to invest a greater proportion of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers, the fund may be subject to greater credit risk with respect to its
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portfolio securities and greater volatility with respect to its share price than an investment company that is more broadly diversified.
However, the fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. This requires the fund to limit its investments so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, with respect to 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of its assets is invested in the securities of a single issuer, and not more than 10% of the voting securities of any issuer are held by the fund. With respect to the remaining 50% of fund assets, no more than 25% may be invested in a single issuer.
Debt Securities
The fund’s investments may be in fixed-rate and floating rate debt securities and may include, but shall not be limited to: (1) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by: (a) a foreign sovereign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions, including a foreign state, province, or municipality, and (b) supranational organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Economic Community; (2) debt obligations: (a) of foreign banks and bank holding companies, and (b) of domestic banks and corporations issued in non-U.S. dollar denominations; and (3) foreign corporate debt securities, asset-backed securities, and commercial paper. Such securities may take a variety of forms including those issued in the local currency of the issuer, U.S. dollar-denominated bonds, Eurobonds, and Euro-denominated bonds. The fund may from time to time purchase securities on a when-issued basis, invest in repurchase agreements, and purchase bonds convertible into equities.
The fund generally will not invest more than 5% of its assets in any individual corporate issuer, provided that (1) the fund may place assets in bank deposits or other short-term bank instruments with a maturity of up to 30 days provided that (a) the bank has a short-term credit rating of A1+ (or, if unrated, the equivalent as determined by T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price International) and (b) the fund will not maintain more than 10% of its total assets with any single bank; and (2) the fund may maintain more than 5% of its total assets, including cash and currencies, in custodial accounts or deposits of the fund’s custodian or sub-custodians.
The fund may also invest in: such dollar-denominated fixed-income securities as (1) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities; (2) domestic corporate debt securities; (3) domestic commercial paper, including commercial paper indexed to certain specific foreign currency exchange rates; (4) debt obligations of domestic banks and bank holding companies; and (5) collateralized mortgage obligations or asset-backed bonds.
Concentration of Investments From time to time, the fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country. However, the fund will not invest more than 25% of its
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total assets in the securities any single foreign governmental issuer or in two or more such issuers subject to a common, explicit guarantee, and will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single corporate issuer.
Below Investment-Grade Bonds The price and yield of lower-quality (high yield, high-risk) bonds, commonly referred to as “junk” bonds and below investment-grade emerging market bonds, can be expected to fluctuate more than the price and yield of higher-quality bonds. Investment-grade bonds are those rated from the highest quality (AAA or equivalent) to medium quality (BBB or equivalent), and below investment-grade bonds are those rated BB (or equivalent) and lower. Below investment-grade bonds are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments since their issuers are more vulnerable to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy issuers. Even BBB rated bonds may have speculative elements as well. The values of below investment-grade bonds often fluctuate more in response to political, regulatory, or economic developments than higher quality bonds. Successful investment in lower-medium- and low-quality bonds involves greater investment risk and is highly dependent on careful credit analysis.
Operating policy There is no limit on the fund’s investments in securities that are rated below investment grade.
While the fund intends to invest primarily in debt securities, it may invest in convertible bonds or equity securities. While some countries or companies may be regarded as favorable investments, pure bond opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply, or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the fund may consider equity securities or convertible bonds to gain exposure to such markets.
Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stocks have a specified dividend rate and rank after bonds and before common stocks in their claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Unlike common stock, preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, a fund may decide to purchase preferred stock where the issuer has suspended, or is in danger of suspending, payment of its dividend.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities at specified times in the future and
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according to a certain exchange ratio. Convertible bonds are typically callable by the issuer, which could in effect force conversion before the holder would otherwise choose. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree than common stock. Some convertible securities combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy, directly from the issuer, a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and can be highly volatile. In some cases, the redemption value of a warrant could be zero.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 10% of total assets in preferred stocks and securities that are convertible into, or which carry warrants for, common stocks or other equity securities. Under normal conditions, the fund does not expect to directly purchase common stocks. Any shares of common stock that are received through a reorganization, restructuring, exercise, exchange, conversion, or similar action will be sold within a reasonable timeframe taking into consideration market conditions and any legal restrictions.
Loan Participations and Assignments
Large loans to corporations or governments, including governments of less developed countries, may be shared or syndicated among several lenders, usually banks. The fund could participate in such syndicates, or could buy part of a loan, becoming a direct lender. The fund may acquire loans as an assignment from another lender that holds a direct interest in the loan or as a participation interest in another lender’s portion of the loan. Participations and assignments involve special types of risk, including limited marketability and the risks of being considered a lender. If the fund purchases a participation, it may only be able to enforce its rights through the lender, and it may assume the credit risk of the lender in addition to the borrower. With assignments, the fund’s rights against the borrower may be more limited than those held by the original lender. The fund may also make investments in a company through the purchase or execution of a privately negotiated note representing the equivalent of a loan.
Operating policy The fund may not invest more than 20% of total assets in loan participations and assignments.
Derivatives and Leverage
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security, such as a stock or bond, or from a market benchmark, such as an interest rate index. Many types of investments representing a wide range of risks and potential rewards may be considered derivatives, including conventional instruments such as futures and options, as well as other potentially more complex investments such as swaps and structured notes. The use of derivatives can involve leverage.
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Leverage has the effect of magnifying returns, positively or negatively. The effect on returns will depend on the extent to which an investment is leveraged. For example, an investment of $1, leveraged at 2 to 1, would have the effect of an investment of $2. Leverage ratios can be higher or lower with a corresponding effect on returns. The fund may use derivatives in certain situations to help accomplish any or all of the following: to hedge against a decline in principal value, to increase yield, to manage exposure to changes in interest or currency exchange rates, to invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or to adjust portfolio duration or credit risk exposure.
Derivatives that may be used include the following instruments, as well as others that combine the risk characteristics and features of futures, options, and swaps:
Futures and Options Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, foreign currencies, and credit quality; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, financial indexes, and foreign currencies. A fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower a fund’s total return; the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such contracts; and the losses from certain options written by a fund could be unlimited.
Operating policies Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of a fund’s net asset value. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Swaps Fund investments may be made in interest rate, index, total return, credit default, and other types of swap agreements, as well as options on swaps, commonly referred to as “swaptions,” and interest rate swap futures, which are instruments that provide a way to obtain swap exposure and the benefits of futures in one contract. All of these agreements are considered derivatives and, in certain cases, high-risk derivatives. Interest rate, index, and total return swaps are two-party contracts under
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which a fund and a counterparty, such as a broker or dealer, agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or indexes. Credit default swaps are agreements where one party (the protection buyer) will make periodic payments to another party (the protection seller) in exchange for protection against specified credit events, such as defaults and bankruptcies related to an issuer or underlying credit instrument. Swap futures are futures contracts on interest rate swaps that enable purchasers to settle in cash at a future date at the price determined by a specific benchmark rate at the end of a fixed period. Swaps, swaptions, and swap futures can be used for a variety of purposes, including to manage a fund’s overall exposure to changes in interest or foreign currency exchange rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration or credit risk exposure.
There are risks in the use of swaps and related instruments. Swaps could result in losses if interest or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by a fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps can increase a fund’s exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if evaluation of the creditworthiness of the counterparty, or of the company or government on which the credit default swap is based, is incorrect. The use of swaps, swaptions, and swap futures may not always be successful. Using them could lower a fund’s total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such instruments. Also, the other party to a swap agreement could default on its obligations or refuse to cash out a fund’s investment at a reasonable price, which could turn an expected gain into a loss. Although there should be minimal counterparty risk associated with investments in interest rate swap futures, a fund could experience delays and/or losses due to the bankruptcy of a swap dealer through which the fund engaged in the transaction.
Operating policies A swap agreement with any single counterparty will not be entered into if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets or if the net amount owed or to be received by the fund under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets. (Swap agreements that are cleared and settled through a clearinghouse, or traded on an exchange or swap execution facility, are not subject to these limits.) For swaptions, the total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put swaptions.
Hybrid Instruments Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to
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the price of some commodity, currency, security, or securities index or another interest rate (each a “benchmark”). Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, and increased total return. Hybrids may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrid. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
Currency Derivatives The fund may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency exchange contracts, which are contracts between two counterparties to exchange one currency for another on a future date at a specified exchange rate. In addition to foreign currency forwards, futures, swaps, and options on foreign currencies may also be used to protect a fund’s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar, as well as to gain exposure to currencies and markets expected to increase or decrease in value relative to other currencies or securities.
The fund may attempt to hedge its exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. Forward currency contracts can be used to adjust the foreign exchange exposure of the fund with a view to protecting the portfolio from adverse currency movements, based on T. Rowe Price’s outlook. However, forward currency contracts can also be used in an effort to benefit from a currency believed to be appreciating in value versus other currencies. The fund may invest in foreign currencies directly without holding any foreign securities denominated in those currencies.
Forward currency contracts involve special risks, including, but not limited to, the potential for significant volatility in currency markets, and the risk that in certain markets, particularly emerging markets, it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging. In addition, such transactions involve the risk that currency movements will not occur as anticipated by T. Rowe Price, which could reduce a fund’s total return.
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The fund may enter into foreign currency transactions under the following circumstances:
Lock In When the fund desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge If a particular currency is expected to decrease in value relative to another currency, the fund may sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency that is expected to increase against the currency sold. The fund’s cross hedging transactions may involve currencies in which the fund’s holdings are denominated. However, the fund is not required to own securities in the particular currency being purchased or sold.
Direct Hedge If the fund seeks to eliminate substantially all of the risk of owning a particular currency or believes the portfolio could benefit from price appreciation in a given country’s bonds but did not want to hold the currency, it could employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In either case, a fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio security is denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated the contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield advantage offered by the foreign security, but the fund would hope to benefit from an increase (if any) in the value of the bond.
Proxy Hedge In certain circumstances, a different currency may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, as part of a strategy known as proxy hedging. In this case, the fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose value is believed to be closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated. This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies, and that relationship may not always be maintained. The fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond, which is issued in one currency with the currency component transformed into another currency.
Costs of Hedging When the fund purchases a foreign bond with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially lessened if the fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the “cost” of hedging. A proxy hedge, which is less costly than a direct hedge, may attempt to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back to the U.S. dollar.
It is important to note that hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from a fund’s dividend distribution and are not reflected in its yield. Instead, such costs will, over time, be reflected in a fund’s net asset value per share and total return. Hedging may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund
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and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Investments in Other Investment Companies
A fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds.
A fund may purchase the securities of another investment company to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the market while awaiting purchase of securities or as an efficient means of gaining exposure to a particular asset class. The fund might also purchase shares of another investment company to gain exposure to the securities in the investment company’s portfolio at times when the fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. Any investment in another investment company would be consistent with the fund’s objective and investment program.
The risks of owning another investment company are generally similar to the risks of investing directly in the securities in which that investment company invests. However, an investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect the fund’s performance. In addition, because closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds trade on a secondary market, their shares may trade at a premium or discount to the actual net asset value of their portfolio securities and their shares may have greater volatility if an active trading market does not exist.
As a shareholder of another investment company, the fund must pay its pro-rata share of that investment company’s fees and expenses. The fund’s investments in non-T. Rowe Price investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to investments in other funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any applicable exemptive order.
A fund may also invest in certain other T. Rowe Price funds as a means of gaining efficient and cost-effective exposure to certain asset classes, provided the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment program and policies. Such an investment could allow the fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio than might otherwise be available through direct investments in the asset class, and will subject the fund to the risks associated with the particular asset class. Examples of asset classes in which other T. Rowe Price mutual funds concentrate their investments include high yield bonds, inflation-linked securities, floating rate loans, international bonds, emerging market bonds, stocks of companies involved in activities related to real assets and emerging market stocks. If the fund invests in another T. Rowe Price fund, the management fee paid by the fund will be reduced to ensure that the fund does not incur duplicate management fees as a result of its investment.
Illiquid Securities
Some fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold in the ordinary
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course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid securities may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and a fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what it believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets may be held in reserves. Fund reserve positions can consist of: 1) shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money fund or short-term bond fund; 2) short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements; and 3) U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar currencies. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on a fund’s holdings in reserves. If a fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into a fund, and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Non-U.S. dollar reserves are subject to currency risk.
When-Issued Securities and Forwards
A fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. The price of these securities is fixed at the time of the commitment to buy, but delivery and payment take place after the customary settlement period for that type of security (often a month or more later). During the interim period, the price and yield of the securities can fluctuate, and typically no interest accrues to the purchaser. At the time of delivery, the market value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. To the extent the fund remains fully or almost fully invested (in securities with a remaining maturity of more than one year) at the same time it purchases these securities, there will be greater fluctuations in the fund’s net asset value than if the fund did not purchase them.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
A fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
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Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Operating policy A fund will not transfer portfolio securities as collateral except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 331/3% of total assets. A fund will not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
A fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform as well as expected.
Fundamental policy The value of loaned securities may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Credit Quality Considerations
The credit quality of many fund holdings is evaluated by rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P), and Fitch Ratings (Fitch). Credit quality refers to the issuer’s ability and willingness to meet all required interest and principal payments. The highest ratings are assigned to companies perceived to have the lowest credit risks. T. Rowe Price credit research analysts also evaluate fund holdings, including those rated by outside agencies. Other things being equal, bonds and other debt obligations with lower ratings typically have higher yields due to greater credit risk.
Credit quality ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of a company’s creditworthiness and ability to make interest and principal payments as they come due. Ratings can change at any time due to actual or perceived changes in a company’s creditworthiness or financial fundamentals.
Bonds rated Baa and above by Moody’s, and BBB and above by S&P and Fitch, are considered to be “investment-grade.” Bonds that are rated below these categories assume greater credit risk and are referred to as “below investment-grade” or “noninvestment-grade.” Bonds rated below investment-grade range from speculative to highly speculative with respect to their ability or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The following table summarizes the rating scales and associated credit risk assigned by the major rating agencies. Within these categories, the rating may be modified with a symbol (such as 1, 2, and 3, or a plus or minus) to indicate whether the bond is ranked in the higher or lower end of its rating category. T. Rowe Price considers publicly available ratings but emphasizes its own credit analysis when selecting investments.
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Ratings of Debt Securities
Moody’s | S&P | Fitch | Description of Category | |
Aaa | AAA | AAA | Lowest level of credit risk with extremely strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Aa | AA | AA | Very low credit risk with very strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
A | A | A | Low credit risk with strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Baa | BBB | BBB | Moderate credit risk with adequate capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Ba | BB | BB | Subject to substantial credit risk and adverse conditions could lead to inadequate capacity to meet financial commitments | |
B | B | B | Subject to high credit risk and adverse conditions will likely impair capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Caa | CCC | CCC | Subject to very high credit risk and dependent upon favorable conditions to meet financial commitments | |
Ca | CC | CC | Highly vulnerable to nonpayment and likely in, or very near, default with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest | |
C | C | C | Typically in default with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest | |
D | D | D | In default | |
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. A fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time a fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in its net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on a fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
Each T. Rowe Price fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund’s first and third fiscal quarter-end. The money funds also file detailed month-end portfolio holdings information with the SEC each
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month. Such information will be made available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains. In addition, the funds disclose their calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of a fund’s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would not be individually identified if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be excluded for these purposes from a fund’s quarter-end holdings disclosure for more than one year. Money funds also disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com five business days after each month. The quarter-end portfolio holdings will remain on the website for one year and the month-end money fund portfolio holdings will remain on the website for six months. Each fund also discloses its 10 largest holdings on troweprice.com on the seventh business day after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets that these 10 holdings represent. Each monthly top 10 list will remain on the website for six months. A description of T. Rowe Price’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is available in the Statement of Additional Information and through troweprice.com.
Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and therefore has no financial history. The Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class is a separate share class of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund and shares the fund’s investment program and portfolio with other classes. Therefore, as a point of comparison, the following Financial Highlights table provides historical information about the fund’s existing Investor Class. This information is based on a single share outstanding for the Investor Class throughout the periods shown.
This table is part of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund’s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of any applicable account or redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Had Emerging Markets Bond Fund—Advisor Class existed during the periods reflected in the table, some financial information would be different because of its higher anticipated expense ratio.
More About the Fund | 43 |
Financial Highlights
Year ended December 31 | ||||||||||
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | ||||||
Net asset
value, | $12.54 | $13.28 | $12.74 | $14.22 | $12.48 | |||||
Income From Investment Operations | ||||||||||
Net investment income* | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.79 | 0.70 | 0.72 | |||||
Net gains
or losses on | 0.74 | (0.43 | ) | 1.65 | (1.70 | ) | (0.31 | ) | ||
Total from investment | 1.62 | 0.45 | 2.44 | (1.00 | ) | 0.41 | ||||
Less Distributions | ||||||||||
Dividends (from net | (0.86 | ) | (0.89 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.66 | ) | (0.72 | ) |
Distributions (from | (0.02 | ) | (0.10 | ) | (0.19 | ) | (0.08 | ) | (0.08 | ) |
Returns of capital | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Total distributions | (0.88 | ) | (0.99 | ) | (0.96 | ) | (0.74 | ) | (0.80 | ) |
Net asset value, | $13.28 | $12.74 | $14.22 | $12.48 | $12.09 | |||||
Total return | 13.29 | % | 3.47 | % | 19.62 | % | (7.19 | )% | 3.21 | % |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Net assets, end of period | $2,658 | $3,087 | $4,024 | $3,935 | $4,268 | |||||
Ratio of expenses to | 0.95 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.93 | % |
Ratio of
net income to | 6.73 | % | 6.72 | % | 5.83 | % | 5.29 | % | 5.62 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | 35.3 | % | 50.1 | % | 40.7 | % | 45.7 | % | 45.0 | % |
* Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 4 | |
Your
fund shares must be purchased through a third-party intermediary, therefore please contact the intermediary |
Tax Identification | The intermediary must provide T. Rowe Price with its certified taxpayer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject the intermediary or account holder to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after the account is established, the account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value. |
All initial and subsequent investments by intermediaries should be made by bank wire
or electronic payment. For more information, contact Financial Institution Services by calling |
Important Information About Opening an Account | Opening a New Account |
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. |
| When an account is opened, the name, residential U.S. street address, date of birth, and Social Security or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others (such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers) must be provided. Corporate and other institutional accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 45 |
attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. For more information, call Financial Institution Services at 1-800-638-8790. |
T. Rowe Price will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. An account cannot be opened until all of this information is received. If the identity of the account holder cannot be verified, T. Rowe Price is authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.) |
Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services for an account number, assignment to a dedicated service representative, and wire transfer instructions. |
In order to obtain an account number, the intermediary must supply the name, Social Security or employer identification number, and business street address for the account. |
Intermediaries should complete a New Account form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm to one of the appropriate addresses listed below. Intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent. The funds are generally available only to investors residing in the United States. |
via U.S. Postal Service |
via private carriers/overnight
services |
Note: Please use the correct address to avoid a delay in opening your new account. |
T. Rowe Price | 46 |
$100 minimum per fund for all additional purchases and $1,000 minimum required for Summit Funds (your intermediary may impose different minimums) |
By Wire | Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services or access troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, for wire transfer instructions. T. Rowe Price must receive the wire by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that the share price for the purchase will be the same day the wire was initiated. |
Exchange Service | Money can be moved from one account to an existing, identically registered account or a new identically registered account can be opened. Intermediaries should call their Financial Institution Services representative for more information or to place a trade. For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy. |
Redemptions | Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be wired to the intermediary’s designated bank. Intermediaries should contact their Financial Institution Services representative. |
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund’s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund. |
If your account has no activity in it for a certain period of time, your intermediary may be required to transfer your account to the appropriate state under its abandoned property laws. |
Investing With T. Rowe Price | 47 |
T. Rowe Price funds and their agents, in their sole discretion, reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute regarding the ownership of the account, or a legal claim against an account, upon initial notification to T. Rowe Price of a shareholder’s death until T. Rowe Price receives required documentation in good order, or if there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and modify or terminate any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; (10) to involuntarily redeem an account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account; and (11) for money funds, to suspend redemptions and postpone the payment of proceeds to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the fund. |
T. Rowe Price | 48 |
In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confidential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies’ use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Finally, our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confidence.
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
A Statement of Additional Information for the T. Rowe Price family of funds, which includes additional information about the funds, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager’s recent investment strategies and their impact on performance during the past fiscal year, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, call your intermediary. These documents are available through troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the SEC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
1940 Act File No. 811-2958 TBD 8/28/15
| |
PROSPECTUS | |
TBD | |
August 28, 2015 | |
T. Rowe Price Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class | |
A fund seeking long-term growth of capital through investments in common stocks of non-U.S. companies and a core approach to stock selection. This class of shares is sold only through financial intermediaries. SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. | |
| |
Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The fund seeks long-term growth of capital through investments in the common stocks of non-U.S. companies.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund’s Advisor Class
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) | 2.00% |
Annual
fund operating expenses | |
Management fees | 0.64% |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.37%a |
Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.26% |
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement | (0.16)%b |
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement | 1.10%b |
a Other expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
b T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. has agreed (through February 28, 2018) to waive its fees and/or bear any expenses (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees) that would cause the class’ ratio of expenses to average daily net assets to exceed 1.10%. Termination of the agreement would require approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. Fees waived and expenses paid under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. by the fund whenever the class’ expense ratio is below 1.10%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after the waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 1.10% (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees).
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, the fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the expense limitation currently in place is not renewed. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
$112 | $356 | $649 | $1,483 |
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
T. Rowe Price | 2 |
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 most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate (for existing classes) was 8.0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies The fund expects to invest substantially all of its assets outside the U.S. and to diversify broadly among developed and, to a lesser extent, emerging countries throughout the world. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in non-U.S. stocks and at least 65% of its net assets in stocks of large-cap companies.
The fund takes a core approach to investing, which provides some exposure to both growth and value styles of investing. The fund relies on a global research team to search for particularly promising stocks throughout developed and, to a lesser extent, emerging markets. Securities will be selected that in our view have the most favorable combination of company fundamentals and valuation.
In selecting investments, the fund generally favors companies with one or more of the following characteristics:
· attractive business niche with potential for earnings growth;
· attractive valuation relative to the company’s peers or its own historical norm;
· barriers to entry in its business;
· seasoned management;
· healthy balance sheet; and
· potential to grow dividends or conduct share repurchases.
The fund may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
Principal Risks As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:
Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Risks of stock investing Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. The value of a stock in which the fund invests may decline
Summary | 3 |
due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect a particular company or industry.
International investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. International securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities and may lose value because of adverse political, social, or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, international investments are subject to settlement practices and regulatory and financial reporting standards that differ from those of the U.S. These risks are heightened for the fund’s investments in emerging markets.
Investment style risk Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. Because the fund holds stocks with both growth and value characteristics, it could underperform other stock funds that take a strictly growth or value approach to investing when one style is currently in favor. Growth stocks tend to be more volatile than the overall stock market and can have sharp price declines as a result of earnings disappointments. Value stocks carry the risk that the market will not recognize their intrinsic value or that they are actually appropriately priced at a low level.
Performance The Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Performance for the class will be presented after the class has been in operation for one full calendar year. As a point of comparison, however, the following bar chart and table show calendar year returns and average annual total returns for the existing Investor Class of the Overseas Stock Fund (“Investor Class”). Because the Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class is expected to have higher expenses than the Investor Class, its performance, had it existed over the periods shown, would have been lower. The Investor Class and the Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class share the same portfolio.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted for the Investor Class.
T. Rowe Price | 4 |
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account. In some cases, the figure shown under “returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares” may be higher than the figure shown under “returns before taxes” because the calculations assume the investor received a tax deduction for any loss incurred on the sale of shares.
Average Annual Total Returns | |||||||||||
|
|
| Periods ended |
| |||||||
| December 31, 2014 |
| |||||||||
| Since inception |
| |||||||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | (12/29/06) |
| |||||||
| Overseas Stock Fund |
| |||||||||
| Returns before taxes | -4.49 | % | 6.51 | % | 1.50 | % | ||||
| Returns after taxes on distributions | -5.11 |
|
| 6.09 |
|
| 1.19 |
|
| |
| Returns after taxes on distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| and sale of fund shares | -2.01 |
|
| 5.18 |
|
| 1.28 |
|
| |
| MSCI EAFE Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | -4.48 |
|
| 5.81 |
|
| 1.39 |
|
| |
| Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average | -4.82 |
|
| 4.89 |
|
| 0.93 | * |
| |
* Returns as of 12/31/06.
Summary | 5 |
Current performance information may be obtained through troweprice.com or by calling 1-800-638-8790.
Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
Portfolio Manager | Title | Managed Fund Since | Joined Investment |
Raymond A. Mills, Ph.D. | Chairman of Investment Advisory Committee | 2006 | 1997 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your financial intermediary. Generally, the fund’s minimum initial investment requirement is $2,500 and the fund’s minimum subsequent investment requirement is $100, although the investment minimums may be modified or waived for financial intermediaries submitting orders on behalf of their customers. You should check with your financial intermediary to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.
Tax Information
Any dividends or capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (although you may be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 2 | |
As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to Advisor Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price family of funds.
How and When Shares Are Priced
The share price, also called the “net asset value,” for each class of shares is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the net asset value, the fund’s assets are valued and totaled; liabilities are subtracted; and each class’s proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available or normal valuation procedures are deemed to be inappropriate, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security by taking into account various factors that have been approved by the fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money funds and certain other debt securities held by a fund. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If a fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the New York Stock Exchange will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 7 |
and information used for adjusting those prices and to value most fixed income securities. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. The fund also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
How Your Purchase, Sale, or Exchange Price Is Determined
Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others. Contact your intermediary to find out how to purchase, sell, or exchange your shares; trade deadlines; and other applicable procedures for these transactions. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
The fund may have an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET). In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange and is transmitted to T. Rowe Price and paid for in accordance with the agreement, the transaction will be priced at the next net asset value computed after the intermediary received your order. If the fund does not have an agreement with your intermediary, T. Rowe Price must receive the request in correct form from your intermediary by the close of the New York Stock Exchange in order for your transaction to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
When authorized by the fund, certain financial institutions or retirement plans purchasing fund shares on behalf of customers or plan participants through T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services or T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The financial institution or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or an intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. In the event of an emergency closing, a fund’s shareholders will receive the next share price calculated by the fund. There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and accepted by T. Rowe Price prior to the
T. Rowe Price | 8 |
time the New York Stock Exchange closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
How Proceeds Are Received
Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, depending on the arrangement with the intermediary. Under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interests, proceeds may not be sent to intermediaries for up to seven calendar days after receipt of the redemption order. You must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund’s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed in the following table, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges out of a fund), which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Asia Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Credit Opportunities—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Corporate Bond— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Value Stock— | 2% | 90 days or less |
Floating Rate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Growth Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global High Income Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Real Estate—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Global Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Intermediate Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Bond—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Concentrated Equity—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Growth & Income—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 9 |
T. Rowe Price Advisor Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Overseas Stock—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Estate—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Small-Cap Value—Advisor Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Tax-Free High Yield—Advisor Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund’s long-term shareholders. Subject to the exceptions described on the following pages, all persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund; through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper; or indirectly through an intermediary (such as a broker, bank, or investment adviser), recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or other third party.
Computation of Holding Period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the “first-in, first-out” method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The day after the date of your purchase is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the holding period. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold on or before the end of the required holding period. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day after the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period will be applied.
Transactions Not Subject to Redemption Fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
· Shares redeemed through an automated, systematic withdrawal plan;
· Shares redeemed through or used to establish certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions; *
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums);
· Shares purchased by rollover or changes of account registration within the same fund; *
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· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that other shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy);
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares that are redeemed in-kind;
· Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third-party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically; * and
· Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
* Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption Fees on Shares Held in Retirement Plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, redemption fees generally will be assessed on shares redeemed by exchange only if they were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus Accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions previously listed to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Certain intermediaries may exempt transactions not listed from redemption fees, if approved by T. Rowe Price. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income
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tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Bond funds | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
These stock funds only: · Dividend Growth—Advisor Class · Equity Income—Advisor Class · Global Real Estate—Advisor Class · Real Estate—Advisor Class | · Declared and paid quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Other stock funds | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Retirement and Target Retirement Funds: | |
· Retirement Balanced—Advisor Class | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
· All others | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Bond fund shares will earn dividends through the date of redemption. Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond fund
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shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that, if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Tax Information
You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income” received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income. You may report it as “qualified dividend income” in computing your taxes, provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Global Real Estate Fund—Advisor
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Class, Real Estate Fund—Advisor Class, or the bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock or bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Regular monthly dividends from the Summit Municipal Income Fund—Advisor Class, Summit Municipal Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free High Yield Fund—Advisor Class, Tax-Free Income Fund—Advisor Class, and the Tax-Free Short-Intermediate Fund—Advisor Class are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. Exemption is not guaranteed since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. You must report your total tax-free income on Internal Revenue Service Form 1040. The Internal Revenue Service uses this information to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received during the year. Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
The
tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities,
not how long you held the shares in the fund.
Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions
are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are
taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or
exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified
as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during
the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from
the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains
on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly
dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital, which are generally nontaxable but reduce
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your tax basis in the fund’s shares. Recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as REITs, and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
If a fund holds Build America Bonds or other qualified tax credit bonds and elects to pass through the corresponding interest income and any available tax credits, you will need to report both the interest income and any such tax credits as taxable income. You may be able to claim the tax credits on your federal tax return as an offset to your income tax (including alternative minimum tax) liability, but the tax credits generally are not refundable. There is no assurance, however, that a fund will elect to pass through the income and credits.
For the tax-free bond fund Advisor Classes, gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. Payments received or gains realized on certain derivative transactions may result in taxable ordinary income or capital gain. To the extent the fund invests in these securities, the likelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
For the Retirement Funds and Target Retirement Funds, distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
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Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
The Advisor Class is a share class of its respective T. Rowe Price fund and is not a separate mutual fund. The fund’s Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase through various third-party intermediaries, including brokers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and other financial intermediaries that provide various distribution and administrative services.
The Advisor Class is designed for use by investors investing through intermediaries and requires an agreement between the intermediary and T. Rowe Price to be executed prior to investment. Purchases of Advisor Class shares for which the required agreement with T. Rowe Price has not been executed, or that are not made through an eligible intermediary, are subject to rejection or cancellation without prior notice to the intermediary or investor. Existing investments in the Advisor Class shares that are not held through an eligible intermediary may be transferred by T. Rowe Price to another class (with lower expenses) in the same fund following notice to the intermediary or shareholder.
Purchase Conditions for Intermediaries
Nonpayment If the fund does not receive payment for an order in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The intermediary will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on Immediate Redemptions: 10-Day Hold If an intermediary sells shares that it just purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire.)
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Large Redemptions Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to pay all or part of redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (“redemption in-kind”). If this occurs, the securities will be selected by the fund in its absolute discretion, and the redeeming shareholder or account will be responsible for disposing of the securities and bearing any associated costs.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the T. Rowe Price funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards of Directors/Trustees deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (the “30-Day Purchase Block”). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the 30-Day Purchase Block:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
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· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund; and
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy).
Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap programs, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct an intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (e.g., following the advice of a newsletter). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days or permanently.
Intermediary Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price funds through an intermediary, you should review the intermediary’s materials carefully or consult with the intermediary directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through an intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Intermediaries may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the intermediary and may request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable). If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred, it will instruct the intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its
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excessive trading policies for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
T. Rowe Price may allow an intermediary or other third party to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price funds and their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards of Directors/Trustees.
Retirement Plan Accounts If
shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the
30-Day Purchase Block applies only to shares redeemed
by a participant-directed exchange to another fund. However, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply to transactions
other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or the excessive
trading policy applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. An alternative excessive trading policy may
apply to the T. Rowe Price funds where a retirement plan has its own policy deemed acceptable to
T. Rowe Price. You should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper to determine which
of your transactions are subject to the funds’ 30-Day Purchase Block or an alternative policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Signature Guarantees
An intermediary may need to obtain a Medallion signature guarantee in certain situations, such as:
· Written requests to redeem over $5 million;
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file; or
· Changing the account registration or broker-dealer of record for an account.
Intermediaries should consult their T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative for specific requirements.
The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
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The Advisor Class has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which it pays a fee at a rate of up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets per year to various unaffiliated intermediaries, such as brokers, banks, insurance companies, and retirement plan recordkeepers for distribution and/or shareholder servicing of the Advisor Class shares. Distribution payments may include payments to intermediaries for making the Advisor Class shares available to their customers (e.g., providing the fund with “shelf space” or inclusion on a “preferred list” or “supermarket” platform). Shareholder servicing payments may include payments to intermediaries for providing shareholder support services to existing shareholders of the Advisor Class. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the Advisor Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, could result in your paying more than with other types of sales charges. The Advisor Class may also separately make payments to retirement plans, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries (at a rate of up to 0.15% of average daily net assets per year) for various recordkeeping, transfer agency, and other administrative services they provide on behalf of the Class. These administrative services may include such services as maintaining separate account records for each customer; transmitting net purchase and redemption orders; delivering shareholder confirmations, statements, and tax forms; and providing telephone and Internet support to respond to questions regarding the customer’s account. These separate administrative fee payments are reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in a fund’s fee table in Section 1, whereas 12b-1 payments are reflected in the “Distribution and service (12b-1) fees” line that appears in the fee table.
Payment of these fees may influence your financial advisor’s recommendation of the fund or of any particular share class of the fund.
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How is the fund organized?
T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “corporation”) was incorporated in Maryland in 1979. Currently, the corporation consists of 23 series, each representing a separate pool of assets with different investment objectives and investment policies. Each is an “open-end management investment company,” or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders of each class into a single portfolio and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2015, the Overseas Stock Fund issued a separate class of shares known as the Advisor Class.
What is meant by “shares”?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund’s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
· Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. For funds with multiple share classes, the income dividends for each share class will generally differ from those of other share classes to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.
· Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of material changes to the fund’s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voting rights on matters affecting only that class.
Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold regularly scheduled shareholder meetings. To avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, shareholder meetings are only held when certain matters, such as changes in fundamental policies or elections of directors, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee. If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send or make available to you proxy materials that explain the matters to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail, telephone, or the Internet.
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Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (the “Firm”).
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price or an affiliated investment adviser—specifically by the fund’s portfolio manager.
Investment Adviser
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio. T. Rowe Price is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and sub-adviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of March 31, 2015, the Firm had approximately $772 billion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 9 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the fund’s portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Raymond A. Mills, Ph.D., Chairman, Richard N. Clattenburg, Yoichiro Kai, Anh Lu, Jonathan H.W. Matthews, Sebastian Schrott, John C.A. Sherman, Jonty Starbuck, and Christopher S. Whitehouse. The following information provides the year that the chairman first joined the Firm and the chairman’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chairman may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Mills has been chairman of the committee since the fund’s inception in 2006. He joined the Firm in 1997 and his investment experience dates from that time. He has served as a portfolio manager with the Firm throughout the past five years. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of fund shares.
The Management Fee
The management fee has two parts–an “individual fund fee,” which reflects a fund’s particular characteristics, and a “group fee.” The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, Target
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Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (in the following table) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule
0.334%* | First $50 billion |
0.305% | Next $30 billion |
0.300% | Next $40 billion |
0.295% | Next $40 billion |
0.290% | Next $60 billion |
0.285% | Next $80 billion |
0.280% | Next $100 billion |
0.275% | Next $100 billion |
0.270% | Thereafter |
* Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. On May 31, 2015, the annual group fee rate was 0.29%. The individual fund fee, also applied to the fund’s average daily net assets, is 0.35%.
A discussion about the factors considered by the Board and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price and the subadvisory contract with T. Rowe Price appears in the fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended April 30.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price provides accounting services to the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. acts as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay third-party intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts.
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. If you want to diversify your domestic stock portfolio by adding a fund with investments mainly in foreign stocks and are comfortable with the risks that accompany foreign investments, the fund could be an appropriate part of your overall investment strategy.
The market frequently rewards growth stocks with price increases when earnings expectations are met or exceeded. Funds that employ a growth-oriented approach to
More About the Fund | 23 |
stock selection rely on the premise that by investing in companies that increase their earnings faster than both inflation and the overall economy, the market will eventually reward those companies with a higher stock price. A fund’s successful implementation of a growth-oriented strategy should lead to long-term growth of capital over time.
Funds that employ a value-oriented approach to stock selection seek to invest in companies whose stock prices are low in relation to the value of their assets or future prospects. By identifying companies whose stocks are currently out of favor or undervalued, value funds hope to realize significant appreciation as other investors recognize the stock’s intrinsic value and the price rises accordingly. Generally, careful selection of stocks having value characteristics can, over time, limit the downside risk of a value-oriented portfolio compared with the broad market. In addition, stocks whose prices are below a company’s intrinsic value may offer the potential for substantial capital appreciation.
Investing abroad increases the fund’s available investment opportunities. Some foreign countries may have greater potential for economic growth than the U.S. Investing a portion of your overall portfolio in stock funds with foreign holdings can enhance your diversification while providing the opportunity to increase long-term returns.
Portfolio managers closely monitor fund investments as well as political and economic trends in each country and region. Holdings are adjusted according to the portfolio manager’s analysis and outlook. The impact of unfavorable developments in a particular country may be reduced when investments are spread among many countries. However, the economies and financial markets of countries in a certain region may be heavily influenced by one another.
As with all stock funds, a fund’s share price can fall because of weakness in one or more of its primary equity markets, a particular industry, or specific holdings. Stock markets can decline for many reasons, including adverse political, social, or economic developments, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. The prospects for an industry or company may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including disappointing earnings or changes in the competitive environment. In addition, our assessment of companies held in a fund may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance, even in rising markets.
Because the fund holds stocks with both growth and value characteristics, its share price may be negatively affected by risks impacting either type of investment. Stocks with growth characteristics can have sharp price declines as a result of earnings disappointments, even small ones. Since these companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses, they may lack the dividends of value stocks that can help to cushion stock prices in a falling market. Stocks with value characteristics carry the risk that the market will not recognize their intrinsic value for a long time or that they are actually appropriately priced at a low level.
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Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets.
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares of the fund. Some particular risks affecting the fund include the following:
Currency risk This refers to a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. The overall impact on a fund’s holdings can be significant, unpredictable, and long-lasting, depending on the currencies represented in the fund’s portfolio and how each foreign currency appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar and whether currency positions are hedged. Under normal conditions, the fund does not engage in extensive foreign currency hedging programs. Further, since exchange rate movements are volatile, a fund’s attempts at hedging could be unsuccessful, and it is not possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many emerging market countries.
Other risks of foreign investing Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development, differing regulatory environments, trading days and accounting standards, uncertain tax laws, and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Investments outside the U.S. could be subject to governmental actions such as capital or currency controls, nationalization of a company or industry, expropriation of assets, or imposition of high taxes. A trading market may close without warning for extended time periods, preventing a fund from buying or selling securities in that market.
Emerging markets risk To the extent the fund invests in emerging markets, it is subject to greater risk than a fund investing only in developed markets. The economic and political structures of developing countries, in most cases, do not compare favorably with the U.S. or other developed countries in terms of wealth and stability, and their financial markets often lack liquidity. Fund performance will likely be hurt by exposure to countries in the midst of hyperinflation, currency devaluation, trade disagreements, sudden political upheaval, or interventionist government policies. Significant buying or selling by a few major investors may also heighten the volatility of emerging markets. These factors make investing in such countries significantly riskier than investing in other countries, and any one of these factors could cause a fund’s share price to decline.
Some of the principal tools we use to try to reduce overall risk include intensive research when evaluating a company’s prospects and limiting exposure to any one industry or company.
Additional strategies and risks While most assets will be invested in common stocks, other strategies may be employed that are not considered part of the fund’s principal investment strategies. For instance, the fund may, to a limited extent, use
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derivatives such as futures contracts and forward currency exchange contracts. Any investments in futures would typically serve as an efficient means of gaining exposure to certain markets or as a cash management tool to maintain liquidity while being invested in the market. Forward currency exchange contracts would primarily be used to settle trades in a foreign currency or to help protect a fund’s holdings from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, although other currency hedging techniques may be used from time to time. To the extent the fund uses futures and forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to potential volatility and losses greater than direct investments in the contract’s underlying assets, and the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted.
Recent regulations have changed the requirements related to the use of certain derivatives. Some of these new regulations have limited the availability of certain derivatives and made their use by funds more costly. It is expected that additional changes to the regulatory framework will occur, but the extent and impact of additional new regulations are not certain at this time.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses.
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as “fundamental policies.” Portfolio managers also follow certain “operating policies” that can be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change in a fund’s policy requiring it to normally invest at least 80% of its net assets in non-U.S. stocks.
Fund holdings in certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages as set forth in this prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. For instance, there are limitations regarding fund investments in certain types of derivatives. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have a significantly greater impact on a fund’s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
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Certain investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time a fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of a fund’s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of a fund’s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If any of these changes occur, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction and will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time the investment was made (this exception does not apply to a fund’s borrowing policy). However, purchases by a fund during the time it is above or below the stated percentage restriction would be made in compliance with applicable restrictions.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments to fund performance are discussed in the shareholder reports.
Portfolio managers have considerable discretion in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund holdings and investment management practices.
Diversification As a fundamental policy, the fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of the fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund.
Fund investments are primarily in common stocks and, to a lesser degree, other types of securities as described as follows:
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stocks have a specified dividend rate and rank after bonds and before common stock in their claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Unlike common stock, preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, a fund may decide to purchase preferred stock where the issuer has suspended, or is in danger of suspending, payment of its dividend. The fund may purchase American Depositary Receipts and Global
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Depositary Receipts, which are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts trade on established markets and are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their local markets and currencies. Such investments are subject to many of the same risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities at specified times in the future and according to a certain exchange ratio. Convertible bonds are typically callable by the issuer, which could in effect force conversion before the holder would otherwise choose. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree than common stock. Some convertible securities combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy, directly from the issuer, a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and can be highly volatile. In some cases, the redemption value of a warrant could be zero.
Participation Notes (P-notes)
A fund may gain exposure to securities traded in foreign markets through investments in P-notes. P-notes are generally issued by banks or broker-dealers and are designed to offer a return linked to an underlying common stock or other security. An investment in a P-note involves additional risks beyond the risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying security. While the holder of a P-note is entitled to receive from the broker-dealer or bank any dividends paid by the underlying security, the holder is not entitled to the same rights (e.g., voting rights) as a direct owner of the underlying security. P-notes are considered general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them as the counterparty. As such, the fund must rely on the creditworthiness of the counterparty for its investment returns on the P-notes, and could lose the entire value of its investment in the event of default by a counterparty. Additionally, there is no assurance that there will be a secondary trading market for a P-note or that the trading price of a P-note will equal the value of the underlying security.
Operating policy Fund investments in P-notes are limited to 20% of total assets. Investments in P-notes are not subject to the limit on investments in hybrid instruments.
Fixed Income Securities
From time to time, a fund may invest in corporate and government fixed income securities as well as below investment-grade bonds, commonly referred to as “junk” bonds. These securities would be purchased in companies that meet fund investment
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criteria. The price of a fixed income security fluctuates with changes in interest rates, generally rising when interest rates fall and falling when interest rates rise. Below investment-grade bonds, or “junk” bonds, can be more volatile and have greater risk of default than investment-grade bonds, and should be considered speculative.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in securities prices and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, and financial indexes. A fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower a fund’s total return; the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such contracts; and the losses from certain options written by a fund could be unlimited.
Operating policies Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of a fund’s net asset value. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Hybrid Instruments
Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount, redemption, or conversion terms of a security could be related to the market price of some commodity, currency, security, or securities index. Such instruments may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
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Currency Derivatives
The fund will normally conduct any foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. The fund will generally not enter into a forward contract with a term greater than one year. A fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security when it enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, and when the fund believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may move substantially against another currency, it may enter into a forward contract to sell or buy the former foreign currency.
Funds that invest in foreign securities may attempt to hedge their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of forward currency exchange contracts, which are contracts between two counterparties to exchange one currency for another on a future date at a specified exchange rate. A fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond, which is issued in one currency with the currency component transformed into another currency. However, futures, swaps, and options on foreign currencies may also be used. In certain circumstances, a fund may use currency derivatives to substitute a different currency for the currency in which the investment is denominated, a strategy known as proxy hedging. If a fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, it could serve to protect the fund’s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar, although the fund may also use currency derivatives in an effort to gain exposure to a currency expected to appreciate in value versus other currencies. As a result, a fund could be invested in a currency without holding any securities denominated in that currency. Such transactions involve, among other risks, the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce a fund’s total return. There are certain markets, including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging.
Hedging may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Investments in Other Investment Companies
A fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds.
A fund may purchase the securities of another investment company to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the market while awaiting purchase of securities or as an efficient means of gaining exposure to a particular asset class. The fund might also purchase shares of another investment company to gain exposure to the securities in
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the investment company’s portfolio at times when the fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. Any investment in another investment company would be consistent with the fund’s objective and investment program.
The risks of owning another investment company are generally similar to the risks of investing directly in the securities in which that investment company invests. However, an investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect the fund’s performance. In addition, because closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds trade on a secondary market, their shares may trade at a premium or discount to the actual net asset value of their portfolio securities and their shares may have greater volatility if an active trading market does not exist.
As a shareholder of another investment company, the fund must pay its pro-rata share of that investment company’s fees and expenses. The fund’s investments in non-T. Rowe Price investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to investments in other funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any applicable exemptive order.
A fund may also invest in certain other T. Rowe Price funds as a means of gaining efficient and cost-effective exposure to certain asset classes, provided the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment program and policies. Such an investment could allow the fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio than might otherwise be available through direct investments in the asset class, and will subject the fund to the risks associated with the particular asset class. Examples of asset classes in which other T. Rowe Price mutual funds concentrate their investments include high yield bonds, inflation-linked securities, floating rate loans, international bonds, emerging market bonds, stocks of companies involved in activities related to real assets and emerging market stocks. If the fund invests in another T. Rowe Price fund, the management fee paid by the fund will be reduced to ensure that the fund does not incur duplicate management fees as a result of its investment.
Illiquid Securities
Some fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid securities may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and a fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what it believes they are worth.
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Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets may be held in reserves. Fund reserve positions can consist of: 1) shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money fund or short-term bond fund; 2) short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements; and 3) U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar currencies. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on a fund’s holdings in reserves. If a fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into a fund, and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Non-U.S. dollar reserves are subject to currency risk.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
A fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Operating policy A fund will not transfer portfolio securities as collateral except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 331/3% of total assets. A fund will not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
A fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform as well as expected.
Fundamental policy The value of loaned securities may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. A fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time a fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in its net asset
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value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on a fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
Each T. Rowe Price fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund’s first and third fiscal quarter-end. The money funds also file detailed month-end portfolio holdings information with the SEC each month. Such information will be made available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains. In addition, the funds disclose their calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of a fund’s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would not be individually identified if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be excluded for these purposes from a fund’s quarter-end holdings disclosure for more than one year. Money funds also disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com five business days after each month. The quarter-end portfolio holdings will remain on the website for one year and the month-end money fund portfolio holdings will remain on the website for six months. Each fund also discloses its 10 largest holdings on troweprice.com on the seventh business day after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets that these 10 holdings represent. Each monthly top 10 list will remain on the website for six months. A description of T. Rowe Price’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is available in the Statement of Additional Information and through troweprice.com.
Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and therefore has no financial history. The Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class is a separate share class of the Overseas Stock Fund and shares the fund’s investment program and portfolio with other classes. Therefore, as a point of comparison, the following Financial Highlights table provides historical information about the fund’s existing Investor Class. This information is based on a single share outstanding for the Investor Class throughout the periods shown.
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This table is part of the Overseas Stock Fund’s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of any applicable account or redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Had Overseas Stock Fund—Advisor Class existed during the periods reflected in the table, some financial information would be different because of its higher anticipated expense ratio.
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Financial Highlights
Year ended October 31 | ||||||||||
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | ||||||
Net asset
value, | $7.50 | $8.22 | $7.86 | $8.24 | $10.07 | |||||
Income From Investment Operations | ||||||||||
Net investment income* | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.32 | |||||
Net gains or losses on | 0.74 | (0.40 | ) | 0.36 | 1.82 | (0.24 | ) | |||
Total from investment | 0.90 | (0.21 | ) | 0.55 | 2.01 | 0.08 | ||||
Less Distributions | ||||||||||
Dividends
(from net | (0.17 | ) | (0.15 | ) | (0.17 | ) | (0.17 | ) | (0.19 | ) |
Distributions (from | (0.01 | ) | — | — | (0.01 | ) | — | |||
Returns of capital | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Total distributions | (0.18 | ) | (0.15 | ) | (0.17 | ) | (0.18 | ) | (0.19 | ) |
Redemption fees added | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Net asset value, | $8.22 | $7.86 | $8.24 | $10.07 | $9.96 | |||||
Total return | 12.17 | % | (2.64 | )% | 7.36 | % | 24.81 | % | 0.85 | % |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Net assets, end of period | $2,455 | $3,769 | $5,160 | $6,859 | $9,525 | |||||
Ratio of expenses to | 0.90 | % | 0.88 | % | 0.87 | % | 0.86 | % | 0.84 | % |
Ratio of net income to | 2.07 | % | 2.27 | % | 2.46 | % | 2.10 | % | 3.14 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | 24.8 | % | 16.7 | % | 13.6 | % | 15.2 | % | 8.0 | % |
* Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
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Your fund shares must be purchased
through a third-party intermediary, therefore please contact the intermediary |
Tax Identification | The intermediary must provide T. Rowe Price with its certified taxpayer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject the intermediary or account holder to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after the account is established, the account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value. |
All initial and subsequent investments by intermediaries should be made by bank wire
or electronic payment. For more information, contact Financial Institution Services by calling |
Important Information About Opening an Account | Opening a New Account |
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. |
| When an account is opened, the name, residential U.S. street address, date of birth, and Social Security or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others (such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers) must be provided. Corporate and other institutional accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of |
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attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. For more information, call Financial Institution Services at 1-800-638-8790. |
T. Rowe Price will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. An account cannot be opened until all of this information is received. If the identity of the account holder cannot be verified, T. Rowe Price is authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.) |
Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services for an account number, assignment to a dedicated service representative, and wire transfer instructions. |
In order to obtain an account number, the intermediary must supply the name, Social Security or employer identification number, and business street address for the account. |
Intermediaries should complete a New Account form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm to one of the appropriate addresses listed below. Intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent. The funds are generally available only to investors residing in the United States. |
via U.S. Postal Service |
via private carriers/overnight
services |
Note: Please use the correct address to avoid a delay in opening your new account. |
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$100 minimum per fund for all additional purchases and $1,000 minimum required for Summit Funds (your intermediary may impose different minimums) |
By Wire | Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services or access troweprice.com, under the Help – FAQ section, for wire transfer instructions. T. Rowe Price must receive the wire by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that the share price for the purchase will be the same day the wire was initiated. |
Exchange Service | Money can be moved from one account to an existing, identically registered account or a new identically registered account can be opened. Intermediaries should call their Financial Institution Services representative for more information or to place a trade. For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements—Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy. |
Redemptions | Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be wired to the intermediary’s designated bank. Intermediaries should contact their Financial Institution Services representative. |
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund’s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund. |
If your account has no activity in it for a certain period of time, your intermediary may be required to transfer your account to the appropriate state under its abandoned property laws. |
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T. Rowe Price funds and their agents, in their sole discretion, reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute regarding the ownership of the account, or a legal claim against an account, upon initial notification to T. Rowe Price of a shareholder’s death until T. Rowe Price receives required documentation in good order, or if there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and modify or terminate any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; (10) to involuntarily redeem an account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account; and (11) for money funds, to suspend redemptions and postpone the payment of proceeds to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the fund. |
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In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confidential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies’ use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Finally, our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confidence.
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
A Statement of Additional Information for the T. Rowe Price family of funds, which includes additional information about the funds, has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager’s recent investment strategies and their impact on performance during the past fiscal year, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, call your intermediary. These documents are available through troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the SEC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
1940 Act File No. 811-2958 TBD 8/28/15
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PROSPECTUS | |
TBD | |
August 28, 2015 | |
T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class | |
A fund seeking to provide high income and capital appreciation through investments in bonds of emerging markets issuers. This class is generally available only to financial intermediaries and other institutional investors. SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A Registration Statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This Prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. | |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. | |
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Table of Contents
SUMMARY
The fund seeks to provide high income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund’s I Class
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) | 2.00% |
Annual
fund operating expenses | |
Management fees | 0.74% |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.00% |
Other expenses | 0.03%a |
Total annual fund operating expenses | 0.77% |
a Other expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and, the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
$79 | $246 | $428 | $954 |
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 most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate (for existing classes) was 45.0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies The fund will normally invest at least 80% (and potentially all) of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities of emerging market governments or companies located in emerging market countries. Fund holdings may be denominated in U.S. dollars or non-U.S.
T. Rowe Price | 2 |
dollar currencies, including emerging market currencies. The extent, if any, to which the fund attempts to cushion the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the dollar depends on market conditions. Fund holdings may include the lowest-rated bonds, including those in default, and there are no overall limits on the fund’s investments that are rated below investment-grade (BB or lower, or an equivalent rating), also known as “junk” bonds.
Although the fund expects to maintain an intermediate- to long-term weighted average maturity, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall portfolio or on individual securities. Security selection relies heavily on research, which analyzes political and economic trends as well as creditworthiness of particular issuers. The fund tends to favor bonds it expects will be upgraded. The fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust its average maturity or credit quality, to shift assets into and out of higher-yielding securities, or to alter geographic or currency exposure.
The fund is “nondiversified,” meaning it may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
While most assets will be invested in bonds, the fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in keeping with the fund’s objectives. Forward currency exchange contracts would primarily be used to help protect the fund’s holdings from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, although other currency hedging techniques may be used from time to time.
Principal Risks As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:
Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Fixed income markets risk Economic and other market developments can adversely affect fixed income securities markets. At times, participants in these markets may develop concerns about the ability of certain issuers of debt securities to make timely principal and interest payments, or they may develop concerns about the ability of financial institutions that make markets in certain debt securities to facilitate an orderly market. Those concerns could cause increased volatility and reduced liquidity in particular securities or in the overall fixed income markets and the related derivatives markets. A lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the fund’s ability to sell the debt securities in which it invests or to find and purchase suitable debt instruments.
Summary | 3 |
International investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. International securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities and may lose value because of adverse political, social, or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, international investments are subject to settlement practices and regulatory and financial reporting standards that differ from those of the U.S.
Emerging markets risk The risks of international investing are heightened for securities of issuers in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. In addition to all of the risks of investing in international developed markets, emerging markets are more susceptible to governmental interference, local taxes being imposed on international investments, restrictions on gaining access to sales proceeds, and less liquid and less efficient trading markets.
Currency risk Because the fund generally invests in securities issued in foreign currencies, the fund is subject to the risk that it could experience losses based solely on the weakness of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar and changes in the exchange rates between such currencies and the U.S. dollar. Any attempts at currency hedging may not be successful and could cause the fund to lose money.
Credit risk This is the risk that an issuer of a debt security could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default, security downgrade, or inability to meet a financial obligation. The risk of default is much greater for emerging market bonds and securities rated as below investment-grade (“junk” bonds). The fund is exposed to greater credit risk than other bond funds because companies and governments in emerging markets are usually not as strong financially and are more susceptible to economic downturns. Junk bonds should be considered speculative as they carry greater risks of default and erratic price swings due to real or perceived changes in the credit quality of the issuer.
Interest rate risk This risk refers to the chance that interest rates will increase, causing a decline in bond prices (bond prices and interest rates usually move in opposite directions). Generally, securities with longer maturities and funds with longer weighted average maturities carry greater interest rate risk.
Liquidity risk This is the risk that the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Reduced liquidity in the bond markets can result from a number of events, such as significant trading activity, reductions in bond inventory, and rapid or unexpected changes in interest rates. Less liquid markets could lead to greater price volatility and limit the fund’s ability to sell a holding at a suitable price.
Nondiversification risk As a nondiversified fund, the fund has the ability to invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a
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diversified fund. As a result, poor performance by a single issuer could adversely affect fund performance more than if the fund were invested in a larger number of issuers. The fund’s share price can be expected to fluctuate more than that of a comparable diversified fund.
Derivatives risk To the extent the fund uses forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to greater volatility and losses in comparison to investing directly in foreign bonds. Forward currency exchange contracts are also subject to the risks that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, a counterparty will fail to perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and the chance that potential government regulation could negatively affect the fund’s investments in such instruments.
Performance The Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. Performance for the class will be presented after the class has been in operation for one full calendar year. As a point of comparison, however, the following bar chart and table show calendar year returns and average annual total returns for the existing Investor Class of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund (“Investor Class”). Because the Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class is expected to have lower expenses than the Investor Class, its performance, had it existed over the periods shown, would have been higher. The Investor Class and the Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class share the same portfolio.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted for the Investor Class.
Summary | 5 |
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account. In some cases, the figure shown under “returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares” may be higher than the figure shown under “returns before taxes” because the calculations assume the investor received a tax deduction for any loss incurred on the sale of shares.
Average Annual Total Returns | ||||||||||||
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| Periods ended |
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| December 31, 2014 |
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| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years |
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| Emerging Markets Bond Fund |
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| Returns before taxes | 3.21 | % | 6.08 | % | 7.50 | % |
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| Returns after taxes on distributions | 0.55 |
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| 3.59 |
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| 4.74 |
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| Returns after taxes on distributions |
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|
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|
|
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| and sale of fund shares | 1.98 |
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| 3.82 |
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| 4.91 |
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| J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | 5.53 |
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| 7.27 |
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| 7.68 |
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| Lipper Emerging Market Hard Currency Debt Funds Average | 1.36 |
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| 6.02 |
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| 6.94 |
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Current performance information may be obtained through troweprice.com or by calling 1-800-638-8790.
Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
Portfolio Manager | Title | Managed Fund Since | Joined Investment |
Michael J. Conelius | Chairman of Investment Advisory Committee | 1994 | 1988 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund’s I Class generally requires a $1,000,000 minimum initial investment, although the minimum may be waived for certain accounts, such as retirement plans and financial intermediaries maintaining omnibus accounts. There is no minimum for subsequent purchases. If you hold shares through a retirement plan or financial intermediary, different investment minimums may apply to your account.
You may purchase, redeem, or exchange shares of the fund at any time by written request or by calling 1-800-638-8790 on any day the New York Stock Exchange is
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open for business. If you hold shares through a financial intermediary, you must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares through your intermediary.
Tax Information
The fund declares dividends daily and pays them on the first business day of each month. Any capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (although you may be taxed upon withdrawal from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 2 | |
As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to I Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price family of funds.
How and When Shares Are Priced
The share price, also called the “net asset value,” for each share class of a fund is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the net asset value, the fund’s assets are valued and totaled; liabilities are subtracted; and each class’ proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available or normal valuation procedures are deemed to be inappropriate, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security by taking into account various factors and methodologies that have been approved by the fund’s Board of Directors/Trustees. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money funds and certain other debt securities held by a fund. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If a fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the New York Stock Exchange will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses various pricing services to provide it with closing market prices and information used for adjusting those prices and to value most fixed income
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securities. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day’s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices. The fund also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
The various ways you can buy, sell, and exchange shares are explained at the end of this prospectus and on the New Account form. These procedures may differ for institutional and employer-sponsored retirement accounts or if you hold your account through an intermediary.
How Your Purchase, Sale, or Exchange Price Is Determined
I Class shares may be purchased directly from T. Rowe Price or through various third-party intermediaries, including banks, brokers, and investment advisers. If your request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET), your transaction will be priced at that business day’s net asset value. If your request is received after the close of the New York Stock Exchange, your transaction will be priced at the next business day’s net asset value unless the fund has an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET). In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by the close of the New York Stock Exchange and is transmitted to T. Rowe Price and paid for in accordance with the agreement, the transaction will be priced at the next net asset value computed after the intermediary received your order. If the fund does not have an agreement with your intermediary, T. Rowe Price must receive the request in correct form from your intermediary by the close of the New York Stock Exchange in order for your transaction to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
Contact your intermediary for trade deadlines and the applicable policies for purchasing, selling, or exchanging your shares, as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
When authorized by the fund, certain financial institutions or retirement plans purchasing fund shares on behalf of customers or plan participants through T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services or T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The financial institution or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 9 |
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. In the event of an emergency closing, a fund’s shareholders will receive the next share price calculated by the fund. There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and accepted by T. Rowe Price prior to the time the New York Stock Exchange closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
How Proceeds Are Received
When filling out the New Account form, you may wish to give yourself the widest range of options for receiving proceeds from a sale.
If you invest directly with T. Rowe Price and your request is received in correct form by T. Rowe Price or its agent on a business day prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange, proceeds are usually sent on the next business day. Proceeds can be mailed by check or sent electronically to a bank account by Automated Clearing House transfer or bank wire. Automated Clearing House is an automated method of initiating payments from, and receiving payments in, your financial institution account. Proceeds sent by Automated Clearing House transfer are usually credited to your account the second business day after the sale, and there are typically no fees associated with such payments. Proceeds sent by bank wire are usually credited to your account the next business day after the sale, although your financial institution may charge an incoming wire fee.
If you invest through an intermediary, you must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds. Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, depending on the arrangement with the intermediary.
Exception Under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interest, proceeds may not be sent for up to seven calendar days after we receive a redemption request in good order.
If for some reason we cannot accept your request to sell shares, we will contact you.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund’s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed in the following table, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges out of a fund), which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price | 10 |
T. Rowe Price I Class Funds With Redemption Fees | ||
Fund | Redemption fee | Holding period |
Emerging Markets Bond–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Emerging Markets Stock–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Equity Index 500–I Class | 0.5% | 90 days or less |
Global High Income Bond–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
High Yield–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Bond–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Growth & Income–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
International Stock–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Overseas Stock–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Real Assets–I Class | 2% | 90 days or less |
Small-Cap Value–I Class | 1% | 90 days or less |
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund’s long-term shareholders. Subject to the exceptions described on the following pages, all persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund; through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper; or indirectly through an intermediary (such as a broker, bank, or investment adviser), recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or other third party.
Computation of Holding Period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the “first-in, first-out” method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold on or before the end of the required holding period. The day after the date of your purchase is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the holding period. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day from the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period will be applied.
Transactions Not Subject to Redemption Fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
· Shares redeemed through an automated, systematic withdrawal plan;
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 11 |
· Shares redeemed through or used to establish certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;*
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums);
· Shares purchased by rollover or changes of account registration within the same fund;*
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that other shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy);
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares that are redeemed in-kind;
· Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third-party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically;* and
· Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
* Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption Fees on Shares Held in Retirement Plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, redemption fees generally will be assessed on shares redeemed by exchange only if they were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan’s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus Accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to enter into agreements with intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions previously listed to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Certain intermediaries may exempt transactions not listed from redemption fees, if approved by T. Rowe Price. Persons
T. Rowe Price | 12 |
redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company and was ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Distributions not reinvested may be paid by check or transmitted to your bank account via Automated Clearing House or may be automatically invested into another fund account. If the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your check remains uncashed for six months, the fund reserves the right to reinvest your distribution check in your account at the net asset value on the day of the reinvestment and to reinvest all subsequent distributions in shares of the fund. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Bond funds | · Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds | 13 |
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund | Dividends |
Stock Funds: | |
· Equity Index 500 | · Declared and paid quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
· All others | · Declared and paid annually, if any, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Bond fund shares earn dividends through the date of redemption (except for wire redemptions from money funds prior to noon ET, which earn dividends through the calendar day prior to the date of redemption). Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond or money fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond or money fund shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Tax Information
In most cases, you will be provided information for your tax filing needs no later than mid-February.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
T. Rowe Price | 14 |
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
For
individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income”
received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather
than ordinary income. You may report it as “qualified dividend income” in computing your taxes,
provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the
121-day
period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for
this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes
the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from
nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan.
Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the bond funds is expected to qualify for this lower
rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock or bond funds is expected to qualify for this deduction.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
If you hold your fund through an intermediary, the intermediary is responsible for providing you with any necessary tax forms. You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes.
T. Rowe Price (or your intermediary) will make available to you Form 1099-B, if applicable, no later than mid-February, indicating the date and amount of each sale you made in the fund during the prior year. This information will also be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. For most new accounts or those opened by exchange in 1984 or later, we will provide you with the gain or loss on the shares you sold during the year based on the average cost single category method. You may calculate the cost basis using other methods acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service, such as specific identification.
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For mutual fund shares acquired after 2011, tax
regulations require cost basis information to be reported to you and the Internal Revenue Service on
Form 1099-B
using a cost basis method selected by you or, in the absence of such selected method, our default method
if you acquire your shares directly from us. Our default method is average cost. If you acquire your
fund shares through an intermediary after 2011, you should check with your intermediary regarding the
applicable cost basis method. You should, however, note that the cost basis information reported to you
may not always be the same as what you should report on your tax return because the rules applicable
to the determination of cost basis on Form 1099-B may be different from the rules applicable to
the determination of cost basis for reporting on your tax return. Therefore, you should save your transaction
records to make sure the information reported on your tax return is accurate. To help you maintain accurate
records, T. Rowe Price will make available to you a confirmation promptly following each transaction
you make (except for systematic purchases and systematic redemptions) and a year-end statement detailing
all of your transactions in each fund account during the year. If you hold your fund through an intermediary,
the intermediary is responsible for providing you with transaction confirmations and statements.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
T. Rowe Price (or your intermediary) will make available to you, as applicable, no later than mid-February, a Form 1099-DIV, or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as required, indicating the tax status of any income dividends, dividends exempt from federal income taxes, and capital gain distributions made to you. This information will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Taxable distributions are generally taxable to you in the year in which they are paid. Your bond or money fund dividends for each calendar year will include dividends accrued up to the first business day of the next calendar year. You will be sent any additional information you need to determine your taxes on fund distributions, such as the portion of your dividends, if any, that may be exempt from state and local income taxes. Dividends from tax-free funds are generally expected to be tax-exempt.
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held for more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held for six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
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The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital, which are generally nontaxable but reduce your tax basis in the fund’s shares. A recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs), and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest significantly in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
If a fund holds Build America Bonds or other qualified tax credit bonds and elects to pass through the corresponding interest income and any available tax credits, you will need to report both the interest income and any such tax credits as taxable income. You may be able to claim the tax credits on your federal tax return as an offset to your income tax (including alternative minimum tax) liability, but the tax credits generally are not refundable. There is no assurance, however, that a fund will elect to pass through the income and credits.
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
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Following these procedures helps assure timely and accurate transactions.
Purchase Conditions
Nonpayment If the fund does not receive payment for an order in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The shareholder (or intermediary) will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on Immediate Redemptions: 10-Day Hold If shares are sold that were recently purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. If, during the clearing period, we receive a check drawn against your newly purchased shares, it will be returned marked “uncollected.” (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire or automatic purchases through payroll deduction.)
Telephone and Online Account Transactions You may access your account and conduct transactions using the telephone or the T. Rowe Price website. The T. Rowe Price funds and their agents use reasonable procedures to verify the identity of the shareholder. If these procedures are followed, the funds and their agents are not liable for any losses that may occur from acting on unauthorized instructions. A confirmation is sent promptly after a transaction. Please review it carefully and contact T. Rowe Price immediately about any transaction you believe to be unauthorized. Telephone conversations are recorded.
Large Redemptions Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to pay all or part of redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (“redemption in-kind”). If this occurs, the securities will be selected by the fund in its absolute discretion, and the redeeming shareholder or account will be responsible for disposing of the securities and bearing any associated costs.
We also request that you give us at least three business days’ notice for any redemption of $2 million or more.
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Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of Directors/Trustees of the T. Rowe Price funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards of Directors/Trustees deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (the “30-Day Purchase Block”). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the 30-Day Purchase Block:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money funds and ultra short-term bond funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund; and
· Shares of T. Rowe Price funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price fund are still subject to the policy).
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Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap programs, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct an intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (e.g., following the advice of a newsletter). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days or permanently.
Intermediary Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price funds through an intermediary, you should review the intermediary’s materials carefully or consult with the intermediary directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through an intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Intermediaries may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the intermediary and may request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable). If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred, it will instruct the intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its excessive trading policies for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
T. Rowe Price may allow an intermediary or other third party to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price funds and
T. Rowe Price | 20 |
their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards of Directors/Trustees.
Retirement Plan Accounts If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally
the
30-Day Purchase Block applies only to shares redeemed by a participant-directed exchange to another
fund. However, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on
how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or the excessive trading policy applied by your
plan’s recordkeeper. An alternative excessive trading policy may apply to the T. Rowe Price
funds where a retirement plan has its own policy deemed acceptable to T. Rowe Price. You should
contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper to determine which of your transactions are subject
to the funds’ 30-Day Purchase Block or an alternative policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Keeping Your Account Open
To keep operating expenses lower, we ask you to maintain an account balance of at least $1 million. If your investment falls below $1 million (even if due to market depreciation), we have the right to convert your account to a different share class in the same fund with a higher expense ratio or redeem your account at the then-current net asset value after giving you 60 days to increase your balance. The redemption of your account could result in a taxable gain.
Signature Guarantees
A Medallion signature guarantee is designed to protect you and the T. Rowe Price funds from fraud by verifying your signature.
The shareholder or intermediary may need to obtain a signature guarantee in certain situations, such as:
· Written requests to redeem over $5 million;
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file, or transferring redemption proceeds to a T. Rowe Price fund account with a different registration (name or ownership) from yours;
· Changing the account registration or broker-dealer of record for an account; and
· Establishing certain services after the account is opened.
Intermediaries should consult their T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative for specific requirements relating to their account. The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the
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dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
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How is the fund organized?
T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the “corporation”) was incorporated in Maryland in 1979. Currently, the corporation consists of 23 series, each representing a separate pool of assets with different investment objectives and investment policies. Each is an “open-end management investment company,” or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2015, the fund issued a separate class of shares known as the I Class.
Shareholders have benefitted from T. Rowe Price’s investment management experience since 1937.
What is meant by “shares”?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund’s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
· Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. For funds with multiple share classes, the income dividends for each share class will generally differ from those of other share classes to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.
· Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of material changes to the fund’s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voting rights on matters affecting only that class.
Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold regularly scheduled shareholder meetings. To avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, shareholder meetings are only held when certain matters, such as changes in fundamental policies or elections of directors, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee. If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send or make available to you proxy materials that explain the matters to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail, telephone, or the Internet.
More About the Fund | 23 |
Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (the “Firm”).
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price or an affiliated investment adviser—specifically by the fund’s portfolio managers.
Investment Advisers
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio. T. Rowe Price is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and sub-adviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of March 31, 2015, the Firm had approximately $772 billion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 9 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chairman have day-to-day responsibility for managing the fund’s portfolio and work with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Michael J. Conelius, Chairman, Roy H. Adkins, Peter I. Botoucharov, Tala Boulos, Carolyn Hoi Che Chu, Bridget A. Ebner, Richard L. Hall, Arif Husain, Andrew J. Keirle, Christopher J. Kushlis, Christopher C. Loop, Samy B. Muaddi, Michael D. Oh, Kenneth A. Orchard, and Christopher J. Rothery. The following information provides the year that the chairman first joined the Firm and the chairman’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chairman may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Conelius has been chairman of the committee since 2001, but has been managing the fund since the fund’s inception in 1994. He joined the Firm in 1988 and his investment experience dates from that time. He has served as a portfolio manager with the Firm throughout the past five years. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of fund shares.
The Management Fee
The management fee has two parts–an “individual fund fee,” which reflects a fund’s particular characteristics, and a “group fee.” The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all
T. Rowe Price | 24 |
T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, Target Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (in the following table) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule
0.334%* | First $50 billion |
0.305% | Next $30 billion |
0.300% | Next $40 billion |
0.295% | Next $40 billion |
0.290% | Next $60 billion |
0.285% | Next $80 billion |
0.280% | Next $100 billion |
0.275% | Next $100 billion |
0.270% | Thereafter |
* Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. On May 31, 2015, the annual group fee rate was 0.29%. The individual fund fee, also applied to the fund’s average daily net assets, is 0.45%.
Through April 30, 2018, T. Rowe Price has agreed to pay the operating expenses of the fund’s I Class excluding management fees; interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes and brokerage; nonrecurring, extraordinary expenses; and acquired fund fees and expenses (“I Class Operating Expenses”), to the extent the I Class Operating Expenses exceed 0.05% of the class’ average daily net assets. Any expenses paid under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price by the fund or class whenever the fund’s I Class Operating Expenses are below 0.05%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after the payment of the I Class Operating Expenses or if such reimbursement would cause the fund’s I Class Operating Expenses to exceed 0.05%. Termination of this agreement would require approval by the fund’s Board.
A discussion about the factors considered by the Board and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price will appear in the fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended June 30.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price provides accounting services to the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. acts as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay third-party intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts.
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Buying foreign bonds can be difficult and costly for the individual investor, and gaining access to many foreign markets can be complicated. Few investors have the time, the expertise, or the resources to evaluate foreign markets effectively on their own. The professional management, broad diversification, and relative simplicity of mutual funds make them an attractive, low-cost vehicle for this type of investing.
Interest rates vary from country to country depending on local economic conditions and monetary and fiscal policies. By investing in foreign bond markets, investors can benefit from potentially higher yields than U.S. bond markets provide. Therefore, diversifying internationally across various countries can help reduce portfolio volatility and smooth out returns.
The fund ordinarily invests in the securities of at least three countries; however, it may invest in the securities of one country, including the U.S., for temporary defensive purposes.
Security selection relies heavily on in-depth research that analyzes various factors such as the creditworthiness of particular issuers, shifts in country fundamentals, political and economic trends, anticipated currency movements, and the risk adjusted attractiveness of various countries. The fund focuses its investments on issuers in emerging markets. The fund has wide flexibility to choose among bonds issued in local currencies or the U.S. dollar, and to choose among corporate and sovereign issuers.
The fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in an effort to hedge against an expected decline in the value of currencies in which portfolio holdings are denominated, to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency or to shift the fund’s foreign currency exposure from one country to another, or to enhance the fund’s returns.
Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets. The risk profiles of foreign bond funds vary with the types of bonds they purchase, their degree of currency exposure, and whether they invest in developed markets, emerging markets, or both.
As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money when you sell your shares of the fund. Some particular risks affecting the fund include the following:
Market risk The market price of securities owned by the fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting the overall securities markets, or particular industries or sectors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions,
T. Rowe Price | 26 |
changes in the general outlook for an issuer’s financial condition, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.
Currency risk This is the risk of a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. The overall impact on a fund’s holdings can be significant and long-lasting depending on the currencies represented in the portfolio, how each currency appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar, and whether currency positions are hedged. Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, particularly with respect to emerging markets currencies. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments. Because the fund is normally heavily exposed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates are likely to have a significant effect on the fund’s performance. Currency trends are unpredictable, and to the extent the fund purchases and sells currencies, it will also be subject to the risk that its trading strategies, including efforts at hedging, will not succeed. Furthermore, hedging and trading costs can be significant and reduce fund net asset value, and many emerging market currencies cannot be effectively hedged.
Other risks of foreign investing Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development, differing regulatory environments, trading days and accounting standards, uncertain tax laws, and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Investments outside the U.S. could be subject to governmental actions such as capital or currency controls, nationalization of a company or industry, expropriation of assets, or imposition of high taxes. A trading market may close without warning for extended time periods, preventing a fund from buying or selling securities in that market.
Emerging markets risk Investments in emerging markets, which generally include Africa, parts of Europe and much of Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, are subject to the risk of abrupt and severe price declines. The economic and political structures of emerging market countries, in most cases, do not compare favorably with the U.S. or other developed countries in terms of wealth and stability, and their financial markets often lack liquidity. These economies are less developed, can be overly reliant on particular industries, and more vulnerable to the ebb and flow of international trade, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Certain countries have legacies and periodic episodes of hyperinflation and currency devaluations, particularly Russia and many Latin American nations, and more recently many Asian countries. Governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets. Foreign investments may be restricted and subject to greater government control,
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including repatriation of sales proceeds. Some countries have histories of instability and upheaval that could cause their governments to act in a detrimental or hostile manner toward private enterprise or foreign investment. Investments in countries or regions that have recently begun moving away from central planning and state-owned industries toward free markets should be regarded as speculative.
While some countries have made progress in economic growth, liberalization, fiscal discipline, and political and social stability, there is no assurance these trends will continue. Significant risks, such as war and terrorism, currently affect some emerging market countries. Fund performance will likely be hurt by exposure to nations in the midst of hyperinflation, currency devaluation, trade disagreements, sudden political upheaval, or interventionist government policies. The volatility of emerging markets may be heightened by the actions (such as significant buying or selling) of a few major investors. For example, substantial decreases in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local securities prices and, therefore, cause fund share prices to decline.
All of these factors make investing in such countries significantly riskier than in other countries and any one of these could cause a fund’s share price to decline.
Credit risk This is the risk that an issuer of a debt security held by the fund will default (fail to make scheduled payments), potentially reducing the fund’s income and share price. This risk is increased when a portfolio security is downgraded or the perceived creditworthiness of an issuer or counterparty deteriorates. The risk of default is much greater for emerging market bonds and securities rated as below investment-grade.
Companies and governments issuing lower-rated bonds are not as strong financially as those with higher credit ratings, and their bonds are often viewed as speculative investments. Such issuers are more vulnerable to real or perceived business setbacks and to changes in the economy, such as a recession, that might impair their ability to make timely interest and principal payments. Certain emerging market governments and corporations have in the past defaulted on payment of interest and principal on debt they have issued. As a result, your portfolio managers rely heavily on proprietary T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International research when selecting these investments.
Liquidity risk This is the risk that a fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Sectors of the bond market can experience sudden downturns in trading activity. During periods of reduced market liquidity, the spread between the price at which a security can be bought and the price at which it can be sold can widen, and the fund may not be able to sell a holding readily at a price that reflects what the fund believes it should be worth. Less liquid securities can also become more difficult to value. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities or the lack of an active market. The potential for
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liquidity risk may be magnified by a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, potentially causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity.
Emerging market bonds are generally less liquid than higher-quality bonds issued by companies and governments in developed countries. Consequently, large purchases or sales of certain high-yield, emerging market debt issues may cause significant changes in their prices. Because many of these bonds do not trade frequently, when they do trade, their prices may be substantially higher or lower than had been expected. A lack of liquidity also means that more subjectivity will be used in establishing the fair value of the securities.
Interest rate risk This is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed income securities will increase as interest rates fall and prices will decrease as interest rates rise (bond prices and interest rates usually move in opposite directions). Prices fall because the bonds and notes in the fund’s portfolio become less attractive to other investors when securities with higher yields become available. Generally, the longer the maturity of a security or the longer a bond fund’s weighted average maturity, the greater its interest rate risk. As a result, in a rising interest rate environment, the net asset value of a fund with a longer weighted average maturity typically decreases at a faster rate than the net asset value of a fund with a shorter weighted average maturity. In addition, changes in the local interest rates of emerging market countries tend to be more erratic than changes in interest rates of the U.S. and developed market countries.
Other factors The major factor influencing prices of high-quality bonds is changes in interest rate levels, but this is only one of several factors affecting prices of lower-quality bonds. Because the credit quality of the issuer is lower, such bonds are more sensitive to developments affecting the issuer’s underlying fundamentals (for example, changes in financial condition or a particular country’s general economy). In addition, the entire bond market in an emerging market can experience sudden and sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large or sustained sales by institutional investors, a high-profile default, a political upheaval of some kind, or just a change in the market’s psychology. This type of volatility is usually associated more with stocks than bonds, but investors in lower-quality bonds should also anticipate it.
Since mutual funds can be a major source of demand in certain markets, substantial cash flows into and out of these funds can affect high-yield and emerging market bond prices. If, for example, a significant number of funds were to sell bonds to meet shareholder redemptions, both bond prices and a fund’s share price could fall more than underlying fundamentals might justify.
Nondiversification risk Because the fund is nondiversified, the fund can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. Concentrating
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investments could result in greater potential losses than for funds investing in a broader variety of issuers.
Derivatives risk To the extent a fund enters into forward currency exchange contracts, it is exposed to additional volatility and losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment, the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, and the risk that the other party to the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. If currency values and exchange rates move in a direction not predicted by the investment adviser, the fund could be in a worse position than if it had not entered into such transactions. Any attempts at hedging currencies may not be successful and could cause the fund to lose money or fail to get the benefit of a gain on a hedged position.
Any efforts at buying or selling currencies could result in significant losses for a fund and, if the fund takes a short position in a particular currency, it will lose money if the currency appreciates in value. Further, if the fund’s foreign currency transactions are intended to hedge the currency risk associated with investing in foreign securities and minimize the risk of loss that would result from a decline in the value of the hedged currency, these transactions also may limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
Efforts to reduce risk Consistent with the fund’s objective, the portfolio manager uses various tools to try to reduce risk and increase total return, including:
· Thorough credit research performed by T. Rowe Price analysts.
· Adjusting fund duration to try to reduce the drop in the fund’s price when interest rates rise or to benefit from the rise in price when rates fall.
· Management of the impact of foreign currency changes on the fund’s portfolio.
Additional strategies and risks Other strategies may be employed that are not considered part of a fund’s principal investment strategies. For instance, the fund may also use futures and swaps to manage interest rate exposure, adjust portfolio duration, or as a tool to help manage cash flows into and out of the fund. The fund may also use credit default swaps in an effort to manage overall credit quality or to protect the value of certain portfolio holdings. Currency hedging into the U.S. dollar is permitted but is not required. The fund may also take a short position in a currency, which means that the fund could sell a currency in excess of its assets denominated in that currency (or the fund could sell a currency without owning any assets denominated in the currency). In addition, the fund may take long or short positions in particular countries or bond markets. A short position allows the fund to sell interest rate futures with respect to bonds of a particular market and have the value of the futures contract exceed the value of the bonds held by the fund (or the fund could sell futures with respect to a particular bond market without owning any bonds in that market).
If the fund takes a short position in a particular currency or bond market, it will lose money if the currency or bond market appreciates in value. Any efforts at buying or
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selling currencies could result in significant losses for a fund. Further, if the fund’s foreign currency transactions are intended to hedge the currency risk associated with investing in foreign securities and minimize the risk of loss that would result from a decline in the value of the hedged currency, these transactions also may limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
To the extent a fund invests in futures, swaps, or credit default swaps, it could be exposed to additional volatility and the risk that anticipated changes in interest rates or the creditworthiness of an issuer, or the likelihood of a particular credit event, will not be accurately predicted. From time to time, the fund may use other derivatives that are consistent with its investment program.
A derivative involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the assets on which the derivative is based. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid, and difficult to value. Changes in the value of a derivative may not properly correlate with changes in the value of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index. A fund could be exposed to significant losses if it is unable to close a derivatives position due to the lack of a liquid secondary trading market. Derivatives involve the risk that a counterparty to the derivatives agreement will fail to make required payments or comply with the terms of the agreement. There is also the possibility that limitations or trading restrictions may be imposed by an exchange or government regulation, which could adversely impact the value and liquidity of a derivatives contract subject to such regulation.
Recent regulations have changed the requirements related to the use of certain derivatives. Some of these new regulations have limited the availability of certain derivatives and made their use by funds more costly. It is expected that additional changes to the regulatory framework will occur, but the extent and impact of additional new regulations are not certain at this time.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses.
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as “fundamental policies.” Portfolio managers also follow certain “operating policies” that can be changed without shareholder approval.
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Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change in the fund’s policy requiring it to normally invest at least 80% of net assets in debt securities of emerging market governments or companies located in emerging market countries.
Fund holdings in certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages as set forth in this prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. For instance, there are limitations regarding fund investments in certain types of derivatives. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have a significantly greater impact on a fund’s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Certain investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time a fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of a fund’s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of a fund’s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If any of these changes occur, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction and will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time the investment was made (this exception does not apply to a fund’s borrowing policy). However, purchases by a fund during the time it is above or below the stated percentage restriction would be made in compliance with applicable restrictions.
For purposes of determining whether a particular country is considered a developed market or an emerging market, the fund considers a country to be an emerging market if it is either included in a JP Morgan emerging market bond index or not included in the International Monetary Fund’s listing of advanced economies. For purposes of determining whether the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in debt securities of emerging markets issuers, the fund uses the country assigned to a security by Bloomberg or another unaffiliated third-party data provider.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments to fund performance are discussed in the shareholder reports.
Portfolio managers have considerable discretion in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund holdings and investment management practices.
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Nondiversified Status
The fund is registered with the SEC as a nondiversified mutual fund. Therefore, the fund is able to invest more than 5% of its assets in the securities of individual foreign governments and may invest a greater portion of its assets in a single issuer than a diversified fund. Since the fund is a nondiversified investment company and is permitted to invest a greater proportion of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers, the fund may be subject to greater credit risk with respect to its portfolio securities and greater volatility with respect to its share price than an investment company that is more broadly diversified.
However, the fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. This requires the fund to limit its investments so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, with respect to 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of its assets is invested in the securities of a single issuer, and not more than 10% of the voting securities of any issuer are held by the fund. With respect to the remaining 50% of fund assets, no more than 25% may be invested in a single issuer.
Debt Securities
The fund’s investments may be in fixed-rate and floating rate debt securities and may include, but shall not be limited to: (1) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by: (a) a foreign sovereign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions, including a foreign state, province, or municipality, and (b) supranational organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Economic Community; (2) debt obligations: (a) of foreign banks and bank holding companies, and (b) of domestic banks and corporations issued in non-U.S. dollar denominations; and (3) foreign corporate debt securities, asset-backed securities, and commercial paper. Such securities may take a variety of forms including those issued in the local currency of the issuer, U.S. dollar-denominated bonds, Eurobonds, and Euro-denominated bonds. Normally, the fund will generally purchase non-U.S. dollar-denominated bonds. The fund may from time to time purchase securities on a when-issued basis, invest in repurchase agreements, and purchase bonds convertible into equities.
The fund generally will not invest more than 5% of its assets in any individual corporate issuer, provided that (1) the fund may place assets in bank deposits or other short-term bank instruments with a maturity of up to 30 days provided that (a) the bank has a short-term credit rating of A1+ (or, if unrated, the equivalent as determined by T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price International) and (b) the fund will not maintain more than 10% of its total assets with any single bank; and (2) the fund may maintain more than 5% of its total assets, including cash and currencies, in custodial accounts or deposits of the fund’s custodian or sub-custodians.
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Concentration of Investments From time to time, the fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country. However, the fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of any single foreign governmental issuer or in two or more such issuers subject to a common, explicit guarantee and will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any single corporate issuer..
Below Investment-Grade Bonds The price and yield of lower-quality (high yield, high-risk) bonds, commonly referred to as “junk” bonds and below investment-grade emerging market bonds, can be expected to fluctuate more than the price and yield of higher-quality bonds. Investment-grade bonds are those rated from the highest quality (AAA or equivalent) to medium quality (BBB or equivalent), and below investment-grade bonds are those rated BB (or equivalent) and lower. Below investment-grade bonds are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments since their issuers are more vulnerable to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy issuers. Even BBB rated bonds may have speculative elements as well. The values of below investment-grade bonds often fluctuate more in response to political, regulatory, or economic developments than higher quality bonds. Successful investment in lower-medium- and low-quality bonds involves greater investment risk and is highly dependent on careful credit analysis.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 20% of total assets in below investment-grade (“junk”) bonds.
While the fund intends to invest primarily in debt securities, it may invest in convertible bonds or equity securities. While some countries or companies may be regarded as favorable investments, pure bond opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply, or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the fund may consider equity securities or convertible bonds to gain exposure to such markets.
Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stocks have a specified dividend rate and rank after bonds and before common stocks in their claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Unlike common stock, preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, a fund may decide to purchase preferred stock where the issuer has suspended, or is in danger of suspending, payment of its dividend.
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Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities at specified times in the future and according to a certain exchange ratio. Convertible bonds are typically callable by the issuer, which could in effect force conversion before the holder would otherwise choose. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree than common stock. Some convertible securities combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy, directly from the issuer, a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and can be highly volatile. In some cases, the redemption value of a warrant could be zero.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 5% of total assets in preferred stocks and securities that are convertible into, or which carry warrants for, common stocks or other equity securities. Under normal conditions, the fund does not expect to directly purchase common stocks. Any shares of common stock that are received through a reorganization, restructuring, exercise, exchange, conversion, or similar action will be sold within a reasonable timeframe taking into consideration market conditions and any legal restrictions.
Loan Participations and Assignments
Large loans to corporations or governments, including governments of less developed countries, may be shared or syndicated among several lenders, usually banks. The fund could participate in such syndicates, or could buy part of a loan, becoming a direct lender. The fund may acquire loans as an assignment from another lender that holds a direct interest in the loan or as a participation interest in another lender’s portion of the loan. Participations and assignments involve special types of risk, including limited marketability and the risks of being considered a lender. If the fund purchases a participation, it may only be able to enforce its rights through the lender, and it may assume the credit risk of the lender in addition to the borrower. With assignments, the fund’s rights against the borrower may be more limited than those held by the original lender. The fund may also make investments in a company through the purchase or execution of a privately negotiated note representing the equivalent of a loan.
Operating policy The fund may not invest more than 5% of total assets in loan participations and assignments.
Derivatives and Leverage
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security, such as a stock or bond, or from a market benchmark, such as an interest rate index. Many types of investments representing a wide range of risks and
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potential rewards may be considered derivatives, including conventional instruments such as futures and options, as well as other potentially more complex investments such as swaps and structured notes. The use of derivatives can involve leverage. Leverage has the effect of magnifying returns, positively or negatively. The effect on returns will depend on the extent to which an investment is leveraged. For example, an investment of $1, leveraged at 2 to 1, would have the effect of an investment of $2. Leverage ratios can be higher or lower with a corresponding effect on returns. The fund may use derivatives in certain situations to help accomplish any or all of the following: to hedge against a decline in principal value, to increase yield, to manage exposure to changes in interest or currency exchange rates, to invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or to adjust portfolio duration or credit risk exposure.
Derivatives that may be used include the following instruments, as well as others that combine the risk characteristics and features of futures, options, and swaps:
Futures and Options Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, foreign currencies, and credit quality; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, financial indexes, and foreign currencies. A fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower a fund’s total return; the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such contracts; and the losses from certain options written by a fund could be unlimited.
Operating policies Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of a fund’s net asset value. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Swaps Fund investments may be made in interest rate, index, total return, credit default, and other types of swap agreements, as well as options on swaps, commonly referred to as “swaptions,” and interest rate swap futures, which are instruments that
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provide a way to obtain swap exposure and the benefits of futures in one contract. All of these agreements are considered derivatives and, in certain cases, high-risk derivatives. Interest rate, index, and total return swaps are two-party contracts under which a fund and a counterparty, such as a broker or dealer, agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or indexes. Credit default swaps are agreements where one party (the protection buyer) will make periodic payments to another party (the protection seller) in exchange for protection against specified credit events, such as defaults and bankruptcies related to an issuer or underlying credit instrument. Swap futures are futures contracts on interest rate swaps that enable purchasers to settle in cash at a future date at the price determined by a specific benchmark rate at the end of a fixed period. Swaps, swaptions, and swap futures can be used for a variety of purposes, including to manage a fund’s overall exposure to changes in interest or foreign currency exchange rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting a fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration or credit risk exposure.
There are risks in the use of swaps and related instruments. Swaps could result in losses if interest or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by a fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps can increase a fund’s exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if evaluation of the creditworthiness of the counterparty, or of the company or government on which the credit default swap is based, is incorrect. The use of swaps, swaptions, and swap futures may not always be successful. Using them could lower a fund’s total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed a fund’s initial investment in such instruments. Also, the other party to a swap agreement could default on its obligations or refuse to cash out a fund’s investment at a reasonable price, which could turn an expected gain into a loss. Although there should be minimal counterparty risk associated with investments in interest rate swap futures, a fund could experience delays and/or losses due to the bankruptcy of a swap dealer through which the fund engaged in the transaction.
Operating policies A swap agreement with any single counterparty will not be entered into if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets or if the net amount owed or to be received by the fund under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets. (Swap agreements that are cleared and settled through a clearinghouse, or traded on an exchange or swap execution facility, are not subject to these limits.) For swaptions, the total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put swaptions.
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Hybrid Instruments Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency, security, or securities index or another interest rate (each a “benchmark”). Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, and increased total return. Hybrids may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrid. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
Currency Derivatives The fund may engage in foreign currency transactions either on a spot (cash) basis at the rate prevailing in the currency exchange market at the time or through forward currency exchange contracts, which are contracts between two counterparties to exchange one currency for another on a future date at a specified exchange rate. In addition to foreign currency forwards, futures, swaps, and options on foreign currencies may also be used to protect a fund’s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar, as well as to gain exposure to currencies and markets expected to increase or decrease in value relative to other currencies or securities.
The fund may attempt to hedge its exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. Forward currency contracts can be used to adjust the foreign exchange exposure of the fund with a view to protecting the portfolio from adverse currency movements, based on T. Rowe Price’s outlook. However, forward currency contracts can also be used in an effort to benefit from a currency believed to be appreciating in value versus other currencies. The fund may invest in foreign currencies directly without holding any foreign securities denominated in those currencies.
Forward currency contracts involve special risks, including, but not limited to, the potential for significant volatility in currency markets, and the risk that in certain markets, particularly emerging markets, it is not possible to engage in effective
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foreign currency hedging. In addition, such transactions involve the risk that currency movements will not occur as anticipated by T. Rowe Price, which could reduce a fund’s total return.
The fund may enter into foreign currency transactions under the following circumstances:
Lock In When the fund desires to lock in the U.S. dollar price on the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.
Cross Hedge If a particular currency is expected to decrease in value relative to another currency, the fund may sell the currency expected to decrease and purchase a currency that is expected to increase against the currency sold. The fund’s cross hedging transactions may involve currencies in which the fund’s holdings are denominated. However, the fund is not required to own securities in the particular currency being purchased or sold.
Direct Hedge If the fund seeks to eliminate substantially all of the risk of owning a particular currency or believes the portfolio could benefit from price appreciation in a given country’s bonds but did not want to hold the currency, it could employ a direct hedge back into the U.S. dollar. In either case, a fund would enter into a forward contract to sell the currency in which a portfolio security is denominated and purchase U.S. dollars at an exchange rate established at the time it initiated the contract. The cost of the direct hedge transaction may offset most, if not all, of the yield advantage offered by the foreign security, but the fund would hope to benefit from an increase (if any) in the value of the bond.
Proxy Hedge In certain circumstances, a different currency may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, as part of a strategy known as proxy hedging. In this case, the fund, having purchased a security, will sell a currency whose value is believed to be closely linked to the currency in which the security is denominated. This type of hedging entails greater risk than a direct hedge because it is dependent on a stable relationship between the two currencies paired as proxies, and that relationship may not always be maintained. The fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond, which is issued in one currency with the currency component transformed into another currency.
Costs of Hedging When the fund purchases a foreign bond with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially lessened if the fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. This is what is known as the “cost” of hedging. A proxy hedge, which is less costly than a direct hedge, may attempt to reduce this cost through an indirect hedge back to the U.S. dollar.
It is important to note that hedging costs are treated as capital transactions and are not, therefore, deducted from a fund’s dividend distribution and are not reflected in
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its yield. Instead, such costs will, over time, be reflected in a fund’s net asset value per share and total return. Hedging may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by a fund and could affect whether dividends paid by a fund are classified as capital gains or ordinary income.
Investments in Other Investment Companies
A fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds.
A fund may purchase the securities of another investment company to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the market while awaiting purchase of securities or as an efficient means of gaining exposure to a particular asset class. The fund might also purchase shares of another investment company to gain exposure to the securities in the investment company’s portfolio at times when the fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. Any investment in another investment company would be consistent with the fund’s objective and investment program.
The risks of owning another investment company are generally similar to the risks of investing directly in the securities in which that investment company invests. However, an investment company may not achieve its investment objective or execute its investment strategy effectively, which may adversely affect the fund’s performance. In addition, because closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds trade on a secondary market, their shares may trade at a premium or discount to the actual net asset value of their portfolio securities and their shares may have greater volatility if an active trading market does not exist.
As a shareholder of another investment company, the fund must pay its pro-rata share of that investment company’s fees and expenses. The fund’s investments in non-T. Rowe Price investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to investments in other funds under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or under any applicable exemptive order.
A fund may also invest in certain other T. Rowe Price funds as a means of gaining efficient and cost-effective exposure to certain asset classes, provided the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment program and policies. Such an investment could allow the fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio than might otherwise be available through direct investments in the asset class, and will subject the fund to the risks associated with the particular asset class. Examples of asset classes in which other T. Rowe Price mutual funds concentrate their investments include high yield bonds, inflation-linked securities, floating rate loans, international bonds, emerging market bonds, stocks of companies involved in activities related to real assets and emerging market stocks. If the fund invests in another T. Rowe Price fund, the management fee paid by the fund will be reduced to ensure that the fund does not incur duplicate management fees as a result of its investment.
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Illiquid Securities
Some fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid securities may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and a fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what it believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets may be held in reserves. Fund reserve positions can consist of: 1) shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money fund or short-term bond fund; 2) short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements; and 3) U.S. dollar or non-U.S. dollar currencies. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on a fund’s holdings in reserves. If a fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses and managing cash flows into a fund, and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility. Non-U.S. dollar reserves are subject to currency risk.
When-Issued Securities and Forwards
A fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. The price of these securities is fixed at the time of the commitment to buy, but delivery and payment take place after the customary settlement period for that type of security (often a month or more later). During the interim period, the price and yield of the securities can fluctuate, and typically no interest accrues to the purchaser. At the time of delivery, the market value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. To the extent the fund remains fully or almost fully invested (in securities with a remaining maturity of more than one year) at the same time it purchases these securities, there will be greater fluctuations in the fund’s net asset value than if the fund did not purchase them.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
A fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other
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purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Operating policy A fund will not transfer portfolio securities as collateral except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 331/3% of total assets. A fund will not purchase additional securities when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
A fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform as well as expected.
Fundamental policy The value of loaned securities may not exceed 331/3% of total assets.
Credit Quality Considerations
The credit quality of many fund holdings is evaluated by rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P), and Fitch Ratings (Fitch). Credit quality refers to the issuer’s ability and willingness to meet all required interest and principal payments. The highest ratings are assigned to companies perceived to have the lowest credit risks. T. Rowe Price credit research analysts also evaluate fund holdings, including those rated by outside agencies. Other things being equal, bonds and other debt obligations with lower ratings typically have higher yields due to greater credit risk.
Credit quality ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of a company’s creditworthiness and ability to make interest and principal payments as they come due. Ratings can change at any time due to actual or perceived changes in a company’s creditworthiness or financial fundamentals.
Bonds rated Baa and above by Moody’s, and BBB and above by S&P and Fitch, are considered to be “investment-grade.” Bonds that are rated below these categories assume greater credit risk and are referred to as “below investment-grade” or “noninvestment-grade.” Bonds rated below investment-grade range from speculative to highly speculative with respect to their ability or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The following table summarizes the rating scales and associated credit risk assigned by the major rating agencies. Within these categories, the rating may be modified with a symbol (such as 1, 2, and 3, or a plus or minus) to indicate whether the bond is ranked in the higher or lower end of its rating category. T. Rowe
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Price considers publicly available ratings but emphasizes its own credit analysis when selecting investments.
Ratings of Debt Securities
Moody’s | S&P | Fitch | Description of Category | |
Aaa | AAA | AAA | Lowest level of credit risk with extremely strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Aa | AA | AA | Very low credit risk with very strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
A | A | A | Low credit risk with strong capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Baa | BBB | BBB | Moderate credit risk with adequate capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Ba | BB | BB | Subject to substantial credit risk and adverse conditions could lead to inadequate capacity to meet financial commitments | |
B | B | B | Subject to high credit risk and adverse conditions will likely impair capacity to meet financial commitments | |
Caa | CCC | CCC | Subject to very high credit risk and dependent upon favorable conditions to meet financial commitments | |
Ca | CC | CC | Highly vulnerable to nonpayment and likely in, or very near, default with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest | |
C | C | C | Typically in default with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest | |
D | D | D | In default | |
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. A fund will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time a fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in its net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on a fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
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Each T. Rowe Price fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund’s first and third fiscal quarter-end. The money funds also file detailed month-end portfolio holdings information with the SEC each month. Such information will be made available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains. In addition, the funds disclose their calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of a fund’s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would not be individually identified if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be excluded for these purposes from a fund’s quarter-end holdings disclosure for more than one year. Money funds also disclose their month-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com five business days after each month. The quarter-end portfolio holdings will remain on the website for one year and the month-end money fund portfolio holdings will remain on the website for six months. Each fund also discloses its 10 largest holdings on troweprice.com on the seventh business day after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund’s total assets that these 10 holdings represent. Each monthly top 10 list will remain on the website for six months. A description of T. Rowe Price’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is available in the Statement of Additional Information and through troweprice.com.
Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class incepted on August 28, 2015, and therefore has no financial history. The Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class is a separate share class of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund and shares the fund’s investment program and portfolio with other classes. Therefore, as a point of comparison, the following Financial Highlights table provides historical information about the fund’s existing Investor Class. This information is based on a single share outstanding for the Investor Class throughout the periods shown.
This table is part of the Emerging Markets Bond Fund’s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of any applicable account or redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual
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report were audited by the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Had Emerging Markets Bond Fund—I Class existed during the periods reflected in the table, some financial information would be different because of its lower anticipated expense ratio.
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Financial Highlights
Year ended December 31 | ||||||||||
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | ||||||
Net asset
value, | $12.54 | $13.28 | $12.74 | $14.22 | $12.48 | |||||
Income From Investment Operations | ||||||||||
Net investment income* | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.79 | 0.70 | 0.72 | |||||
Net gains
or losses on | 0.74 | (0.43 | ) | 1.65 | (1.70 | ) | (0.31 | ) | ||
Total from investment | 1.62 | 0.45 | 2.44 | (1.00 | ) | 0.41 | ||||
Less Distributions | ||||||||||
Dividends (from net | (0.86 | ) | (0.89 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.66 | ) | (0.72 | ) |
Distributions (from | (0.02 | ) | (0.10 | ) | (0.19 | ) | (0.08 | ) | (0.08 | ) |
Returns of capital | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Total distributions | (0.88 | ) | (0.99 | ) | (0.96 | ) | (0.74 | ) | (0.80 | ) |
Net asset value, | $13.28 | $12.74 | $14.22 | $12.48 | $12.09 | |||||
Total return | 13.29 | % | 3.47 | % | 19.62 | % | (7.19 | )% | 3.21 | % |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Net assets, end of period | $2,658 | $3,087 | $4,024 | $3,935 | $4,268 | |||||
Ratio of expenses to | 0.95 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.93 | % |
Ratio of
net income to | 6.73 | % | 6.72 | % | 5.83 | % | 5.29 | % | 5.62 | % |
Portfolio turnover rate | 35.3 | % | 50.1 | % | 40.7 | % | 45.7 | % | 45.0 | % |
* Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
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If you are purchasing fund shares through a third-party intermediary, contact the intermediary for information regarding its policies on purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming fund shares, as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums. |
Tax Identification | We must have your correct tax identification number on a signed New Account form or W-9 Form. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of your dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject you to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after your account is established, your account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value. |
We send immediate confirmations for most fund transactions. However, certain transactions, such as systematic purchases and systematic redemptions and dividend reinvestments, do not receive an immediate transaction confirmation but are reported on your account statement. Always verify your transactions by carefully reviewing the confirmation we send you and report any discrepancies. |
I Class accounts generally require a $1,000,000 minimum initial investment; the minimum may be waived for certain retirement plans, intermediaries maintaining omnibus accounts, and certain other accounts If you invest through an intermediary, you should check with the intermediary to determine what minimum applies to your initial investment |
Important Information About Opening an Account | Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. |
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When you open an account for an entity, you will be required to provide the entity’s name, residential U.S. street address, and tax identification number, as well as your name, residential street address, date of birth, and Social Security number as the person opening the account on behalf of the entity. Corporate and other institutional accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. |
We will use this information to verify the identity of the entity and person opening the account. We will not be able to open the account for the entity until we receive all of this information. If we are unable to verify the identity of the entity, we are authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.) |
The funds are generally available only to investors with a U.S. address. I Class shares may generally only be purchased and held by corporations; endowments and foundations; charitable trusts; investment companies; defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans; broker-dealers; registered investment advisers; banks and bank trust programs; Section 529 college savings plans; pooled investment vehicles; institutional client accounts for which T. Rowe Price or its affiliate has discretionary investment authority; and individuals meeting the investment minimum or certain criteria. Shares held by any investors that are not eligible to invest in the I Class or who fail to meet or maintain their account(s) at the investment minimum are subject to involuntary redemption at any time or conversion to another share class in the same fund with a higher expense ratio. |
Initial investments may be made by bank wire, check, exchange, or conversion from another class of the same fund. |
By Wire |
| Intermediaries and other institutional clients should call Financial Institution Services at 1-800-638-8790 for an account number, assignment to a dedicated |
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service representative, and wire transfer instructions. Individuals opening an account
held directly with T. Rowe Price should call Investor Services at |
The wire must be received by T. Rowe Price by the close of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4 p.m. ET) to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that the share price for the purchase will be the same day the wire was initiated. |
Complete a New Account form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm, to one of the appropriate addresses listed under By Mail. |
Note: Although the initial purchase by wire will be made, services may not be established and Internal Revenue Service penalty withholding may occur until we receive a signed New Account form. |
By Check | We do not accept third-party checks for initial purchases; however, we do accept third-party checks for subsequent purchases. In addition, T. Rowe Price does not accept purchases by cash, traveler’s checks, or credit card checks. |
By Exchange | You may purchase shares of a fund using the proceeds from the redemption of shares from another fund in the same share class. The redemption and purchase will receive the same trade date and, for taxable accounts, the redemption will be reported as a sale for tax purposes. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging. Services for the new account may be carried over online or by telephone request if they are preauthorized on the existing account. |
By Conversion |
| You may convert from Investor Class shares of a fund to I Class shares of the same fund. Although the conversion has no effect on the dollar value of your investment in the fund, the number of shares owned after the conversion may be greater or less than the number of shares you owned before the conversion depending on the net asset values of the two share |
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classes. A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are converting. |
No minimum for additional purchases; additional shares may be purchased by check, wire, exchange from another fund, conversion from another share class, or Automated Clearing House (provided your bank information is already on file for your account) |
Exchanges | You can move money from one account to an existing, identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. An exchange from one fund to another is considered a sale and purchase for tax purposes. |
Redemptions | Redemption proceeds can be mailed to your account address, sent by Automated Clearing House transfer to your bank, or wired to your bank (provided your bank information is already on file). There may be a $5 fee for wire redemptions under $5,000, and your bank may charge for incoming or outgoing wire transfers regardless of size. Please note that large purchase and redemption requests initiated through automated services, including the National Securities Clearing Corporation, may be rejected and, in such instances, the transaction must be placed by contacting a service representative. |
If you request to redeem a specific dollar amount, and the market value of your account is less than the amount of your request, we will redeem all shares from your account. |
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund’s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund. |
By Phone |
| Intermediaries and other institutional clients can call Financial Institution Services at 1-800-638-8790 to place their order. Individuals can call Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132 to place their transaction. If you find our phones busy during |
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unusually volatile markets, please consider placing your order online through |