PGIM
INVESTMENTS | Bringing you the investment managers of Prudential Financial, Inc.
PRUDENTIAL
FLOATING RATE INCOME FUND
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION | April 26, 2017
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) of
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund (the “Fund”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Fund dated April 26, 2017. This SAI has been incorporated by reference
into the Fund’s Prospectus. The Prospectus can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 225-1852 or by writing to Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund is a series of Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 has one other series, Prudential Government Income Fund, which is currently offered pursuant to a separate prospectus and a separate SAI.
The information presented in this SAI applies only to Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund.
The Fund's audited financial
statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Fund’s 2017 Annual Report (File No. 811-03712). You may request a copy of the Annual Report at no charge by calling (800) 225-1852 between 8:00 a.m.
and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on any business day.
PRUDENTIAL FLOATING RATE INCOME FUND
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MF211B
PART I
INTRODUCTION
This SAI sets forth information
about Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund (the Fund), which is one of the two mutual funds which together comprise Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 is an open-end management investment
company. It provides information about certain of the securities, instruments, policies and strategies that are used by the Fund in seeking to achieve its objective. This SAI also provides additional information about
PIP 14’s Board of Directors, the advisory services provided to and the management fees paid by the Fund, information about other fees paid by and services provided to the Fund, and other information.
Information about PIP 14’s
other series, Prudential Government Income Fund, is set forth in a separate SAI.
Before reading the SAI, you should
consult the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI:
GLOSSARY
Term
| Definition
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ADR
| American Depositary Receipt
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ADS
| American Depositary Share
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Board
| Fund’s Board of Directors or Trustees
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Board Member
| A trustee or director of the Fund’s Board
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CEA
| Commodity Exchange Act, as amended
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CFTC
| US Commodity Futures Trading Commission
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Code
| Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
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CMO
| Collateralized Mortgage Obligation
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ETF
| Exchange-Traded Fund
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EDR
| European Depositary Receipt
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Fannie Mae
| Federal National Mortgage Association
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FDIC
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
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Fitch
| Fitch Ratings, Inc.
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Freddie Mac
| Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
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GDR
| Global Depositary Receipt
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Ginnie Mae
| Government National Mortgage Association
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IPO
| Initial Public Offering
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IRS
| Internal Revenue Service
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1933 Act
| Securities Act of 1933, as amended
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1934 Act
| Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
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1940 Act
| Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
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1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions
| Exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations,
collectively
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LIBOR
| London Interbank Offered Rate
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Manager or PGIM Investments
| PGIM Investments LLC
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Moody’s
| Moody’s Investor Services, Inc.
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NASDAQ
| National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System
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NAV
| Net Asset Value
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NRSRO
| Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
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NYSE
| New York Stock Exchange
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OTC
| Over the Counter
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Prudential
| Prudential Financial, Inc.
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PMFS
| Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC
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REIT
| Real Estate Investment Trust
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RIC
| Regulated Investment Company, as the term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended
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Term
| Definition
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S&P
| Standard & Poor’s Corporation
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SEC
| US Securities & Exchange Commission
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World Bank
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
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FUND CLASSIFICATION, INVESTMENT
Objective & POLICIES
The primary investment objective of
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund is to maximize current income, with a secondary investment objective of seeking capital appreciation, but only when consistent with the Fund's primary investment objective of
seeking to maximize current income. Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund is diversified. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
The following section discusses
certain types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use, including explanations of these investments and investment strategies, as well as the risks and considerations associated with these
investments and investment strategies. The Fund also may invest from time to time in certain types of investments and investment strategies that are not discussed or otherwise identified as applicable to the Fund. In
seeking to achieve its objectives, the Fund may from time to time also use the securities, instruments, policies and non-principal strategies that are further described in the following section. Certain of the
investments and investment strategies discussed in the following section are subject to the limitations set forth below.
Under normal market conditions, the
Fund will invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities. Floating rate loans are debt
obligations that have interest rates which adjust or “float” periodically (normally on a monthly or quarterly basis) based on a generally recognized base rate such as the LIBOR or the prime rate offered by
one or more major US banks.
Most floating rate loans are senior
in rank (“senior loans”) in the event of bankruptcy to most other securities of the issuer, such as common stock or publicly-issued bonds. Floating rate loans are often secured by specific collateral of
the issuer so that holders of the loans will have a priority claim on those assets in the event of a default or bankruptcy of the issuer. Floating rate loans are often structured and administered by a financial
institution that acts as agent for the holders of the loan. Loans can be acquired directly through the agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s
portion of the loan.
The Fund has no requirement as to
the maturity or quality of the debt instruments it may buy, or as to the market capitalization of those instruments. The Fund may invest primarily in senior loans that are rated below investment grade or unrated
senior loans of comparable quality at the time of purchase as determined by the Fund’s subadviser. Instruments rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.” In the event
that a security receives different ratings from different NRSROs, the Fund will treat the security as being rated in the highest rating category received from an NRSRO. A description of security ratings is an appendix
to this SAI.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of
its total assets in senior loans that are not secured by any specific collateral. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in other types of debt securities, equity and equity-related securities
(principally preferred stocks and convertible securities), and money market instruments. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in senior loans made to foreign-domiciled borrowers and other foreign
securities, including securities of issuers located in emerging market countries, which may be denominated in US dollars or non-US currencies.
INVESTMENT RISKS AND
CONSIDERATIONS
Set forth below are descriptions of
some of the types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please also see the Prospectus of the Fund
and the “Fund Classification, Investment Objective & Policies” section of this SAI.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. Asset-backed securities directly or indirectly represent a participation interest in, or are secured by and payable from, a stream of payments generated by particular assets such as motor
vehicle or credit card receivables. Payments of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with
the entities issuing the securities. Asset-backed securities may be classified as pass-through certificates or collateralized obligations.
Pass-through certificates are
asset-backed securities which represent an undivided fractional ownership interest in an underlying pool of assets. Pass-through certificates usually provide for payments of principal and interest received to be
passed through to their holders, usually after deduction for certain costs and expenses incurred in administering the pool. Because pass-through certificates represent an ownership interest in the underlying assets,
the holders thereof bear directly the risk of any defaults by the obligors on the underlying assets not covered by any credit support.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 4
Asset-backed securities issued in
the form of debt instruments include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is a trust which is
often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income securities such as high yield debt, residential
privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans,
which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated
loans. CBOs and CLOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
For CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows
from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the
trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CBO trust or CLO trust
typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses
due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a
class.
The risks of an investment in a CBO
or CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs and CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the
securities laws. As a result, investments in CBOs and CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CBOs and CLOs, allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A
transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Fund’s Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CBOs and CLOs carry
additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the possibility that the quality of the
collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that the Fund may invest in CBOs or CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the risk that the complex structure of the security may not be fully
understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
ASSET-BASED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt, preferred or convertible securities, the principal amount, redemption terms or conversion terms of which are related to the market price of some natural
resource asset such as gold bullion. These securities are referred to as “asset-based securities.” Unless otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund will purchase asset-based securities only if they
are rated, or are issued by issuers that have outstanding debt obligations rated investment grade (i.e., AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or Fitch or Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody’s or commercial paper rated A-1 by
S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s) or of issuers that the subadviser has determined to be of similar creditworthiness. Obligations ranked in the fourth highest rating category, while considered “investment
grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. If the asset-based security is backed by a bank letter of credit or other similar facility, the subadviser may take such backing into account in determining
the creditworthiness of the issuer. While the market prices for an asset-based security and the related natural resource asset generally are expected to move in the same direction, there may not be perfect correlation
in the two price movements. Asset-based securities may not be secured by a security interest in or claim on the underlying natural resource assets and do not represent an interest in the referenced assets. Certain
asset-based securities may be illiquid.
The asset-based securities in which
the Fund may invest may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. As an example, assume gold is selling at a market price of $300 per ounce and an issuer sells a
$1,000 face amount gold-related note with a seven-year maturity, payable at maturity at the greater of either $1,000 in cash or the then market price of three ounces of gold. If at maturity, the market price of gold
is $400 per ounce, the amount payable on the note would be $1,200. Certain asset-based securities may be payable at maturity in cash at the stated principal amount or, at the option of the holder, directly in a stated
amount of the asset to which it is related. In such instance, because the Fund does not presently intend to invest directly in natural resource assets, the Fund may sell the asset-based security in the secondary
market, to the extent one exists, prior to maturity if the value of the stated amount of the asset exceeds the stated principal amount and thereby realize the appreciation in the underlying asset.
BORROWING AND LEVERAGE. Unless noted otherwise, the Fund may borrow up to 33 1⁄3% of the value of its total assets (calculated at the time of the borrowing). The Fund may pledge up to 33 1⁄3% of its total assets to secure these borrowings. If the Fund’s asset coverage for borrowings falls below 300%, the Fund will take prompt action to reduce borrowings. If the Fund
borrows to invest in securities, any investment gains made on the securities in excess of interest paid on the borrowing will cause the NAV of the shares to rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On the other
hand, if the investment performance of the additional securities purchased fails to cover their cost (including any interest paid on the money borrowed) to the Fund, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will decrease
faster than would
otherwise be the case. This is the speculative
factor known as “leverage.” In addition, the Fund may use certain investment management techniques (collectively, “effective leverage”), such as certain derivatives, that may provide leverage
and are not subject to the borrowing limitation noted above.
The Fund may borrow from time to
time, at the discretion of the subadviser, to take advantage of investment opportunities, when yields on available investments exceed interest rates and other expenses of related borrowing, or when, in the
subadviser's opinion, unusual market conditions otherwise make it advantageous for the Fund to increase its investment capacity. The Fund will only borrow when there is an expectation that it will benefit the Fund
after taking into account considerations such as interest income and possible losses upon liquidation. Borrowing by the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income but, at the same time, creates risks,
including the fact that leverage may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the yield on the Fund. Unless otherwise stated, the Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase
agreements.
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. The FDIC, an independent agency of the US Government, provides deposit insurance on all types of deposits, including certificates of deposit, received at an FDIC-insured bank or savings
association (“insured depository institutions”) up to applicable limits. The standard deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor (including principal and accrued interest) for each insurable
capacity of such depositor, per insured depository institution, which is backed by the full faith and credit of the US Government. All of a depositor’s deposits in the same insurable capacity at the same insured
depository institution are aggregated for purposes of the $250,000 insurance limit, including deposits held directly in the depositor’s name and for the depositor’s benefit by intermediaries. Any amounts
in excess of the $250,000 deposit insurance limit may be uninsured.
CORPORATE LOANS. Commercial banks and other financial institutions make loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure (“corporate loans”). Borrowers generally pay interest on
corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the LIBOR or the prime rate of US banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally responsive to
shifts in market interest rates. Because the trading market for corporate loans is less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, the Fund may experience difficulties from time to time in selling its
corporate loans. Borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations. Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a
“syndicate.” The syndicate's agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, the Fund may not recover its
investment, or there might be a delay in the Fund’s recovery. By investing in a corporate loan, the Fund becomes a member of the syndicate.
As in the case of junk bonds, the
corporate loans in which the Fund may invest can be expected to provide higher yields than higher-rated fixed-income securities but may be subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest. There are, however,
some significant differences between corporate loans and junk bonds. Corporate loans are frequently secured by pledges of liens and security interests in the assets of the borrower, and the holders of corporate loans
are frequently the beneficiaries of debt service subordination provisions imposed on the borrower's bondholders. These arrangements are designed to give corporate loan investors preferential treatment over junk bond
investors in the event of a deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer. Even when these arrangements exist, however, there can be no assurance that the principal and interest owed on the corporate loans will be
repaid in full. Corporate loans generally bear interest at rates set at a margin above a generally recognized base lending rate that may fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, in the case of the prime rate of a US bank, or
that may be adjusted on set dates, typically 30 days but generally not more than one year, in the case of LIBOR. Consequently, the value of corporate loans held by the Fund may be expected to fluctuate significantly
less than the value of fixed rate junk bond instruments as a result of changes in the interest rate environment. On the other hand, the secondary dealer market for corporate loans is not as well developed as the
secondary dealer market for junk bonds, and therefore presents increased market risk relating to liquidity and pricing concerns.
The Fund may acquire interests in
corporate loans by means of a novation, assignment or participation. In a novation, the Fund would succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a contracting party under the credit
agreement with respect to the debt obligation. As an alternative, the Fund may purchase an assignment, in which case the Fund may be required to rely on the assigning institution to demand payment and enforce its
rights against the borrower but would otherwise typically be entitled to all of such assigning institution's rights under the credit agreement. Participation interests in a portion of a debt obligation typically
result in a contractual relationship only with the institution selling the participation interest and not with the borrower. In purchasing a loan participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce
compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has
purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation to the Fund.
The Fund’s ability to receive
payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans (whether through participations, assignments or otherwise) will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by
the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan because of a default, bankruptcy or any other reason would adversely affect
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 6
the income of the Fund and would likely reduce the
value of its assets. Even with loans secured by collateral, there is the risk that the value of the collateral may decline, may be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower, or be difficult to liquidate. In
the event of a default, the Fund may have difficulty collecting on any collateral and would not have the ability to collect on any collateral for an uncollateralized loan. Further, the Fund’s access to
collateral, if any, may be limited by bankruptcy laws. Due to the nature of the private syndication of senior loans, including, for example, lack of publicly-available information, some senior loans are not as easily
purchased or sold as publicly-traded securities. In addition, loan participations generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell loan participations in secondary
markets. As a result, it may be difficult for the Fund to value loans or sell loans at an acceptable price when it wants to sell them. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which
are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of
shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund’s ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in the Prospectus. In some instances, loans and loan
participations are not rated by independent credit rating agencies; in such instances, a decision by the Fund to invest in a particular loan or loan participation could depend exclusively on the investment
subadviser’s credit analysis of the borrower, or in the case of a loan participation, of the intermediary holding the portion of the loan that the Fund has purchased. To the extent the Fund invests in loans of
non-US issuers, the risks of investing in non-US issuers are applicable.
Loans may not be considered to be
“securities” and as a result may not benefit from the protections of the federal securities laws, including anti-fraud protections and those with respect to the use of material non-public information, so
that purchasers, such as the Fund, may not have the benefit of these protections. If the Fund is in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of its investment in such borrower’s
loan, the Fund may not be able to enter into a transaction with respect to a publicly-traded security of the borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
CUSTODIAL RECEIPTS. Obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the US Government, foreign governments or semi-governmental entities may be acquired by the Fund in the form of custodial
receipts that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain notes or bonds. Typically, custodial receipts have their unmatured interest coupons separated
(“stripped”) by their holder. Having separated the interest coupons from the underlying principal of the government securities, the holder will resell the stripped securities in custodial receipt programs
with a number of different names, including “Treasury Income Growth Receipts” (“TIGRs”) and “Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities” (“CATS”). The stripped
coupons are sold separately from the underlying principal, which is usually sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any
rights to periodic interest (cash) payments. CATS and TIGRs are not considered US Government securities by the staff of the SEC. Such notes and bonds are held in custody by a bank or a brokerage firm on behalf of the
owners.
CYBER SECURITY RISK. With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Fund is susceptible to operational,
information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and
occurrences. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data
transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can
include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing
operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to
computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the
destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
Cyber security failures or
breaches, whether deliberate or unintentional, arising from the Fund’s third-party service providers (e.g., custodians, financial intermediaries, transfer agents), subadviser, shareholder usage of unsecure
systems to access personal accounts, as well as breaches suffered by the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may cause significant disruptions in the business operations of the Fund. Potential impacts may
include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses for the Fund and the issuers’ securities, the inability of shareholders to conduct transactions with the Fund, an inability of the Fund to calculate
NAV, and disclosures of personal or confidential shareholder information.
In addition to direct impacts on
Fund shareholders, cyber security failures by the Fund and/or its service providers and others may result in regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs to the Fund, and
reputational damage. The Fund may incur reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. The Fund may also incur considerable expenses in
enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure.
The rapid proliferation of
technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. Although the Fund and its service
providers and subadviser may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate cyber security risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be
effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control or assure the efficacy of the
cyber security plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the subadviser, and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as bonds, that involve credit risk. This is the risk that the issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. The degree of
credit risk depends on the issuer's financial condition and on the terms of the bonds. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of the
Fund’s investment in that issuer. Credit risk is reduced to the extent the Fund invests its assets in US Government securities. All debt securities, however, are subject to interest rate risk. This is the risk
that the value of the security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market
price of shorter-term securities. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk since the US Federal Reserve Board has ended its quantitative easing program and may continue to raise rates. The Fund may
lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply or in a manner not anticipated by the subadviser.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not
necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. ADRs and ADSs are receipts or shares typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence
ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. GDRs are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a
similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs and ADSs, in registered form, are designed for use in the US securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable
both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.
The Fund may invest in unsponsored
Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such
issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they
evidence or into which they may be converted or exchanged.
DERIVATIVES. The Fund may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a
currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more
quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes. The Fund may also use derivatives to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is
speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. When the Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes, the Fund will be fully exposed to the
risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative's cost. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that the Fund would be prohibited by its
investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
A discussion of the risk factors
relating to derivatives is set out in the sub-section entitled “Risk Factors Involving Derivatives.”
DISTRESSED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities, including corporate loans purchased in the secondary market, which are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default as to the repayment
of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Fund or are rated in the lower rating categories (generally, Ca or lower by Moody's and CC or lower by S&P or Fitch) or which, if unrated, are in the
judgment of the subadviser of equivalent quality (“Distressed Securities”). Investing in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risks. Distressed Securities frequently do not produce
income while they are outstanding and may require the Fund to bear certain extraordinary expenses in order to protect and recover its investment.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 8
The Fund will generally make such
investments only when the subadviser believes it is reasonably likely that the issuer of the Distressed Securities will make an exchange offer or will be the subject of a plan of reorganization pursuant to which the
Fund will receive new securities. However, there can be no assurance that such an exchange offer will be made or that such a plan of reorganization will be adopted. In addition, a significant period of time may pass
between the time at which the Fund makes its investment in Distressed Securities and the time that any such exchange offer or plan of reorganization is completed. During this period, it is unlikely that the Fund will
receive any interest payments on the Distressed Securities, the Fund will be subject to significant uncertainty as to whether or not the exchange offer or plan of reorganization will be completed and the Fund may be
required to bear certain extraordinary expenses to protect and recover its investment. Even if an exchange offer is made or plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by the Fund,
there can be no assurance that the securities or other assets received by the Fund in connection with such exchange offer or plan of reorganization will not have a lower value or income potential than may have been
anticipated when the investment was made. Moreover, any securities received by the Fund upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. As a result of the Fund’s
participation in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Fund may be restricted from disposing of such securities.
HEDGING. Hedging is a strategy in which a derivative or security is used to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. Losses on the other investment may be substantially reduced by
gains on a derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements. While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a different manner than
anticipated by the Fund or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Hedging also involves the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged
as expected by the Fund, in which case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may be increased. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the
Fund’s ability to hedge effectively its portfolio. There is also a risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in an
option, a futures contract or a related option.
There can be no assurance that the
Fund’s hedging strategies will be effective or that hedging transactions will be available to the Fund. The Fund is not required to engage in hedging transactions and the Fund may choose not to do so from time
to time.
INDEXED AND INVERSE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based on an index or interest rate. As an illustration, the Fund may invest in a security whose value is based on changes
in a specific index or that pays interest based on the current value of an interest rate index, such as the prime rate. The Fund may also invest in a debt security that returns principal at maturity based on the level
of a securities index or a basket of securities, or based on the relative changes of two indices. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based inversely on the change in an
index or interest rate (that is, a security the value of which will move in the opposite direction of changes to an index or interest rate). For example, the Fund may invest in securities that pay a higher rate of
interest when a particular index decreases and pay a lower rate of interest (or do not fully return principal) when the value of the index increases. Investing in such securities may subject the Fund to reduced or
eliminated interest payments or loss of principal in the event of an adverse movement in the relevant interest rate, index or indices. Indexed and inverse securities may involve credit risk, and certain indexed and
inverse securities may involve leverage risk, liquidity risk and currency risk. The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging
purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. (Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of such an adverse movement, the Fund may be required to pay
substantial additional margin to maintain the position.)
SWAP AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into swap transactions, including, but not limited to, equity, interest rate, index, credit default, total return and, to the extent that it invests in foreign
currency-denominated securities, currency exchange rate swap agreements. In addition, the Fund may enter into options on swap agreements (swap options). These swap transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain
a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return. Swap transactions are a type
of derivative. Derivatives are further discussed in the sub-sections entitled “Derivatives” and “Risk Factors Involving Derivatives.”
Swap agreements are two party
contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on or
calculated with respect to particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are
generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” that is, the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a “basket” of
securities representing a particular index or other investments or instruments. Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net
basis.” Consequently the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only
to the net amount to be paid or received under the
agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset
against any amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the segregation of liquid assets.
To the extent that the Fund enters
into swaps on other than a net basis, the segregated amount maintained will be the full amount of the Fund’s obligations, if any, with respect to such swaps, accrued on a daily basis. Inasmuch as segregated
accounts are established for these hedging transactions, the subadviser and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the
Fund’s borrowing restrictions. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction. Since swaps are
individually negotiated, the Fund expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its rights to receive a return on its portfolio securities and its rights and obligations to receive and pay a return
pursuant to swaps. The Fund will enter into swaps only with counterparties meeting certain creditworthiness standards (generally, such counterparties would have to be eligible counterparties under the terms of the
Fund’s repurchase agreement guidelines approved by the Board).
Some swaps will be subject to
mandatory or optional clearing through derivatives clearing organizations. While this is expected to better protect collateral, margin and other applicable requirements may increase the financial and operational costs
for such transactions.
Recent legislation requires certain
swaps to be executed through a centralized exchange or regulated facility and be cleared through a regulated clearinghouse. Although this clearing mechanism is generally expected to reduce counterparty credit risk, it
may disrupt or limit the swap market and may not result in swaps being easier to trade or value. As swaps become more standardized, the Fund may not be able to enter into swaps that meet its investment needs. The Fund
also may not be able to find a clearinghouse willing to accept a swap for clearing. In a cleared swap, a central clearing organization will be the counterparty to the transaction. The Fund will assume the risk that
the clearinghouse may be unable to perform its obligations. The Fund will be required to maintain its positions with a clearing organization through one or more clearing brokers. The clearing organization will require
the Fund to post margin and the broker may require the Fund to post additional margin to secure the Fund’s obligations. The amount of margin required may change from time to time. In addition, cleared
transactions may be more expensive to maintain than OTC transactions and may require the Fund to deposit larger amounts of margin. The Fund may not be able to recover margin amounts if the broker has financial
difficulties. Also, the broker may require the Fund to terminate a derivatives position under certain circumstances. This may cause the Fund to lose money.
CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP AGREEMENTS AND
SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements and similar agreements. The credit default swap agreement or similar instrument may have as reference obligations one or more
securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front or a periodic stream of
payments over the term of the contract provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value”
(full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if
the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund recovers nothing if the swap is held through its termination date.
However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no
value. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an up-front payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must
pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value.
Credit default swaps and similar
instruments involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly, since, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit
risk. The Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements and similar instruments only with counterparties that are rated investment grade quality by at least one credit rating agency at the time of entering into
such transaction or whose creditworthiness is believed by the subadviser to be equivalent to such rating. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with
the up-front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund. When acting as a seller of a credit default swap or a
similar instrument, the Fund is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage since, if a credit event occurs, the seller may be required to pay the buyer the full notional value of the contract net of any amounts
owed by the buyer related to its delivery of deliverable obligations.
TOTAL RETURN SWAP AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into total return swap agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of
the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the
total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 10
exposure to a security or market without owning or
taking physical custody of such security or market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to
investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Fund thereunder. Swap agreements also bear the risk that
the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out with the Fund receiving or
paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued
on a daily basis, and an amount of cash or liquid instruments having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated by the Fund. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other
than a net basis, the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater
than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is
obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement.
Segregation and other requirements
pertaining to total return swap agreements are subject to change in the event of future changes in applicable laws or regulations. It is possible that any such changes in laws or regulations could require
modifications to the operation of the Fund.
OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES
INDEXES.
TYPES OF OPTIONS. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets of securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rate (an “index”),
such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges and in OTC markets. In general, exchange-traded options have
standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the
exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to greater credit
risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. See “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.”
CALL OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments in which it may invest. A call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell,
the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather
than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the index
upon which the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.
The Fund may only write (i.e.,
sell) covered call options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest and enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to certain of such options, provided such options are “covered,”
as defined herein. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund owns the underlying security or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security, without additional consideration (or for additional
consideration held in a segregated account by its custodian), upon conversion or exchange of other securities currently held in its portfolio or with respect to which the Fund holds cash or other liquid assets
segregated within the Fund’s account at the custodian or in a separate segregation account at the custodian. The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of
premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, the Fund gives up the opportunity, while the option is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the
underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, the Fund’s ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase
transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has
written. Covered call options also serve as a partial hedge to the extent of the premium received against a decline in the price of the underlying security. Also, with respect to call options written by the Fund that
are covered only by segregated portfolio securities, the Fund is exposed to the risk of loss equal to the amount by which the price of the underlying securities rises above the exercise price.
PUT OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell such
underlying securities or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount
of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a
put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction
costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. The
Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
The Fund may write (i.e., sell) put
options on the types of securities or instruments that may be held by the Fund, provided that such put options are covered (as described above, covered options are secured by cash or other liquid assets held in a
segregated account or the referenced security). The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return.
FUTURES. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures and options thereon. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts which obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make
delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Rather, upon purchasing or selling a futures contract the Fund is
required to deposit collateral (“margin”) equal to a percentage (generally less than 10%) of the contract value. Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the Fund will pay additional
margin representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. Futures
involve substantial leverage risk.
The sale of a futures contract
limits the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract prior to the futures contract's expiration date. In the event the market value of
the portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract increases rather than decreases, however, the Fund will realize a loss on the futures position and a lower return on the portfolio holdings than would have
been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.
The purchase of a futures contract
may protect the Fund from having to pay more for securities as a consequence of increases in the market value for such securities during a period when the Fund was attempting to identify specific securities in which
to invest in a market the Fund believes to be attractive. In the event that such securities decline in value or the Fund determines not to complete an anticipatory hedge transaction relating to a futures contract,
however, the Fund may realize a loss relating to the futures position.
The Fund is also authorized to
purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts including financial futures and stock indices in connection with its hedging activities. Generally, these strategies would be used under the same market and
market sector conditions (i.e., conditions relating to specific types of investments) in which the Fund entered into futures transactions. The Fund may purchase put options or write (i.e., sell) call options on
futures contracts and stock indices rather than selling the underlying futures contract in anticipation of a decrease in the market value of its securities. Similarly, the Fund can purchase call options, or write put
options on futures contracts and stock indices, as a substitute for the purchase of such futures to hedge against the increased cost resulting from an increase in the market value of securities which the Fund intends
to purchase.
The Fund may only write
“covered” put and call options on futures contracts. The Fund will be considered “covered” with respect to a call option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns the assets that are
deliverable under the futures contract or an option to purchase that futures contract having a strike price equal to or less than the strike price of the “covered” option and having an expiration date not
earlier than the expiration date of the “covered” option, or if it holds segregated in an account with its custodian for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to
the mark-to-market value of the futures contract on which the option was written. The Fund will be considered “covered” with respect to a put option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns an option
to sell that futures contract having a strike price equal to or greater than the strike price of the “covered” option, or if the Fund holds segregated in an account with its custodian for the term of the
option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to the exercise price of the put (less any initial margin deposited by the Fund with its futures custody manager or as otherwise permitted by applicable
law with respect to such option). There is no limitation on the amount of the Fund’s assets that can be segregated. Segregation requirements may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or
make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close out a derivatives position at a disadvantageous time or price. Segregation
requirements may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close
out a derivatives position at a disadvantageous time or price.
The Manager has filed a notice of
exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5 and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation with respect to the Fund under the CEA.
In order for the Manager to claim exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA, the Fund is limited in its ability to trade instruments subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction,
including commodity futures (which include futures on broad-based securities indexes, interest rate futures and currency futures), options on commodity futures, certain swaps or other investments (whether directly or
indirectly through investments in other investment vehicles). Under this exclusion, the Fund must satisfy one of the following two trading limitations whenever it enters into a new commodity trading position: (1) the
aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in CFTC-regulated instruments may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for
unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of
the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Fund would not be required to consider its
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 12
exposure to such instruments if they were held for
“bona fide hedging” purposes, as such term is defined in the rules of the CFTC. In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or
otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the markets for CFTC-regulated instruments.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may engage in spot and forward foreign exchange transactions and currency swaps, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures and related options
thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) for purposes of hedging against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the US dollar or to seek to enhance returns.
Such transactions could be effected with respect to hedges on non-US dollar denominated securities owned by the Fund, sold by the Fund but not yet delivered, or committed or anticipated to be purchased by the
Fund.
As an illustration, the Fund may
use such techniques to hedge the stated value in US dollars of an investment in a yen-denominated security. In such circumstances, for example, the Fund may purchase a foreign currency put option enabling the Fund to
sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date. To the extent the hedge is successful, a loss in the value of the yen relative to the dollar will tend to be offset by an increase in
the value of the put option. To offset, in whole or in part, the cost of acquiring such a put option, the Fund may also sell a call option which, if exercised, requires the Fund to sell a specified amount of yen for
dollars at a specified price by a future date (a technique called a “straddle”). By selling such a call option in this illustration, the Fund gives up the opportunity to profit without limit from increases
in the relative value of the yen to the dollar. Straddles of the type that may be used by the Fund are considered to constitute hedging transactions and are consistent with the policies described above. The Fund will
not attempt to hedge all of its foreign portfolio positions.
FORWARD FOREIGN EXCHANGE
TRANSACTIONS. Forward foreign exchange transactions are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at the
time of the contract. Spot foreign exchange transactions are similar but require current, rather than future, settlement. The Fund will enter into foreign exchange transactions for purposes of hedging either a
specific transaction or a portfolio position, or to seek to enhance returns. The Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a specific transaction by, for example, purchasing a currency
needed to settle a security transaction or selling a currency in which the Fund has received or anticipates receiving a dividend or distribution.
The Fund may enter into a foreign
exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a portfolio position by selling forward a currency in which a portfolio position of the Fund is denominated or by purchasing a currency in which the Fund anticipates
acquiring a portfolio position in the near future. The Fund may also hedge portfolio positions through currency swaps, which are transactions in which one currency is simultaneously bought for a second currency on a
spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward basis. Forward foreign exchange transactions involve substantial currency risk, and also involve credit and liquidity risk.
CURRENCY FUTURES. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency through use of currency futures or options thereon. Currency futures are similar to forward
foreign exchange transactions except that futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts. See the sub-section entitled “Futures.” Currency futures involve substantial currency risk, and also involve
leverage risk.
CURRENCY OPTIONS. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency against the US dollar through the use of currency options. Currency options are similar to
options on securities, but in consideration for an option premium the writer of a currency option is obligated to sell (in the case of a call option) or purchase (in the case of a put option) a specified amount of a
specified currency on or before the expiration date for a specified amount of another currency. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on currencies either on exchanges or OTC markets. See “Types of
Options” and “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives” in this SAI. Currency options involve substantial currency risk, and may also involve credit,
leverage or liquidity risk.
JUNK BONDS. Junk bonds are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by a NRSRO or are unrated securities that the subadviser believes are of comparable quality. Although junk bonds
generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, they are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. The major risks of junk bond investments include the
following:
■
| Junk bonds are issued by less creditworthy issuers. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer's economic condition and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to
meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing.
|
■
| The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt
obligations.
|
■
| Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations.
|
■
| Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds
with lower yields and may lose income.
|
■
| Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities.
|
■
| Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices
quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid
market.
|
■
| The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
|
LIMITATIONS ON CURRENCY HEDGING. The Fund may use currency hedging instruments to seek to enhance returns. Accordingly, the Fund will not hedge a currency in excess of the aggregate market value of the securities that it
owns (including receivables for unsettled securities sales), or has committed to or anticipates purchasing, which are denominated in such currency. This limitation does not prohibit the Fund from obtaining long or
short exposure to a currency for non-hedging purposes. The Fund may, however, hedge a currency by entering into a transaction in a Currency Instrument denominated in a currency other than the currency being hedged (a
“cross-hedge”). The Fund will only enter into a cross-hedge if the subadviser believes that (i) there is a demonstrable high correlation between the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated and the
currency being hedged, and (ii) executing a cross-hedge through the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated will be significantly more cost-effective or provide substantially greater liquidity than executing
a similar hedging transaction by means of the currency being hedged.
RISK FACTORS IN HEDGING FOREIGN
CURRENCY. Hedging transactions involving Currency Instruments have substantial risks, including correlation risk. While the Fund’s use of Currency Instruments to effect hedging strategies is
intended to reduce the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s shares, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate. Moreover, although Currency Instruments will be used with the intention of hedging against
adverse currency movements, transactions in Currency Instruments involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that the Fund’s hedging strategies will be ineffective.
To the extent that the Fund hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur, the Fund may realize losses and decrease its total return as the result of its hedging transactions. Furthermore, the Fund
will only engage in hedging activities from time to time and may not be engaging in hedging activities when movements in currency exchange rates occur.
In connection with its trading in
forward foreign currency contracts, the Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency.
There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or
dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to
sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. With respect to its trading of forward contracts, if any, the Fund will be subject to the risk of bank or dealer failure
and the inability of, or refusal by, a bank or dealer to perform with respect to such contracts. Any such default would deprive the Fund of any profit potential or force the Fund to cover its commitments for resale,
if any, at the then market price and could result in a loss to the Fund.
It may not be possible for the Fund
to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, even if correctly anticipated, in the event that (i) the currency exchange rate movement is so generally anticipated that the Fund is not able to enter into a hedging
transaction at an effective price, or (ii) the currency exchange rate movement relates to a market with respect to which Currency Instruments are not available and it is not possible to engage in effective foreign
currency hedging. The cost to the Fund of engaging in foreign currency transactions varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing.
Since transactions in foreign currency exchange usually are conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.
RISK FACTORS INVOLVING
DERIVATIVES. Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:
Counterparty Risk—the risk that the counterparty on a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation to the Fund.
Currency Risk—the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect the value (in US dollar terms) of an investment.
Leverage Risk—the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (such as borrowing money to increase the amount of investments) that relatively small market movements may
result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 14
Liquidity Risk—the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently
worth.
Regulatory Risk—the risk that new regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their availability, or may otherwise affect their value or performance. In December 2015, the SEC
proposed a new rule that would change the regulation of the use of derivatives by regulated investment companies. If adopted as proposed, the rule could require changes to the Fund’s use of
derivatives.
The use of derivatives for hedging
purposes involves correlation risk. If the value of the derivative moves more or less than the value of the hedged instruments, the Fund will experience a gain or loss that will not be completely offset by movements
in the value of the hedged instruments.
The Fund intends to enter into
transactions involving derivatives only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such instruments or, in the case of illiquid instruments traded in OTC transactions, such instruments satisfy the criteria
set forth below under “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.” However, there can be no assurance that, at any specific time, either a liquid secondary
market will exist for a derivative or the Fund will otherwise be able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may therefore not be possible to close a position in a derivative without incurring substantial
losses, if at all.
Certain transactions in derivatives
(such as futures transactions or sales of put options) involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses, which exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. When the Fund engages in
such a transaction, the Fund will deposit in a segregated account at its custodian liquid securities or cash and cash equivalents with a value at least equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to
the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). Such segregation will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction, but will not limit the
Fund’s exposure to loss.
ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS OF OTC
TRANSACTIONS; LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF OTC DERIVATIVES. Certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, certain swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity risk. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult
or impossible for the Fund to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable price. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The Fund
will, therefore, acquire illiquid OTC instruments (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the
subadviser anticipates the Fund can receive on each business day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer's quotation may be
used.
Because derivatives traded in OTC
markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with
its counterparties, the Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor their obligations. The Fund will attempt to minimize the risk that a counterparty will become bankrupt or
otherwise fail to honor its obligations by engaging in transactions in derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that appear to have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a
third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest in foreign equity and/or debt securities. Foreign debt securities include certain foreign bank obligations and US dollar or foreign currency-denominated obligations of
foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, international agencies and supranational entities.
Foreign Market Risk. Foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than if the Fund invests only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not
always) performed differently from securities in the United States. However, such investments involve special risks not present in US investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. In
particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell
securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States.
Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of
capital, resources, and balance of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic
sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely
affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of
certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair the
Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s
operations. Other foreign market risks include
foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability.
Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries.
Currency Risk and Exchange
Risk. Securities in which the Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the US dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the
Fund’s portfolio. Generally, when the US dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer US dollars. Conversely, when the
US dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more US dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,”
means that a stronger US dollar will reduce returns for US investors while a weak US dollar will increase those returns.
Governmental Supervision and
Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less rigorously than the United States. Some countries may not have laws to protect
investors comparable to the US securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company's securities based on
nonpublic information about that company. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as
US accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company's financial condition.
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets
Outside the United States. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to
the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if
a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the
United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to
investment companies that invest only in the United States.
Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve
certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of US investments. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be
unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these
problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling a purchase of securities, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities and
certain assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling a sale of securities, the Fund may lose money if the value of the security then
declines or, if there is a contract to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.
Dividends or interest on, or
proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thereby reducing the amount available for distribution to shareholders.
RECENT EVENTS IN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES. A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced
to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have
needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These
difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and beyond Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may
result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse
effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, the United Kingdom has voted to withdraw from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the
European Union and/or abandon the euro, the common currency of the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.
Whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the
Fund’s investments.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 16
INVESTMENT IN EMERGING MARKETS. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers domiciled in various countries with emerging capital markets. Specifically, a country with an emerging capital market is any country that
the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations or its authorities has determined to have a low or middle income economy. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia,
Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.
Investments in the securities of
issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks not involved in investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent
trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets, (ii) uncertain national
policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments, (iii) possible
fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or US governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such
investments, (iv) national policies that may limit the Fund’s investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests, and (v) the lack or
relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose
differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.
Such capital markets are emerging
in a dynamic political and economic environment brought about by events over recent years that have reshaped political boundaries and traditional ideologies. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance
that these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for the Fund. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of
the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the
affected markets.
Also, there may be less publicly
available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting
standards and requirements comparable to those to which US companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements
used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and companies may be held by
a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Fund’s acquisition or disposal of securities.
Practices in relation to settlement
of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and
registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and,
along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.
ILLIQUID OR RESTRICTED
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities that lack an established secondary trading market or otherwise are considered illiquid. Liquidity of a security relates to the ability to dispose easily
of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be less than would be obtained for a comparable more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from
comparable, more liquid investments. Investment of the Fund’s assets in illiquid securities may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price as well as
its ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly acute where the Fund’s operations require cash, such as when the Fund redeems shares or pays
dividends, and could result in the Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments. The Fund may invest in securities that are not registered
(restricted securities) under the 1933 Act. The Fund is subject to a maximum of 15% of net assets invested in illiquid securities.
Restricted securities may be sold
in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither listed on an exchange nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely
transferable under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence of a public trading market, privately placed securities may be less liquid and more
difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To the extent that privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity, could be
less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection
requirements that may be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by the Fund are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions
before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of the Fund’s investments in private placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in
smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may involve
greater risks. These issuers may have limited
product lines, markets or financial resources or they may be dependent on a limited management group. In making investments in such securities, the Fund may obtain access to material nonpublic information, which may
restrict the Fund’s ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.
The Fund may purchase restricted
securities that can be offered and sold to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. The Board has determined to treat as liquid Rule 144A securities that are either freely
tradable in their primary markets offshore or have been determined to be liquid in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board. The Board has adopted guidelines and delegated to the Manager the
daily function of determining and monitoring liquidity of restricted securities. The Board, however, will retain sufficient oversight and be ultimately responsible for the determinations. Since it is not possible to
predict with assurance exactly how the market for restricted securities sold and offered under Rule 144A will continue to develop, the Board will carefully monitor the Fund’s investments in these securities.
This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these securities.
INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT
COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including ETFs. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment
companies. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company and not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be
invested in securities of any single investment company.
Notwithstanding the limits
discussed above, the Fund may invest in other investment companies without regard to the limits set forth above provided that the Fund complies with Rules 12d1-1, 12d1-2 and 12d1-3 promulgated by the SEC under the
1940 Act or otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
As with other investments,
investments in other investment companies are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares in other investment companies, shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of
expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, their proportionate shares of the expenses of such investment companies (including management and advisory fees).
LIQUIDITY PUTS OR CALLS. The Fund may purchase a permissible instrument or investment together with the right to resell or purchase the instruments at an agreed-upon price or yield within a specified period prior
to the maturity date of the instruments. Such a right to resell is commonly known as a put, and such a right to purchase is commonly known as a call. The aggregate price which the Fund pays for instruments with puts
or calls may be higher than the price which otherwise would be paid for the instruments. The purpose of this practice is to permit the Fund to be fully invested while preserving the necessary liquidity to meet
unusually large redemptions and to purchase at a later date securities other than those subject to the put. The Fund may choose to exercise puts during periods in which proceeds from sales of its shares and from
recent sales of portfolio securities are insufficient to meet redemption requests or when the funds available are otherwise allocated for investment. The Fund may choose to exercise calls during periods in which funds
are available for investment. In determining whether to exercise puts or calls prior to their expiration date and in selecting which puts or calls to exercise in such circumstances, the subadviser considers, among
other things, the amount of cash available to the Fund, the expiration dates of the available puts or calls, any future commitments for securities purchases, the yield, quality and maturity dates of the underlying
securities, alternative investment opportunities and the desirability of retaining the underlying securities in the Fund.
MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may invest in money market instruments. Money market instruments include cash equivalents and short-term obligations of US banks, non-US government securities, certificates of
deposit and short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government or its agencies. Money market instruments also include bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and Eurodollar
obligations issued or guaranteed by bank holding companies in the US, their subsidiaries and non-US branches, by non-US banking institutions, and by the World Bank and other multinational instrumentalities, as well as
commercial paper and other short-term obligations of, and variable amount master demand notes, variable rate notes and funding agreements issued by, US and non-US corporations.
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Investing in mortgage-backed securities involves certain unique risks in addition to those generally associated with investing in fixed-income securities and in the real estate industry in
general. These unique risks include the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows.
Mortgage-backed securities are “pass-through” securities, meaning that principal and interest payments made by the borrower on the underlying mortgages are passed through to the Fund. The value of
mortgage-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed-income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, mortgage-backed securities differ from
traditional fixed-income securities because of their potential for prepayment without penalty. The price paid by the Fund for its mortgage-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities
and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying mortgages. In a period
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 18
of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay
the underlying mortgages more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in
these circumstances, the likely rate of interest received will be lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid.
Mortgage-backed securities,
including CMOs, can be collateralized by either fixed-rate mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgage securities are collateralized by fixed-rate mortgages and tend to have high prepayment rates when
the level of prevailing interest rates declines significantly below the interest rates on the mortgages. Thus, under those circumstances, the securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate movements than
lower coupon fixed-rate mortgages. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans or private mortgage pass-through securities, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through
securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
Generally, adjustable rate mortgage
securities (ARMs) have a specified maturity date and amortize principal over their life. In periods of declining interest rates, there is a reasonable likelihood that ARMs will experience increased rates of prepayment
of principal. However, the major difference between ARMs and fixed-rate mortgage securities (FRMs) is that the interest rate and the rate of amortization of principal of ARMs can and do change in accordance with
movements in a particular, pre-specified, published interest rate index. The amount of interest on an ARM is calculated by adding a specified amount, the “margin,” to the index, subject to limitations on
the maximum and minimum interest that is charged during the life of the mortgage or to maximum and minimum changes to that interest rate during a given period.
The underlying mortgages which
collateralize the ARMs in which the Fund invests will frequently have caps and floors which limit the maximum amount by which the loan rate to the residential borrower may change up or down (1) per reset or adjustment
interval and (2) over the life of the loan. Some residential mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower's monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest
rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization.
To the extent that the Fund
purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and principal prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled
payments of principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a
period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying mortgages may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was
considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Since long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term
securities, maturity extension risk could increase the inherent volatility of the Fund. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed
securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee.
Most mortgage-backed securities are
issued by federal government agencies such as Ginnie Mae, or by government sponsored enterprises such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Principal and interest payments on mortgage-backed securities issued by the federal
government and some federal agencies, such as Ginnie Mae, are guaranteed by the federal government and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgage-backed securities issued by other government
agencies or government sponsored enterprises are backed only by the credit of the government agency or enterprise and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are
authorized to borrow from the US Treasury to meet their obligations. Private mortgage-backed securities are issued by private corporations rather than government agencies and are subject to credit risk and interest
rate risk.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are
stockholder-owned companies chartered by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee the securities they issue as to timely payment of principal and interest, but such guarantee is not backed by the full faith and
credit of the United States. In September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship by their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship, which
remains ongoing as of the date of this SAI, will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Although the US Government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there
can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in the future.
The Fund may purchase certain
mortgage-backed securities, the underlying investments of which consist of loans issued and/or serviced by an affiliated entity.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. The Fund may, from time to time, invest in municipal bonds, which may be general obligation or revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its faith,
credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest, whereas revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the
proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source.
The Fund may invest in municipal
notes including tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes which are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. The Fund may invest in municipal asset-backed securities, which are debt obligations, often issued
through a trust or other investment vehicles that are backed by municipal debt obligations and accompanied by a liquidity facility. The Fund may invest in municipal securities with the right to resell such securities
to the seller at an agreed-upon price or yield within a specified period prior to the maturity date. Such a right to resell is commonly referred to as a “put” or “tender option.”
Municipal securities include notes
and bonds issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and the District of Columbia, the interest on which is
generally eligible for exclusion from federal income tax and, in certain instances, applicable state or local income and personal property taxes. Interest from municipal securities received by the Fund will not be
eligible from exclusion from federal income tax when distributed to shareholders. Such securities are traded primarily in the OTC market.
The interest rates payable on
certain municipal bonds and municipal notes are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. Municipal bonds and notes of this type are called “variable rate” obligations. The interest
rate payable on a variable rate obligation is adjusted either at pre-designated intervals or whenever there is a change in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate payable is based. Other features may
include the right whereby the Fund may demand prepayment of the principal amount of the obligation prior to its stated maturity (a demand feature) and the right of the issuer to prepay the principal amount prior to
maturity. The principal benefit of a variable rate obligation is that the interest rate adjustment minimizes changes in the market value of the obligation. As a result, the purchase of variable rate obligations should
enhance the ability of the Fund to maintain a stable NAV per share and to sell an obligation prior to maturity at a price approximating the full principal amount of the obligation.
Variable rate securities provide
for a specific periodic adjustment in the interest rate based on prevailing market rates and generally would allow the Fund to demand payment of the obligation on short notice at par plus accrued interest, which
amount may, at times, be more or less than the amount the Fund paid for them.
An inverse floater is a debt
instrument with a floating or variable interest rate that moves in the opposite direction of the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. Changes in the interest rate on the other security or index
inversely affect the residual interest rate paid on the inverse floater, with the result that the inverse floater's price will be considerably more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Generally, income from
inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when short-term interest rates increase, and will increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing investment leverage, since
they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed-rate, long-term, tax-exempt
securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities generally will be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate tax-exempt securities.
REAL ESTATE RELATED SECURITIES. Although the Fund may not invest directly in real estate, the Fund may invest in securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry. Therefore, an investment by
the Fund is subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks
related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage; market illiquidity; extended
vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and
liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural
disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and unfavorable changes
in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying the Fund’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Fund may be subject to certain of the foregoing
risks to a greater extent.
Investments by the Fund in
securities of companies providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancings and their impact on servicing rights. In addition, if the Fund receives rental income or income from the
disposition of real property acquired as a result of a default on securities the Fund owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to retain its federal income tax status as a RIC
because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with parties meeting creditworthiness standards as set forth in the
Fund’s repurchase agreement procedures.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 20
Under such agreements, the other
party agrees, upon entering into the contract with the Fund, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price in a specified currency, thereby determining the yield during the term of the agreement.
This results in a fixed rate of return insulated from market fluctuations during such period, although such return may be affected by currency fluctuations. In the case of repurchase agreements, the prices at which
the trades are conducted do not reflect accrued interest on the underlying obligation. Such agreements usually cover short periods, such as under one week. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized
loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser.
In the case of a repurchase
agreement, as a purchaser, the Fund will require all repurchase agreements to be fully collateralized at all times by cash or other liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the resale price. The seller is required
to provide additional collateral if the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase price at any time during the term of the repurchase agreement. In the event of default by the seller under a repurchase
agreement construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities are not owned by the Fund but only constitute collateral for the seller's obligation to pay the repurchase price. Therefore, the Fund may
suffer time delays and incur costs or possible losses in connection with disposition of the collateral.
The Fund may participate in a joint
repurchase agreement account with other investment companies managed by the Manager pursuant to an order of the SEC. On a daily basis, any uninvested cash balances of the Fund may be aggregated with those of such
investment companies and invested in one or more repurchase agreements. The Fund participates in the income earned or accrued in the joint account based on the percentage of its investment.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND
DOLLAR ROLLS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio-eligible security by the Fund, coupled with its agreement to
repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. See “Repurchase Agreements.” The Fund’s investments in these instruments are subject to the Fund’s restrictions on borrowing.
The Fund may enter into dollar
rolls. In a dollar roll, the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date from
the same party. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sale price and the forward price for the future
purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund will segregate cash or other liquid assets, marked to market daily, having a value equal to
the obligations of the Fund in respect of dollar rolls.
Dollar rolls involve the risk that
the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities sold by the Fund but which the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of
securities under a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver,
whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Cash proceeds from dollar rolls may be invested in cash or other liquid assets.
SECURITIES LENDING. Unless otherwise noted, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions subject to applicable regulatory requirements and guidance,
including the requirements that: (1) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Fund; (2) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral
consisting of cash having at all times a value of not less than 102% of the value of the securities lent; and (3) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time. Securities Finance Trust Company
(eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund’s securities lending program. As compensation for these services, eSecLending receives a portion of any
amounts earned by the Fund through lending securities.
Cash collateral is invested in an
affiliated prime money market fund and will be subject to market depreciation or appreciation. The Fund will be responsible for any loss that results from this investment of collateral. The affiliated prime money
market fund in which cash collateral is invested may impose liquidity fees or temporary gates on redemptions if its weekly liquid assets fall below a designated threshold. If this were to occur, the Fund may lose
money on its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated prime money market fund, or the Fund may not be able to redeem its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated prime money market fund, which might
cause the Fund to liquidate other holdings in order to return the cash collateral to the borrower upon termination of a securities loan. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
On termination of the loan, the
borrower is required to return the securities to the Fund, and any gain or loss in the market price during the loan would inure to the Fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities lent
because of insolvency or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities lent or in gaining access to the collateral. In such situations, the Fund may sell the collateral and
purchase a replacement investment in the market. There is a risk that the value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
During the time portfolio
securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund an amount equivalent to any dividend or interest paid on such securities. Voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower.
However, all loans may be terminated at any time to facilitate the exercise of voting or other consent rights with respect to matters considered to be material. The Fund bears the risk that there may be a delay in the
return of the securities which may impair the Fund’s ability to exercise such rights.
SHORT SALES AND SHORT SALES
AGAINST-THE-BOX. The Fund may make short sales of securities, either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Fund does not
own declines in value. Because making short sales in securities not owned by the Fund exposes the Fund to the risks associated with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if
the Fund makes short sales in securities that increase in value, the Fund will likely underperform similar mutual funds that do not make short sales in securities they do not own. The Fund will incur a loss as a
result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in
price between those dates. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular time or at a desired price. Although the Fund’s gain is limited to the price
at which the Fund sold the security short, its potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and may, theoretically, be unlimited. There
is also a risk that a borrowed security will need to be returned to the broker/dealer on short notice. If the request for the return of a security occurs at a time when other short sellers of the security are
receiving similar requests, a “short squeeze” can occur, meaning that the Fund might be compelled, at the most disadvantageous time, to replace the borrowed security with a security purchased on the open
market, possibly at prices significantly in excess of the proceeds received earlier.
The Fund has a short position in
the securities sold short until it delivers to the broker/dealer the securities sold, at which time the Fund receives the proceeds of the sale. In addition, the Fund is required to pay to the broker/dealer the amount
of any dividends or interest paid on shares sold short. The Fund will normally close out a short position by purchasing on the open market and delivering to the broker/dealer an equal amount of the securities sold
short.
The Fund may also make short sales
against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Fund owns an equal amount of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further
consideration, such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to such consideration, must be segregated on
the Fund’s records or with its Custodian.
SOVEREIGN DEBT. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal
and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its
cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the
governmental entity's policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements
from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such
disbursements may be conditioned on the implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of
economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability
or willingness to timely service its debts. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to
extend further loans to governmental entities. In the event of a default by a governmental entity, there may be few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt.
STRIPPED SECURITIES. Stripped securities are created when the issuer separates the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled
to receive the interest payments on the underlying assets (the interest only or “IO” security) and the other to receive the principal payments (the principal only or “PO” security). Some
stripped securities may receive a combination of interest and principal payments. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are sensitive to the expected or anticipated rate of principal payments (including prepayments)
on the related underlying assets, and principal payments may have a material effect on yield to maturity. If the underlying assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may not fully
recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be adversely affected. Stripped securities may be highly
sensitive to changes in interest rates and rates of prepayment.
STRUCTURED NOTES / STRUCTURED
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in structured notes and other types of structured securities, including participation notes, structured notes, low exercise price warrants and other related
instruments. These securities are generally privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest or value of the structured security is determined by reference to
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 22
the performance of a specific asset, benchmark
asset, market or interest rate (“reference instrument”). Issuers of structured securities include corporations and banks. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption
may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the value of the reference instrument. The terms of a structured security may provide that, in certain circumstances, no principal is due at maturity and, therefore,
may result in a loss of invested capital by the Fund. Receipt of the reference instrument is also, in certain circumstances, exchanged upon maturity of the security.
A structured security may be
positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate
may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a
multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Additionally, caps can be placed
on the amount of appreciation with regard to the reference instrument.
Structured securities may entail a
greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to
accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. The secondary market for structured securities could be illiquid, making them difficult to sell when the Fund determines to sell them.
The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for structured securities and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell a structured security could expose the Fund to losses and could make structured securities more
difficult for the Fund to value accurately.
In addition, because structured
securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the
counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
SUPRANATIONAL ENTITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities of supranational entities. Examples include the World Bank, the European Steel and Coal Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American
Development Bank. The government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions
if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS. The Fund may temporarily invest without limit in money market instruments, including commercial paper of US corporations, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other
obligations of domestic banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities, as part of a temporary defensive strategy.
The Fund may invest in money market
instruments to maintain appropriate liquidity to meet anticipated redemptions. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. The Fund also may
temporarily hold cash or invest in money market instruments pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or during periods of portfolio restructuring.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES, DELAYED
DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS. The Fund may purchase or sell securities that the Fund is entitled to receive on a when-issued basis. The Fund may also purchase or sell securities on a delayed delivery basis or through a
forward commitment. These transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The Fund enters into these transactions to
obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. The Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be committed in connection with
these transactions. When the Fund purchases securities in these transactions, the Fund segregates liquid securities in an amount equal to the amount of its purchase commitments.
There can be no assurance that a
security purchased on a when-issued basis will be issued or that a security purchased or sold through a forward commitment will be delivered. The value of securities in these transactions on the delivery date may be
more or less than the Fund’s purchase price. The Fund may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security in these transactions and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security
during the commitment period.
US GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in adjustable rate and fixed rate US Government securities. US Government securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by the US Treasury or by an agency or
instrumentality of the US Government. US Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or the Fund’s shares. Not all US Government securities are backed by the full faith and credit
of the United States. Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency.
US Treasury securities include
bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities issued by the US Treasury. These instruments are direct obligations of the US Government and, as such, are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They
differ primarily in their interest rates, the lengths of their maturities and the dates of their issuances.
Securities issued by agencies of
the US Government or instrumentalities of the US Government, including those which are guaranteed by Federal agencies or instrumentalities, may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Obligations of Ginnie Mae, the Farmers Home Administration and the Small Business Administration are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and
credit of the United States, the Fund must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States if the agency or
instrumentality does not meet its commitments.
The Fund may also invest in
component parts of US Government securities, namely either the corpus (principal) of such obligations or one or more of the interest payments scheduled to be paid on such obligations. These obligations may take the
form of (1) obligations from which the interest coupons have been stripped; (2) the interest coupons that are stripped; (3) book-entries at a Federal Reserve member bank representing ownership of obligation components;
or (4) receipts evidencing the component parts (corpus or coupons) of US Government obligations that have not actually been stripped. Such receipts evidence ownership of component parts of US Government obligations
(corpus or coupons) purchased by a third party (typically an investment banking firm) and held on behalf of the third party in physical or book-entry form by a major commercial bank or trust company pursuant to a
custody agreement with the third party. The Fund may also invest in custodial receipts held by a third party that are not US Government securities.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES, PAY-IN-KIND
SECURITIES AND DEFERRED PAYMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest payments are not made during the life of
the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity on the particular interest payment date at a rate of interest reflecting the
market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the par value of the security. While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities
are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. To the extent a distribution is paid, there may be uncertainty about the source of
the distribution. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during
the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at
the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing
market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation increases the longer the period to maturity. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to
meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash. Because these securities do not pay current cash income, their price can be volatile when
interest rates fluctuate and an investment in these securities generally has a greater potential for complete loss of principal and/or return than an investment in debt securities that make periodic interest payments.
Such investments are more vulnerable to the creditworthiness of the issuer and any other parties upon which performance relies. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not obtain any return on its investment. These
securities may be subject to less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash interest at regular intervals. The Fund accrues income with respect to these
securities for federal income tax and accounting purposes prior to the receipt of cash payments.
Pay-in-kind securities are
securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Deferred payment securities are securities that
remain a zero coupon security until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals. Pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities may be
subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparable rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals.
In addition to the above described
risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less
liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Fund’s investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are
held in the Fund’s portfolio. Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Fund is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may
have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate the cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash to satisfy these distributions, as they relate to the
distribution of phantom income and the value of the paid-in-kind interest. The required distributions will result in an increase in the Fund’s exposure to such securities.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 24
ADJUSTABLE AND FLOATING RATE
SECURITIES. Adjustable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations provide that interest rates are
adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such
as based on a change in the prime rate.
The interest rate on a floating
rate debt instrument (“floaters”) is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a corporate bond index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically,
typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters may provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rising interest rates, the Fund will participate in any declines
in interest rates as well.
A floater may be considered to be
leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index rate of interest. The higher degree of leverage inherent in some floaters is associated with
greater volatility in their market values.
Such instruments may include
variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary in addition to providing for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. The absence of an active secondary market with respect to
particular variable and floating rate instruments could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a variable or floating rate note if the issuer defaulted on its payment obligation or during periods that the Fund
is not entitled to exercise its demand rights, and the Fund could, for these or other reasons, suffer a loss with respect to such instruments.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the
restrictions listed below as fundamental policies. Under the 1940 Act, a fundamental policy is one that cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting
securities. A “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” when used in this SAI, means the lesser of (i) 67% of the voting shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the
outstanding voting shares are present in person or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares.
The Fund may not:
1. Purchase the securities of any
issuer if, as a result, the Fund would fail to be a diversified company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as each may be amended from time to time, except to the
extent that the Fund may be permitted to do so by exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations (collectively, the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions).
2. Issue senior securities or
borrow money or pledge its assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. For purposes of this restriction, the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery
basis, reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, short sales, derivative and hedging transactions such as interest rate swap transactions, and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and transactions similar
to any of the foregoing and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and obligations of the Fund to Directors pursuant to deferred compensation arrangements are not deemed to be a pledge of assets or the issuance
of a senior security.
3. Buy or sell real estate, except
that investment in securities of issuers that invest in real estate and investments in mortgage-backed securities, mortgage participations or other instruments supported or secured by interests in real estate are not
subject to this limitation, and except that the Fund may exercise rights relating to such securities, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement
until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
4. Buy or sell physical commodities
or contracts involving physical commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell (i) derivative, hedging and similar instruments such as financial futures contracts and options thereon, and (ii) securities or instruments
backed by, or the return from which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward currency exchange contracts, and the Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to
enforce security interests and to hold physical commodities and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby until they can be
liquidated in an orderly manner.
5. Act as underwriter except to the
extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
6. Purchase any security if as a
result more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same group of industries, except for defensive purposes, and except that
this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the US Government its agencies or instrumentalities.
7. The Fund may make loans,
including loans of assets of the Fund, repurchase agreements, trade claims, loan participations or similar investments, or as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. The acquisition of bonds,
debentures, other debt securities or instruments, or participations or other interests therein and investments in government obligations, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances or instruments
similar to any of the foregoing will not be considered the making of a loan, and is permitted if consistent with the Fund's investment objective.
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 1, the Fund will currently not purchase any security (other than obligations of the US Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result, with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets,
(i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets (determined at the time of investment) would be invested in securities of a single issuer and (ii) the Fund would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of any single issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its total assets, the Fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund cannot change its classification
from diversified to non-diversified without shareholder approval.
With respect to Investment
Restriction 2 above, the 1940 Act permits the Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets
from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (A Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain an
“asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, provided that in the event that the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its
borrowings so that it meets the 300% asset coverage threshold within three days (not including Sundays and holidays). Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the Fund’s total assets (including amounts
borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.” Borrowing, especially when used
for leverage, may cause the value of the Fund’s shares to be more volatile than if the Fund did not borrow. This is because borrowing tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the
Fund’s portfolio holdings. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater gains, but also greater losses. To repay borrowings, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time and at a price that is
unfavorable to the Fund. There also are costs associated with borrowing money, and these costs would offset and could eliminate the Fund’s net investment income in any given period. Investment Restriction 2 will
be interpreted to permit the Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but
are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy. In addition, Investment Restriction 2 will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures
contracts or other derivatives, the posting of initial or variation margin or the Fund’s deferred compensation arrangements with the Trustees.
Investment Restriction 3 prohibits
the Fund from buying or selling real estate. The Fund may invest in real estate-related companies, companies whose businesses consist in whole or in part of investing in real estate, instruments (like mortgages and
mortgage participations) that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or REIT securities. The Fund may exercise rights relating to real estate securities, including the right to enforce security interests and
to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
Investment Restriction 4 prohibits
the Fund from buying or selling physical commodities (such as oil or grains) or contracts involving physical commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell derivative, hedging and similar instruments such as financial
futures contracts and options thereon (such as futures or options on market indexes, currencies, interest rates or some other benchmark, and swap agreements) and securities or instruments backed by, or the return from
which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward currency exchange contracts. In addition, the Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to enforce security
interests and to hold physical commodities and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund’s ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby until they can be liquidated in an
orderly manner.
Investment Restriction 5 prohibits
the Fund from acting as underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws. A Fund engaging
in transactions involving disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Under the 1933 Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an
issuer’s registration statement or prospectus. Securities purchased from an issuer and not registered for sale under the 1933 Act are considered restricted securities. There may be a limited market for these
securities. If these securities are registered under the 1933 Act, they may then be eligible for sale but participating in the sale may subject the seller to underwriter liability. These risks could apply to a Fund
investing in restricted securities. The Fund may purchase restricted securities without limit (except to the extent that restricted securities are subject to the limitation on investment in illiquid securities).
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 6, the Fund utilizes the Barclays methodology of industry classifications.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 26
With respect to Investment
Restriction 6 relating to concentration, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s
total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could
change in the future. A fund that invests a significant percentage of its total assets in a single industry may be particularly susceptible to adverse events affecting that industry and may be more risky than a fund
that does not concentrate in an industry. The policy in Investment Restriction 6 will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time. Investment without limit in securities
of the US Government and its agencies or instrumentalities is permitted by the restriction. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry. In addition, although
the Fund does not concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, it may, for temporary defensive purposes, do so. If this occurs, the Fund would, on a temporary basis, be subject to risks
that may be unique or pronounced relating to a particular industry or group of industries. These risks could include greater sensitivity to inflationary pressures or supply and demand for a particular product or
service.
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 7, the Fund will currently lend up to 33 1⁄3% of the value of its total assets.
With respect to Investment
Restriction 7, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase
of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon
date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) Investment Restriction 7 permits the Fund to lend its portfolio securities. While lending securities may
be a source of income to the Fund, as with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the underlying securities should the borrower fail financially. Additionally,
losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that decline in value, default, or do not perform as well as expected. Investment Restriction 7 also permits the
Fund to make loans of money, including loans of money to other PGIM Investments Funds pursuant to an SEC order for exemptive relief. Investment Restriction 7 will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from purchasing
or investing in debt obligations and loans.
Whenever any fundamental investment
policy or investment restriction states a maximum percentage of the Fund's assets, it is intended that, if the percentage limitation is met at the time the investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting
from changing total asset values will not be considered a violation of such policy.
The Fund’s fundamental
investment restrictions will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations and
modifications of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a restriction provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the
restriction will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.
Although not fundamental policies,
the Fund has the following additional non-fundamental policies:
■
| Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities.
|
■
| The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in senior loans that are not secured by any specific collateral.
|
■
| The Fund may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in other types of debt securities, preferred stocks, convertible securities, equity and equity-related securities, and money market instruments.
|
■
| The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in senior loans made to foreign-domiciled borrowers and other foreign securities, including securities of issuers located in emerging market countries,
which may be denominated in US dollars or non-US currencies.
|
In addition, the Fund may not
acquire securities of other investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act so long as it is a fund in which one or more affiliated
Prudential mutual funds may invest.
INFORMATION ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS
AND OFFICERS
Information about Board Members and
Officers of the Fund is set forth below. Board Members who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Board Members.”
Board Members who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Fund are referred to as “Interested Board Members.” The Board Members are responsible for the overall supervision of the
operations of the Fund and perform the various duties imposed on the directors of investment companies by the 1940 Act. The Board in turn elects the Officers, who are responsible for administering the day-to-day
operations of the Fund.
Independent Board Members(1)
|
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
| Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
| Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Ellen S. Alberding (59)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| President and Board Member, The Joyce Foundation (charitable foundation) (since 2002);
Vice Chair, City Colleges of Chicago (community college system) (since 2011); Trustee, Skills for America’s Future (national initiative to connect employers to community colleges) (since 2011); Trustee, National
Park Foundation (charitable foundation for national park system) (since 2009); Trustee, Economic Club of Chicago (since 2009).
| None.
|
Kevin J. Bannon (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Retired; Managing Director (April 2008-May 2015) and Chief Investment Officer (October
2008-November 2013) of Highmount Capital LLC (registered investment adviser); formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (April 1993-August 2007) of Bank of New York Company; President (May
2003-May 2007) of BNY Hamilton Family of Mutual Funds.
| Director of Urstadt Biddle Properties (equity real estate investment trust) (since September 2008).
|
Linda W. Bynoe (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| President and Chief Executive Officer (since March 1995) and formerly Chief Operating
Officer (December 1989-February 1995) of Telemat Ltd. (management consulting); formerly Vice President (January 1985-June 1989) at Morgan Stanley & Co. (broker-dealer).
| Director of Simon Property Group, Inc. (retail real estate) (May 2003-May 2012); Director of Anixter
International, Inc. (communication products distributor) (since January 2006); Director of Northern Trust Corporation (financial services) (since April 2006); Trustee of Equity Residential (residential real estate)
(since December 2009).
|
Keith F. Hartstein (60)
Board Member & Independent Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Retired; Member (since November 2014) of the Governing Council of the Independent
Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors); formerly President and Chief Executive Officer (2005-2012), Senior Vice President (2004-2005), Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
(1997-2004), and various executive management positions (1990-1997), John Hancock Funds, LLC (asset management); Chairman, Investment Company Institute’s Sales Force Marketing Committee (2003-2008).
| None.
|
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (71)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Retired (since February 2005); formerly Senior Managing Director (July 2001-February
2005) of Bear Stearns & Co, Inc.; Global Partner, INVESCO (1999-2001); Managing Director and President of Salomon Brothers Asset Management (1989-1999).
| None.
|
Richard A. Redeker (73)
Board Member & Independent Vice Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Retired Mutual Fund Senior Executive (47 years); Management Consultant; Director, Mutual
Fund Directors Forum (since 2014); Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors)-Executive Committee, Chair of Policy Steering Committee, Governing Council.
| None.
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn (73)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Chairman (since July 2011), President and Chief Executive Officer (since June 1996) of
Frontline Medical Communications (publishing company); formerly President (June 1995-June 1996) of Argus Integrated Media, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Managing Director (January 1993-1995) of Cowles Business Media;
Senior Vice President of Fairchild Publications, Inc. (1975-1989).
| None.
|
Interested Board Members(1)
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
| Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
| Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Stuart S. Parker (54)
Board Member & President
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| President of PGIM Investments LLC (formerly known as Prudential Investments LLC) (since
January 2012); Executive Vice President of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (since December 2012); Executive Vice President of Jennison Associates LLC and Head of Retail Distribution of PGIM Investments
LLC (June 2005-December 2011).
| None.
|
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 28
Interested Board Members(1)
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
| Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
| Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Scott E. Benjamin (43)
Board Member & Vice President
Portfolios Overseen: 88
| Executive Vice President (since June 2009) of PGIM Investments LLC; Executive Vice
President (June 2009-June 2012) and Vice President (since June 2012) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; Executive Vice President (since September 2009) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice
President of Product Development and Marketing, PGIM Investments (since February 2006); Vice President of Product Development and Product Management, Prudential Investments (2003-2006).
| None.
|
Grace C. Torres*
(57)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 86
| Retired; formerly Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the PGIM
Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, Prudential Variable Contract Accounts and The Prudential Series Fund (1998-June 2014); Assistant Treasurer (March 1999-June 2014) and Senior Vice President
(September 1999-June 2014) of PGIM Investments LLC; Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) and Vice President (June 2005-June 2014) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer
(May 2003-June 2014) of Prudential Annuities Advisory Services, Inc.
| Director (since July 2015) of Sun Bancorp, Inc. N.A. and Sun National Bank
|
* Note: Prior to her
retirement in 2014, Ms. Torres was employed by PGIM Investments LLC. Due to her prior employment, she is considered to be an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. Ms. Torres is a Non-Management
Interested Board Member.
(1) The year that each Board Member joined the Fund's Board is as follows:
Ellen S. Alberding, 2013; Kevin J. Bannon,
2008; Linda W. Bynoe, 2005; Keith F. Hartstein, 2013; Michael S. Hyland, 2008; Richard A. Redeker, 1993; Stephen G. Stoneburn, 2003; Grace C. Torres, 2014; Stuart S. Parker, Board Member and President since 2012;
Scott E. Benjamin, Board Member since 2010 and Vice President since 2009.
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund
| Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
| Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
Raymond A. O’Hara (61)
Chief Legal Officer
| Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since July 2010) of Prudential Insurance Company of
America (Prudential); Vice President (March 2011-Present) of Pruco Life Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey; Vice President and Corporate Counsel (March 2011-Present) of Prudential
Annuities Life Assurance Corporation; Chief Legal Officer of PGIM Investments LLC (since June 2012); Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since June 2012) and Corporate Counsel of AST Investment
Services, Inc. (since June 2012); formerly Assistant Vice President and Corporate Counsel (September 2008-July 2010) of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.; formerly Associate (September 1980-December 1987)
and Partner (January 1988–August 2008) of Blazzard & Hasenauer, P.C. (formerly, Blazzard, Grodd & Hasenauer, P.C.).
| Since 2012
|
Chad A. Earnst (42)
Chief Compliance Officer
| Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of PGIM Investments LLC; Chief
Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of the PGIM Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High
Yield Income Fund, Inc., Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. and Prudential Jennison MLP Income Fund, Inc.; formerly Assistant Director (March 2010-August 2014) of the Asset Management Unit, Division of
Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission; Assistant Regional Director (January 2010-August 2014), Branch Chief (June 2006–December 2009) and Senior Counsel (April 2003-May 2006) of the Miami Regional
Office, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission.
| Since 2014
|
Deborah A. Docs (59)
Secretary
| Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2001) of Prudential; Vice President
(since December 1996) and Assistant Secretary (since March 1999) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
| Since 2004
|
Jonathan D. Shain (58)
Assistant Secretary
| Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since August 1998) of Prudential; Vice President
and Assistant Secretary (since May 2001) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since February 2001) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary
(May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
| Since 2005
|
Claudia DiGiacomo (42)
Assistant Secretary
| Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2005) of Prudential; Vice President
and Assistant Secretary of PGIM Investments LLC (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004).
| Since 2005
|
Andrew R. French (54)
Assistant Secretary
| Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since February 2010) of Prudential; formerly
Director and Corporate Counsel (2006-2010) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential
Mutual Fund Services LLC.
| Since 2006
|
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund
| Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
| Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
Theresa C. Thompson (54)
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer
| Vice President, Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (since April 2004); and Director,
Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (2001-2004).
| Since 2008
|
Charles H. Smith (43)
Anti-Money Laundering
Compliance Officer
| Vice President, Corporate Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering Unit (since January 2015) of
Prudential; committee member of the American Council of Life Insurers Anti-Money Laundering and Critical Infrastructure Committee (since January 2016); formerly Global Head of Economic Sanctions Compliance at AIG
Property Casualty (February 2007 – December 2014); Assistant Attorney General at the New York State Attorney General's Office, Division of Public Advocacy. (August 1998 —January 2007).
| Since 2016
|
M. Sadiq Peshimam (53)
Treasurer and Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer
| Vice President (since 2005) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Assistant Treasurer of
funds in the Prudential Mutual Fund Complex (2006-2014).
| Since 2006
|
Peter Parrella (58)
Assistant Treasurer
| Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2004-2007) within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration; formerly Tax Manager at SSB Citi Fund Management LLC (1997-2004).
| Since 2007
|
Lana Lomuti (49)
Assistant Treasurer
| Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2005-2007), within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration; formerly Assistant Treasurer (December 2007-February 2014) of The Greater China Fund, Inc.
| Since 2014
|
Linda McMullin (55)
Assistant Treasurer
| Vice President (since 2011) and Director (2008-2011) within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration.
| Since 2014
|
Kelly A. Coyne (48)
Assistant Treasurer
| Director, Investment Operations of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since 2010).
| Since 2015
|
(a) Excludes Mr. Parker and Mr. Benjamin, interested Board Members who also serve as President and Vice President, respectively.
Explanatory Notes to Tables:
■
| Board Members are deemed to be “Interested,” as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with PGIM Investments LLC and/or an affiliate of PGIM Investments LLC.
|
■
| Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Board Members and Officers is c/o PGIM Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410.
|
■
| There is no set term of office for Board Members or Officers. The Board Members have adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Board Members on December 31 of the year in which they
reach the age of 75.
|
■
| “Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the 1934 Act (that is, “public companies”) or other
investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.
|
■
| “Portfolios Overseen” includes all investment companies managed by PGIM Investments LLC. The investment companies for which PGIM Investments LLC serves as manager include the PGIM
Investments Mutual Funds, The Prudential Variable Contract Accounts, Target Mutual Funds, Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., The Prudential Series
Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc. and the Advanced Series Trust.
|
COMPENSATION OF BOARD MEMBERS AND
OFFICERS. Pursuant to a management agreement with the Fund, the Manager pays all compensation of Fund Officers and employees as well as the fees and expenses of all Interested Board
Members.
The Fund pays each Independent
Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member annual compensation in addition to certain out-of-pocket expenses. Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members who serve on Board
Committees may receive additional compensation. The amount of annual compensation paid to each Independent Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member may change as a result of the introduction of
additional funds on whose Boards the Board Member may be asked to serve.
Independent Board Members and
Non-Management Interested Board Members may defer receipt of their fees pursuant to a deferred fee agreement with the Fund. Under the terms of the agreement, the Fund accrues deferred Board Members' fees daily which,
in turn, accrue interest at a rate equivalent to the prevailing rate of 90-day US Treasury Bills at the beginning of each calendar quarter or at the daily rate of return of any mutual fund managed by PGIM Investments
chosen by the Board Member. Payment of the interest so accrued is also deferred and becomes payable at the option of the Board Member. The obligation to make payments of deferred Board Members' fees, together with
interest thereon, is a general obligation of the Fund. No Fund has a retirement or pension plan for Board Members.
The following table sets forth the
aggregate compensation paid by the Fund for the most recently completed fiscal year to the Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members for service on the Board, and the Board of any other
investment company in the Fund Complex for the most recently completed calendar year. Board Members and officers who are “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) (with the exception of
Non-Management Interested Board Members) do not receive compensation from PGIM Investments-managed funds and therefore are not shown in the following table.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 30
Compensation Received by Independent Board Members
|
Name
| Aggregate Fiscal Year
Compensation from Fund
| Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
| Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
| Total Compensation from Fund
and Fund Complex for Most
Recent Calendar Year
|
Ellen S. Alberding
| $1,867
| None
| None
| $249,000 (32/88)*
|
Kevin J. Bannon
| $1,843
| None
| None
| $255,000 (32/88)*
|
Linda W. Bynoe**
| $1,810
| None
| None
| $243,000 (32/88)*
|
Keith F. Hartstein**
| $1,887
| None
| None
| $249,000 (32/88)*
|
Michael S. Hyland
| $1,837
| None
| None
| $255,000 (32/88)*
|
Richard A. Redeker**
| $2,033
| None
| None
| $313,000 (32/88)*
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn**
| $1,787
| None
| None
| $244,000 (32/88)*
|
Grace C. Torres ‡
| $1,710
| None
| None
| $218,562 (30/86)*
|
‡ Ms. Torres serves as a non-management Interested Board Member. Non-management Interested Board Members receive compensation from the Fund for their service on the Board.
Explanatory Notes to Board Member Compensation
Table
* Compensation relates to portfolios that
were in existence for any period during 2016. Number of funds and portfolios represent those in existence as of December 31, 2016, and excludes funds that have merged or liquidated during the year. Additionally, the
number of funds and portfolios includes those which are approved as of December 31, 2016, but may commence operations after that date. No compensation is paid out from such funds/portfolios.
** Under the deferred fee agreement for
the PGIM Investments-managed funds, certain Board Members have elected to defer all or part of their total compensation. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued during the calendar year ended December 31,
2016, including investment results during the year on cumulative deferred fees, amounted to $64,545, $45,725, $(2,253), and $169,627 for Ms. Bynoe, Mr. Hartstein, Mr. Redeker, and Mr. Stoneburn, respectively.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established three standing committees in connection with Fund governance—Audit, Nominating and Governance, and Investment. Information on the membership of each
standing committee and its functions is set forth below.
Audit Committee: The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to
assist the Board in overseeing the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, accounting policies and procedures and other areas relating to the Fund's auditing processes. The Audit Committee is responsible
for pre-approving all audit services and any permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm directly to the Fund. The Audit Committee is also responsible for
pre-approving permitted services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to (1) the Manager and (2) any entity in a control relationship with the Manager that provides ongoing services to
the Fund, provided that the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm relates directly to the operation and financial reporting of the Fund. The scope of the Audit Committee's responsibilities is
oversight. It is management's responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting and internal control and the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility to plan and carry out an audit in
accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The number of Audit Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the
table below.
The membership of the Audit
Committee is set forth below:
Kevin J. Bannon (Chair)
Michael S. Hyland, CFA
Richard A. Redeker
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Nominating and Governance
Committee: The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for nominating Board Members and making recommendations to the Board concerning Board composition, committee structure
and governance, director education, and governance practices. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act.
The number of Nominating and Governance Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below. The Nominating and Governance Committee Charter is available on
the Fund's website.
The membership of the Nominating
and Governance Committee is set forth below:
Linda W. Bynoe (Chair)
Ellen S. Alberding
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Richard A. Redeker (ex-officio)
Investment Committees: The Board of each fund in the Prudential retail mutual funds complex has formed joint committees to review the performance of each Fund in the Fund Complex. The Gibraltar Investment
Committee reviews the performance of each Fund that is subadvised by Jennison Associates LLC and Quantitative Management Associates LLC. The Dryden Investment Committee reviews the performance of each Fund that is
subadvised by PGIM Fixed Income and PGIM Real Estate (each of which is a business unit of PGIM, Inc.). In addition, the Dryden Investment Committee reviews the performance of the closed-end funds. Each committee meets
at least four times per year and reports the results of its review to the full Board of each Fund at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. Every Independent Board Member sits on one of the two committees. The
Non-Management Interested Board Member sits on one of the two committees.
The number of Gibraltar Investment
Committee or Dryden Investment Committee meetings, as applicable, held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.
The membership of the Gibraltar
Investment Committee and the Dryden Investment Committee is set forth below:
Gibraltar Investment Committee
Ellen S. Alberding (Chair)
Kevin J. Bannon
Keith F. Hartstein
Richard A. Redeker
Dryden Investment Committee
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (Chair)
Linda W. Bynoe
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Grace C. Torres
Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year)
|
Audit Committee
| Nominating & Governance Committee
| Dryden Investment Committee
|
5
| 3
| 3
|
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND
QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS. The Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund. The Fund has engaged the Manager to manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board oversees the Manager and certain other principal
service providers in the operations of the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten members, seven of whom are Independent Board Members. The Board meets in-person at regularly scheduled meetings four times
throughout the year. In addition, the Board Members may meet in-person or by telephone at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. As described above, the Board has established three standing
committees—Audit, Nominating and Governance, and Investment—and may establish ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The
Independent Board Members have also engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities.
The Board is chaired by an
Independent Board Member. As Chair, this Independent Board Member leads the Board in its activities. Also, the Chair acts as a member or as an ex-officio member of each standing committee and any ad hoc committee of
the Board. The Board Members have determined that the Board's leadership and committee structure is appropriate because the Board believes it sets the proper tone to the relationships between the Fund, on the one
hand, and the Manager, the subadviser(s) and certain other principal service providers, on the other, and facilitates the exercise of the Board's independent judgment in evaluating and managing the relationships. In
addition, the structure efficiently allocates responsibility among committees.
The Board has concluded that, based
on each Board Member's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Board Members, each Board Member should serve as a Board Member. Among other
attributes common to all Board Members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the various service providers to the Fund, and
to exercise reasonable business judgment in the performance of their duties as Board Members. In addition, the Board has taken into account the actual service and commitment of the Board Members during their tenure in
concluding that each should continue to serve. A Board Member's ability to perform his or her duties effectively may have been attained through a Board Member's educational background or professional training;
business, consulting, public service or academic positions; experience from service as a Board Member of the Fund, other funds in the Fund Complex, public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations; or
other experiences. Set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Board Member that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a Board
Member.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 32
Messrs. Redeker and Stoneburn have
each served as a Board Member of mutual funds in the Fund Complex for more than 15 years, including as members and/or Chairs of various Board committees. Mr. Stoneburn has more than 30 years of experience as senior
executive officer of operating companies and/or as a director of public companies. Mr. Redeker has more than 50 years of experience as a senior executive in the mutual fund industry. Ms. Bynoe has been a Board Member
of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2005, having served on the boards of other mutual fund complexes since 1993. She has worked in the financial services industry over 11 years, has approximately 20
years of experience as a management consultant and serves as a Director of financial services and other complex global corporations. Messrs. Bannon and Hyland joined the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund
Complex in 2008. Each has held senior executive positions in the financial services industry, including serving as senior executives of asset management firms, for over 17 years. Ms. Alberding and Mr. Hartstein joined
the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex in 2013. Ms. Alberding has 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector, including over 20 years as the president of a charitable foundation, where she
oversees multiple investment managers. Ms. Alberding also served as a Trustee of the Aon Funds from 2000 to 2003. Mr. Hartstein has worked in the asset management industry for almost 30 years and served as a senior
executive in an asset management firm. Mr. Parker, who has served as an Interested Board Member and President of the Fund and the other funds in the Fund Complex since 2012, is President, Chief Operating Officer and
Officer-in-Charge of PGIM Investments and several of its affiliates that provide services to the Fund and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2005. Mr. Benjamin, an Interested Board Member of the Fund
and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2010, has served as a Vice President of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2009 and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2003. Ms. Torres, a
Non-Management Interested Board Member of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex, formerly served as Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer for the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex for
16 years and held senior positions with the Manager from 1999 to 2014. In addition, Ms. Torres is a certified public accountant (CPA). Specific details about each Board Member's professional experience appear in the
professional biography tables, above.
Risk Oversight. Investing in general and the operation of a mutual fund involve a variety of risks, such as investment risk, compliance risk, and operational risk, among others. The Board oversees risk as
part of its oversight of the Fund. Risk oversight is addressed as part of various regular Board and committee activities. The Board, directly or through its committees, reviews reports from among others, the Manager,
subadvisers, the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, counsel, and internal auditors of the Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the
Fund and the risk management programs of the Manager and certain service providers. The actual day-to-day risk management with respect to the Fund resides with the Manager and other service providers to the Fund.
Although the risk management policies of the Manager and the service providers are designed to be effective, those policies and their implementation vary among service providers and over time, and there is no
guarantee that they will be effective. Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are simply
beyond any control of the Fund or the Manager, its affiliates or other service providers.
Selection of Board Member
Nominees. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for considering nominees for Board Members at such times as it considers electing new members to the Board. The Nominating and
Governance Committee may consider recommendations by business and personal contacts of current Board Members, and by executive search firms which the Committee may engage from time to time and will also consider
shareholder recommendations. The Nominating and Governance Committee has not established specific, minimum qualifications that it believes must be met by a nominee. In evaluating nominees, the Nominating and
Governance Committee considers, among other things, an individual's background, skills, and experience; whether the individual is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the
individual would be deemed an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers whether the individual's background,
skills, and experience will complement the background, skills, and experience of other nominees and will contribute to the diversity of the Board. There are no differences in the manner in which the Nominating and
Governance Committee evaluates nominees for the Board based on whether the nominee is recommended by a shareholder.
A shareholder who wishes to
recommend a board member for nomination should submit his or her recommendation in writing to the Chair of the Board (Keith Hartstein) or the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee (Linda W. Bynoe), in
either case in care of the specified Fund(s), at 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. At a minimum, the recommendation should include: the name, address and business,
educational and/or other pertinent background of the person being recommended; a statement concerning whether the person is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; any other information that the
Fund would be required to include in a proxy statement concerning the person if he or she was nominated; and the name and address of the person submitting the recommendation, together with the number of Fund shares
held by such person and the period for which the shares have been held. The recommendation also can include any additional information which the person submitting it believes would assist the Nominating and Governance
Committee in evaluating the recommendation.
Shareholders should note that a
person who owns securities issued by Prudential (the parent company of the Fund's Manager) would be deemed an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. In addition, certain other relationships with
Prudential or its subsidiaries, with registered broker-dealers, or with the Fund's outside legal counsel may cause a person to be deemed an “interested person.” Before the Nominating and Governance
Committee decides to nominate an individual to the Board, Committee members and other Board Members customarily interview the individual in person. In addition, the individual customarily is asked to complete a
detailed questionnaire which is designed to elicit information which must be disclosed under SEC and stock exchange rules and to determine whether the individual is subject to any statutory disqualification from
serving on the board of a registered investment company.
Share Ownership. Information relating to each Board Member's Fund share ownership and in all registered funds in the PGIM Investments-advised funds that are overseen by the respective Board Member as of
the most recently completed calendar year is set forth in the chart below.
Name
| Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund
| Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Board Member in Fund Complex
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Independent Board Members
|
Ellen S. Alberding
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Kevin J. Bannon
| Over $100,000
| Over $100,000
|
Linda W. Bynoe
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Keith F. Hartstein
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Michael S. Hyland
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Richard A. Redeker
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Interested Board Members
|
Stuart S. Parker
| None
| Over $100,000
|
Scott E. Benjamin
| $10,001-$50,000
| Over $100,000
|
Grace C. Torres
| None
| Over $100,000
|
None of the Independent Board
Members, or any member of his/her immediate family, owned beneficially or of record any securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or a person (other than a registered investment company)
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund as of the most recently completed calendar year.
Shareholder Communications with Board
Members. Shareholders can communicate directly with Board Members by writing to the Chair of the Board, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Shareholders can communicate directly with an individual Board Member by writing to
that Board Member, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Such communications to the Board or individual Board Members are not screened before
being delivered to the addressee.
MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY
ARRANGEMENTS
MANAGER. The Manager’s address is 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. The Manager serves as manager to all of the other investment companies that, together with the Fund,
comprise the PGIM Investments mutual funds. See the Prospectus for more information about PGIM Investments. As of February 28, 2017, the Manager served as the investment manager to all of the Prudential US and
offshore open-end investment companies, and as administrator to closed-end investment companies, with aggregate assets of approximately $261.7 billion.
The Manager is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of PIFM Holdco, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PGIM Holding Company LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential. PMFS, an affiliate of PGIM Investments, serves as the transfer agent
and dividend distribution agent for the PGIM Investments mutual funds and, in addition, provides customer service, record keeping and management and administrative services to qualified plans.
Pursuant to a management agreement
with PIP 14 on behalf of the Fund (the Management Agreement), PGIM Investments, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board and in conformity with the stated policies of the Fund, manages both the investment
operations of the Fund and the composition of the Fund's portfolio, including the purchase, retention, disposition and loan of securities and other
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 34
assets. In connection therewith, the Manager is
obligated to keep certain books and records of the Fund. The Manager is authorized to enter into subadvisory agreements for investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. The Manager will
continue to have responsibility for all investment advisory services performed pursuant to any such subadvisory agreements. PGIM Investments will review the performance of the investment subadviser(s) and make
recommendations to the Board with respect to the retention of investment subadvisers and the renewal of contracts. The Manager also administers the Fund's corporate affairs and, in connection therewith, furnishes the
Fund with office facilities, together with those ordinary clerical and bookkeeping services which are not being furnished by the Fund's custodian (the Custodian) and PMFS. The management services of PGIM Investments
to the Fund are not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and PGIM Investments is free to, and does, render management services to others.
PGIM Investments may from time to
time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total return. These voluntary waivers may be
terminated at any time without notice. To the extent that PGIM Investments agrees to waive its fee or subsidize the Fund's expenses, it may enter into a relationship agreement with the subadviser to share the economic
impact of the fee waiver or expense subsidy.
In connection with its management
of the corporate affairs of the Fund, PGIM Investments bears the following expenses:
■
| the salaries and expenses of all of its and the Fund's personnel except the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members;
|
■
| all expenses incurred by the Manager or the Fund in connection with managing the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, other than those assumed by the Fund as described below; and
|
■
| the fees, costs and expenses payable to any investment subadviser pursuant to a subadvisory agreement between PGIM Investments and such investment subadviser.
|
Under the terms of the Management
Agreement, the Fund is responsible for the payment of the following expenses:
■
| the fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets payable to the Manager;
|
■
| the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members;
|
■
| the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian and transfer and dividend disbursing agent, including the cost of providing records to the Manager in connection with its obligation of maintaining required records of
the Fund and of pricing the Fund's shares;
|
■
| the charges and expenses of the Fund's legal counsel and independent auditors and of legal counsel to the Independent Board Members;
|
■
| brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with securities (and futures, if applicable) transactions;
|
■
| all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies;
|
■
| the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a member;
|
■
| the cost of share certificates representing, and/or non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing, shares of the Fund;
|
■
| the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and omissions insurance;
|
■
| the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of Fund shares with the SEC and paying notice filing fees under state securities laws, including the preparation and
printing of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes; allocable communications expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses of shareholders' and Board meetings and of
preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices to shareholders; and
|
■
| litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business and distribution and service (12b-1) fees.
|
The Management Agreement provides
that PGIM Investments will not be liable for any error of judgment by PGIM Investments or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, except a loss
resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the
1940 Act) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties. The Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in
the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by either PGIM Investments or the Fund by the Board or vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) upon
not more than 60 days', nor less than 30 days', written notice. The Management Agreement will continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date of execution only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Fees payable under the Management
Agreement are computed daily and paid monthly. The applicable fee rate and the management fees received by PGIM Investments from the Fund for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below.
Management Fee Rate
Prior to October 1, 2015:
0.70% of average daily net assets.
Effective October 1, 2015:
0.700% on average daily net assets up to and including $5 billion;
0.675% on average daily net assets exceeding $5 billion.
Effective October 1, 2016:
0.65% on average daily net assets up to and including $5 billion;
0.625% on average daily net assets exceeding $5 billion.
Management Fees Paid by the Fund
|
|
|
|
| 2017
| 2016
| 2015
|
Gross Fee
| $2,214,000
| $1,326,495
| $781,471
|
Amount Waived/Reimbursed by PGIM Investments
| $(477,232)
| $(557,004)
| $(507,898)
|
Net Fee
| $1,736,768
| $769,491
| $273,573
|
Note: For the fiscal
years and/or period shown above, PGIM Investments contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse certain expenses. The “gross fee” shown above is the fee amount that PGIM Investments earned from the
Fund without reflecting the impact of the contractual fee waiver/reimbursement arrangement. The “net fee” reflects the impact of the contractual fee waiver, and is the actual fee amount paid by the Fund to
PGIM Investments.
SUBADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS. The Manager has entered into a subadvisory agreement (Subadvisory Agreement) with the Fund's investment subadviser. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that the subadviser will furnish
investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. In connection therewith, the subadviser is obligated to keep certain books and records of the Fund. Under the Subadvisory Agreement, the
subadviser, subject to the supervision of PGIM Investments, is responsible for managing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives, investment program and policies. The subadviser
determines what securities and other instruments are purchased and sold for the Fund and is responsible for obtaining and evaluating financial data relevant to the Fund. PGIM Investments continues to have
responsibility for all investment advisory services pursuant to the Management Agreement and supervises the subadviser's performance of such services.
As discussed in the Prospectus,
PGIM Investments employs the subadviser under a “manager of managers” structure that allows PGIM Investments to replace the subadviser or amend a Subadvisory Agreement without seeking shareholder approval.
The Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated by
the Fund, PGIM Investments, or the subadviser upon not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will continue in effect for a period of not more
than two years from its execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Any new subadvisory agreement or amendment to the
Fund’s Management Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement that directly or indirectly results in an increase in the aggregate management fee rate payable by the Fund will be submitted to the Fund’s shareholders
for their approval.
The applicable fee rate and the
subadvisory fees paid by PGIM Investments for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below. Subadvisory fees are based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, calculated and paid on a monthly basis, at the fee
rate as set forth in the Subadvisory Agreement. Subadvisory fees are deducted out of the management fee paid by the Fund.
Prior to October 1, 2016:
0.35% of average daily net assets.
Effective October 1, 2016:
0.35% on average daily net assets up to $1 billion;
0.325% on average daily net assets over $1 billion to $5 billion;
0.3125% on average daily net assets over $5 billion;
Subadvisory Fees Paid by PGIM Investments
|
| 2017
| 2016
| 2015
|
|
|
|
|
| $1,149,988
| $663,268
| $390,736
|
THE FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:
INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 36
The table below identifies the
number and total assets of other mutual funds and other types of investment accounts managed by each portfolio manager. For each category, the number of investment accounts and total assets in the investment accounts
whose fees are based on performance, if any, is indicated in italics typeface. Information shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
Other Funds and Investment Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
|
Subadviser
| Portfolio Managers
| Registered Investment
Companies/Total Assets
| Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles/
Total Assets
| Other Accounts/
Total Assets
|
PGIM Fixed Income*
| Joe Lemanowicz
| 16/$591,598,991
| 41/$11,289,322,716
36/$10,694,034,815
| 8/$210,975,022
4/$170,574,295
|
| Brian Juliano
| 16/$591,598,991
| 41/$11,289,322,716
36/$10,694,034,815
| 8/$210,975,022
4/$170,574,295
|
| Robert Cignarella, CFA
| 29/$17,603,886,321
| 18/$4,418,659,865
| 105/$14,791,129,482
1/$0
|
*Accounts are managed on a
team basis. If a portfolio manager is a member of a team, any account managed by that team is included in the number of accounts and total assets for such portfolio manager (even if such portfolio manager is not
primarily involved in the day-to-day management of the account).
THE FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:
PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS
The table below identifies the
dollar value (in ranges) of investments beneficially held by, and financial interests awarded to, each portfolio manager, if any, in the Fund and in other investment accounts managed by, or which have an individual
portion or sleeve managed by, each portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, objectives and mandates similar to the Fund. Information shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal
year, unless noted otherwise.
Personal Investments and Financial Interests of the Portfolio Managers
|
Subadviser
| Portfolio Managers
| Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies*
|
PGIM Fixed Income
| Joe Lemanowicz
| $100,001 - $500,000
|
| Brian Juliano
| $10,001 - $50,000
|
| Robert Cignarella, CFA
| None
|
*“Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies” include direct investment in the Fund and investment in all other investment accounts which
are managed by the same portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, investment objectives and mandates that are similar to those of the Fund. “Other financial interests” are interests related to
awards under a targeted long-term incentive plan, the value of which is subject to increase or decrease based on the performance of the Fund. “Other Investment Accounts” in similar strategies include other
Prudential mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts, and collective and commingled trusts. The dollar range of each Portfolio Manager’s direct investment in the Fund is as follows: Joe Lemanowicz:
$100,001 - $500,000; Brian Juliano: $10,001 - $50,000; Robert Cignarella: None.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS—COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Set forth below, for each portfolio manager, is an explanation of the structure of, and methods used to determine, portfolio manager compensation. Also set forth below, for each portfolio
manager, is an explanation of any material conflicts of interest that may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the Fund's investments and investments in other accounts.
PGIM, Inc. (PGIM).
COMPENSATION. The base salary of an investment professional in the PGIM Fixed Income unit of PGIM (“PGIM Fixed Income”) is based on market data relative to similar positions as well as the
past performance, years of experience and scope of responsibility of the individual. Incentive compensation, including the annual cash bonus, the long-term equity grant and grants under PGIM Fixed Income’s
long-term incentive plans, is primarily based on such person’s contribution to PGIM Fixed Income’s goal of providing investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines and
risk parameters and market-based data such as compensation trends and levels of overall compensation for similar positions in the asset management industry. In addition, an investment professional’s qualitative
contributions to the organization are considered in determining incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not solely based on the performance of, or value of assets in, any single account or group of client
accounts.
An investment professional’s
annual cash bonus is paid from an annual incentive pool. The pool is developed as a percentage of PGIM Fixed Income’s operating income and may be refined by factors such as:
■
| business development initiatives, measured primarily by growth in operating income; and/or
|
■
| investment performance of portfolios: (i) relative to appropriate peer groups and/or (ii) as measured against relevant investment indices.
|
Long-term compensation consists of
Prudential Financial restricted stock, grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan. Grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan are participation
interests in notional accounts with a beginning value of a specified dollar amount. The value attributed to these notional accounts increases or decreases over a defined period of time based, in part (and wholly, in
the case of targeted long-term incentive awards), on the performance of one or more investment composites or commingled investment vehicles representing a number of PGIM Fixed Income’s most frequently marketed
investment strategies. An investment composite is an aggregation of accounts with similar investment strategies. The long-term incentive plan is designed to more closely align compensation with investment performance
and the growth of PGIM Fixed Income’s business. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan is designed to align the interests of certain of its investment professionals with the
performance of a particular long-short composite or commingled investment vehicle. Both the restricted stock and participation interests are subject to vesting requirements.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Like other investment advisers, PGIM Fixed Income is subject to various conflicts of interest in the ordinary course of its business. PGIM Fixed Income strives to identify potential risks,
including conflicts of interest, that are inherent in its business, and conducts annual conflict of interest reviews. When actual or potential conflicts of interest are identified, PGIM Fixed Income seeks to address
such conflicts through one or more of the following methods:
■
| elimination of the conflict;
|
■
| disclosure of the conflict; or
|
■
| management of the conflict through the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures.
|
PGIM Fixed Income follows the
policies of Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential Financial) on business ethics, personal securities trading by investment personnel, and information barriers. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a code of ethics,
allocation policies and conflicts of interest policies, among others, and has adopted supervisory procedures to monitor compliance with its policies. PGIM Fixed Income cannot guarantee, however, that its policies and
procedures will detect and prevent, or assure disclosure of, each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.
Side-by-Side Management of Accounts
and Related Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side management of multiple accounts can create conflicts of interest. Examples are detailed below, followed by a discussion of how PGIM Fixed Income
addresses these conflicts.
■
| Performance Fees— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts with asset-based fees alongside accounts with performance-based fees. This side-by-side management may be deemed to create an incentive for PGIM Fixed
Income and its investment professionals to favor one account over another. Specifically, PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have the incentive to favor accounts for which it receives performance fees, and
possibly take greater investment risks in those accounts, in order to bolster performance and increase its fees.
|
■
| Affiliated accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts on behalf of its affiliates as well as unaffiliated accounts. PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have an incentive to favor accounts of affiliates
over others.
|
■
| Large accounts—large accounts typically generate more revenue than do smaller accounts and certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s strategies have higher fees than others. As a result, a portfolio manager could
be considered to have an incentive when allocating scarce investment opportunities to favor accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PGIM Fixed Income.
|
■
| Long only and long/short accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts that only allow it to hold securities long as well as accounts that permit short selling. PGIM Fixed Income may, therefore, sell a security
short in some client accounts while holding the same security long in other client accounts. These short sales could reduce the value of the securities held in the long only accounts. In addition, purchases for long
only accounts could have a negative impact on the short positions.
|
■
| Securities of the same kind or class— PGIM Fixed Income may buy or sell for one client account securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another client at prices that may be
different. PGIM Fixed Income may also, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and in the opposite direction for another account due to differences in
investment strategy or client direction. Different strategies trading in the same securities or types of securities may appear as inconsistencies in PGIM Fixed Income’s management of multiple accounts
side-by-side.
|
■
| Financial interests of investment professionals— PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may invest in investment vehicles that it advises. Also, certain of these investment vehicles are options under the
401(k) and deferred compensation plans offered by Prudential Financial. In addition, the value of grants under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan is affected by the performance of certain client
accounts. As a result, PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may have financial interests in accounts managed by PGIM Fixed Income or that are related to the performance of certain client accounts.
|
■
| Non-discretionary accounts or models— PGIM Fixed Income provides non-discretionary investment advice and non-discretionary model portfolios to some clients and manages others on a discretionary
basis. Trades in non-discretionary accounts could occur before, in concert with, or after PGIM Fixed Income executes similar trades in its discretionary accounts. The non-discretionary clients may be disadvantaged if
PGIM Fixed Income delivers the model investment portfolio or investment advice to them after it initiates trading for the discretionary clients, or vice versa.
|
How PGIM Fixed Income Addresses
These Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income has developed policies and procedures designed to address the conflicts of interest with respect to its different types of side-by-side management described
above.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 38
■
| The head of PGIM Fixed Income and its chief investment officer periodically review and compare performance and performance attribution for each client account within its various strategies.
|
■
| In
keeping with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, its policy with respect to trade aggregation and allocation is to treat all of its accounts fairly and equitably over time. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade
management oversight committee, which generally meets quarterly, is responsible for providing oversight with respect to trade aggregation and allocation. PGIM Fixed Income has compliance procedures with respect to its
aggregation and allocation policy that include independent monitoring by its compliance group of the timing, allocation and aggregation of trades and the allocation of investment opportunities. In addition, its
compliance group reviews a sampling of new issue allocations and related documentation each month to confirm compliance with the allocation procedures. PGIM Fixed Income’s compliance group reports the results of
the monitoring processes to its trade management oversight committee. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee reviews forensic reports of new issue allocation throughout the year so that new
issue allocation in each of its strategies is reviewed at least once during each year. This forensic analysis includes such data as: (i) the number of new issues allocated in the strategy; (ii) the size of new issue
allocations to each portfolio in the strategy; and (iii) the profitability of new issue transactions. The results of these analyses are reviewed and discussed at PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight
committee meetings. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee also reviews forensic reports on the allocation of trading opportunities in the secondary market. The procedures above are designed to
detect patterns and anomalies in PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side management and trading so that it may assess and improve its processes.
|
■
| PGIM Fixed Income has policies and procedures that specifically address its side-by-side management of long/short and long only portfolios. These policies address potential conflicts that could arise
from differing positions between long/short and long only portfolios. In addition, lending opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is demanding a slight premium rate over normal market rates are
allocated to long only accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to long/short accounts.
|
Conflicts Related to PGIM Fixed
Income’s Affiliations. As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, PGIM Fixed Income is part of a diversified, global financial services organization. PGIM Fixed Income is affiliated with many
types of U.S. and non-U.S. financial service providers, including insurance companies, broker-dealers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators and other investment advisers. Some of its employees are
officers of some of these affiliates.
■
| Conflicts Arising Out of Legal Restrictions. PGIM Fixed Income may be restricted by law, regulation or contract as to how much, if any, of a particular security it may purchase or sell on behalf of a client, and as
to the timing of such purchase or sale. These restrictions may apply as a result of its relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s holdings of a security on
behalf of its clients may, under some SEC rules, be aggregated with the holdings of that security by other Prudential Financial affiliates. These holdings could, on an aggregate basis, exceed certain reporting
thresholds that are monitored, and PGIM Fixed Income may restrict purchases to avoid exceeding these thresholds. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income could receive material, non-public information with respect to a
particular issuer and, as a result, be unable to execute transactions in securities of that issuer for its clients. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s bank loan team often invests in private bank loans in
connection with which the borrower provides material, non-public information, resulting in restrictions on trading securities issued by those borrowers. PGIM Fixed Income has procedures in place to carefully consider
whether to intentionally accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers. PGIM Fixed Income is generally able to avoid receiving material, non-public information from its affiliates and other
units within PGIM by maintaining information barriers. In some instances, it may create an isolated information barrier around a small number of its employees so that material, non-public information received by such
employees is not attributed to the rest of PGIM Fixed Income.
|
■
| Conflicts Related to Outside Business Activity. From time to time, certain of PGIM Fixed Income employees or officers may engage in outside business activity, including outside directorships. Any outside business
activity is subject to prior approval pursuant to PGIM Fixed Income’s personal conflicts of interest and outside business activities policy. Actual and potential conflicts of interest are analyzed during such
approval process. PGIM Fixed Income could be restricted in trading the securities of certain issuers in client portfolios in the unlikely event that an employee or officer, as a result of outside business activity,
obtains material, nonpublic information regarding an issuer. The head of PGIM Fixed Income serves on the board of directors of the operator of an electronic trading platform. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted procedures
to address the conflict relating to trading on this platform. The procedures include independent monitoring by PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer and chief compliance officer and reporting on PGIM
Fixed Income’s use of this platform to the President of PGIM.
|
■
| Conflicts Related to Investment of Client Assets in Affiliated Funds. PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in funds that it manages or subadvises for an affiliate. PGIM Fixed Income may also invest cash
collateral from securities lending transactions in these funds. These investments benefit both PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliate.
|
■
| PICA General Account. Because of the substantial size of the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (PICA), trading by PICA’s general account, including PGIM Fixed
Income’s trades on behalf of the account, may affect market prices. Although PGIM Fixed Income doesn’t expect that PICA’s general account will execute transactions that will move a market frequently,
and generally only in response to unusual market or issuer events, the execution of these transactions could have an adverse effect on transactions for or positions held by other clients.
|
Conflicts Related to Securities
Holdings and Other Financial Interests
■
| Securities Holdings. PGIM, Prudential Financial, PICA’s general account and accounts of other affiliates of PGIM Fixed Income (collectively, affiliated accounts) hold public and private debt and equity
securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as other client accounts but at different levels in the capital structure. These investments can result in
|
| conflicts between the interests of the affiliated accounts and the interests of PGIM Fixed Income’s clients. For example: (i) Affiliated accounts can hold the senior debt of an issuer whose subordinated debt
is held by PGIM Fixed Income’s clients or hold secured debt of an issuer whose public unsecured debt is held in client accounts. In the event of restructuring or insolvency, the affiliated accounts as holders of
senior debt may exercise remedies and take other actions that are not in the interest of, or are adverse to, other clients that are the holders of junior debt. (ii) To the extent permitted by applicable law, PGIM
Fixed Income may also invest client assets in offerings of securities the proceeds of which are used to repay debt obligations held in affiliated accounts or other client accounts. PGIM Fixed Income’s interest
in having the debt repaid creates a conflict of interest. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a refinancing policy to address this conflict. PGIM Fixed Income may be unable to invest client assets in the securities of
certain issuers as a result of the investments described above.
|
■
| Conflicts Related to the Offer and Sale of Securities. Certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s employees may offer and sell securities of, and interests in, commingled funds that it manages or subadvises. There is an
incentive for PGIM Fixed Income’s employees to offer these securities to investors regardless of whether the investment is appropriate for such investor since increased assets in these vehicles will result in
increased advisory fees to it. In addition, such sales could result in increased compensation to the employee.
|
■
| Conflicts Related to Long-Term Compensation. The performance of many client accounts is not reflected in the calculation of changes in the value of participation interests under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term
incentive plan. In addition, the performance of only a small number of our investment strategies is covered under PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan. This may be because the composite
representing the strategy in which the account is managed is not one of the composites included in the calculation or because the account is excluded from a specified composite due to guideline restrictions or other
factors. As a result of the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan, PGIM Fixed Income’s portfolio managers from time to time have financial interests related to the investment performance
of some, but not all, of the accounts they manage. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, PGIM Fixed Income has procedures, including trade allocation and supervisory review procedures,
designed to confirm that each of its client accounts is managed in a manner that is consistent with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, as well as with the account’s investment objectives,
investment strategies and restrictions. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer formally reviews performance among similarly managed accounts with the head of PGIM Fixed Income on a quarterly
basis during meetings typically attended by members of PGIM Fixed Income’s senior leadership team, chief compliance officer and senior portfolio managers.
|
■
| Other Financial Interests. PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliates may also have financial interests or relationships with issuers whose securities it invests in for client accounts. These interests can
include debt or equity financing, strategic corporate relationships or investments, and the offering of investment advice in various forms. For example, PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in the securities of
issuers that are also its advisory clients.
|
In general, conflicts related to
the securities holdings and financial interests described above are addressed by the fact that PGIM Fixed Income makes investment decisions for each client independently considering the best economic interests of such
client.
Conflicts Related to Valuation and
Fees.
When client accounts hold illiquid
or difficult to value investments, PGIM Fixed Income faces a conflict of interest when making recommendations regarding the value of such investments since its management fees are generally based on the value of
assets under management. PGIM Fixed Income believes that its valuation policies and procedures mitigate this conflict effectively and enable it to value client assets fairly and in a manner that is consistent with the
client’s best interests.
Conflicts Related to Securities
Lending Fees
When PGIM Fixed Income manages a
client account and also serves as securities lending agent for the account, it could be considered to have the incentive to invest in securities that would yield higher securities lending rates. This conflict is
mitigated by the fact that PGIM Fixed Income’s advisory fees are generally based on the value of assets in a client’s account. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income’s securities lending function has a
separate reporting line to its chief operating officer (rather than its chief investment officer).
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
CUSTODIAN. The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), 225 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10281, serves as Custodian for the Fund’s portfolio securities and cash, and in that capacity, maintains
certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with the Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any non-US assets held outside the United States.
SECURITIES LENDING AGENT. Securities Finance Trust Company (eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund's securities lending program. Prior to on or about
July 6, 2016, PGIM, Inc. (PGIM) served as the securities lending agent. PGIM is an affiliate of PGIM Investments. eSecLending receives as compensation for its services a portion of the amount earned by lending
securities. The compensation received by PGIM and/or eSecLending, as applicable, for services as securities lending agent for the three most recently completed fiscal years is set forth below.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 40
Compensation Received by the Securities Lending Agent
|
|
|
|
| 2017
| 2016
| 2015
|
| None
| None
| None
|
TRANSFER AGENT. PMFS, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund. PMFS is an affiliate of the Manager. PMFS provides customary transfer
agency services to the Fund, including the handling of shareholder communications, the processing of shareholder transactions, the maintenance of shareholder account records, the payment of dividends and
distributions, and related functions. For these services, PMFS receives compensation from the Fund and is reimbursed for its transfer agent expenses which include an annual fee and certain out-of-pocket expenses
including, but not limited to, postage, stationery, printing, allocable communication expenses and other costs.
The Fund's Board has appointed BNY
Mellon Asset Servicing (US) Inc. (BNYAS), 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, as sub-transfer agent to the Fund. PMFS has contracted with BNYAS to provide certain administrative functions to PMFS. PMFS
will compensate BNYAS for such services.
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Fund incurred the following approximate amount of fees for services provided by PMFS:
Fees Paid to PMFS
| Amount
|
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund
| $22,600
|
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM. KPMG LLP, 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, served as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, and in that capacity will audit the annual financial statements
for the Fund for the next fiscal year.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES
DISTRIBUTOR. Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (PIMS or the Distributor), 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410, acts as the distributor of all of the shares of the Fund. The
Distributor is a subsidiary of Prudential.
The Distributor incurs the expenses
of distributing each of the Fund's share classes pursuant to separate Distribution and Service Plans for each share class (collectively, the Plans) adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and a
distribution agreement (the Distribution Agreement). PIMS also incurs the expenses of distributing any share class offered by the Fund which is not subject to a Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plan, and none of the
expenses incurred by PIMS in distributing such share classes are reimbursed or paid for by the Fund.
The expenses incurred under the
Plans include commissions and account servicing fees paid to, or on account of, brokers or financial institutions which have entered into agreements with the Distributor, as applicable, advertising expenses, the cost
of printing and mailing prospectuses to potential investors and indirect and overhead costs of the Distributor associated with the sale of Fund shares, including sales promotion expenses.
Under the Plans, the Fund is
obligated to pay distribution and/or service fees to the Distributor, as applicable, as compensation for its distribution and service activities, not as reimbursement for specific expenses incurred. If the
Distributor’s expenses exceed its distribution and service fees, the Fund will not be obligated to pay any additional expenses. If the Distributor’s expenses are less than such distribution and service
fees, then it will retain its full fees and realize a profit.
The distribution and/or service
fees may also be used by the Distributor to compensate on a continuing basis brokers in consideration for the distribution, marketing, administrative and other services and activities provided by brokers with respect
to the promotion of the sale of Fund shares and the maintenance of related shareholder accounts.
Distribution expenses attributable
to the sale of each share class are allocated to each such class based upon the ratio of sales of each such class to the combined sales of all classes of the Fund, other than expenses allocable to a particular class.
The distribution fee and sales charge of one class will not be used to subsidize the sale of another class.
Each Plan continues in effect from
year to year, provided that each such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of the Board, including a majority vote of the Board Members who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct
or indirect financial interest in any of the Plans or in any agreement related to the Plans (the Rule 12b-1 Board Members), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance. A Plan may
be terminated at any time, without penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Board Members or by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class of the Fund on not
more than 30 days' written notice to any other party to the Plan. The Plans may not be amended to increase materially
the amounts to be spent for the services described
therein without approval by the shareholders of the applicable class, and all material amendments are required to be approved by the Board in the manner described above. Each Plan will automatically terminate in the
event of its assignment. The Fund will not be contractually obligated to pay expenses incurred under any Plan if it is terminated or not continued.
Pursuant to each Plan, the Board
will review at least quarterly a written report of the distribution expenses incurred on behalf of each class of shares of the Fund by the Distributor. The report will include an itemization of the distribution
expenses and the purposes of such expenditures. In addition, as long as the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of Rule 12b-1 Board Members shall be committed to the Rule 12b-1 Board Members.
Pursuant to the Distribution
Agreement, the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor to the extent permitted by applicable law against certain liabilities under federal securities laws. In addition to distribution and service fees paid by the
Fund under the Plans, the Manager (or one of its affiliates) may make payments out of its own resources to dealers and other persons which distribute shares of the Fund. Such payments may be calculated by reference to
the NAV of shares sold by such persons or otherwise.
CLASS A SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION
EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class A Plan, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class A shares at an annual rate of .25% of the average daily net assets of
the Class A shares. The Class A Plan provides that (1) .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares may be used to pay for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts (service fee)
and (2) total distribution fees (including the service fee of up to .25%) may not exceed .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares of the Fund. The Prospectus for the Fund discusses any contractual or
voluntary fee waivers that may be in effect. In addition, if you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares, you are subject to a 1% CDSC (defined below) for shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase (the CDSC
is waived for purchase by certain retirement and/or benefit plans).
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class A Plan for the Fund. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class A
shares. For the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received initial sales charges and proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders upon certain redemptions of Class A
shares. The amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
CLASS C SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION
EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class C Plan, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class C shares at an annual rate of 1% of the average daily net assets of
the Class C shares. The Class C Plan provides that (1) .25% of the average daily net assets of the shares may be paid as a service fee and (2) .75% (not including the service fee) of the average daily net assets of
the shares (asset based sales charge) may be paid for distribution-related expenses with respect to the Class C shares. The service fee (.25% of average daily net assets) is used to pay for personal service and/or the
maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Prospectus discusses any voluntary or contractual fee waivers that may be in effect. The Distributor also receives contingent deferred sales charges from certain redeeming
shareholders.
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class C Plan. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class C shares. For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders upon certain redemptions of Class C shares. The amounts received and spent
by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
Payments Received by Distributor
|
CLASS A CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC)
| $8
|
CLASS A DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
| $146,872
|
CLASS A INITIAL SALES CHARGES
| $180,358
|
CLASS C CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC)
| $7,670
|
CLASS C DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
| $399,077
|
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor spent the following amounts on behalf of the Fund:
Amounts Spent by Distributor
|
Share Class
| Printing & Mailing of
Prospectuses to Other than
Current Shareholders
| Compensation to Broker/Dealers for
Commissions to Representatives and
Other Expenses*
| Overhead Costs**
| Total Amount
Spent by Distributor
|
CLASS A
| -
| $117,105
| $94,467
| $211,572
|
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 42
Amounts Spent by Distributor
|
Share Class
| Printing & Mailing of
Prospectuses to Other than
Current Shareholders
| Compensation to Broker/Dealers for
Commissions to Representatives and
Other Expenses*
| Overhead Costs**
| Total Amount
Spent by Distributor
|
CLASS C
| -
| $422,112
| $43,591
| $465,703
|
* Includes amounts paid to
affiliated broker/dealers.
** Including sales promotion expenses.
FEE WAIVERS AND SUBSIDIES. PGIM Investments may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund. In addition, the Distributor may
from time to time waive a portion of the distribution (12b-1) fees as described in the Prospectus. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total return.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES
FIRMS. As described in the Fund's Prospectus, the Manager or certain of its affiliates (but not the Distributor) have entered into revenue sharing or other similar arrangements with financial
services firms, including affiliates of the Manager. These revenue sharing arrangements are intended to promote the sale of Fund shares or to compensate the financial services firms for marketing or marketing support
activities in connection with the sale of Fund shares.
The list below includes the names
of the firms (or their affiliated broker/dealers) that received from the Manager, and/or certain of its affiliates, revenue sharing payments of more than $10,000 in calendar year 2016 for marketing and product support
of the Fund and other PGIM Investments funds as described above.
■
| Prudential Retirement
|
■
| Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
|
■
| Ameriprise Financial Services Inc.
|
■
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc.
|
■
| Raymond James
|
■
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
|
■
| Fidelity
|
■
| UBS Financial Services Inc.
|
■
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
■
| LPL Financial
|
■
| Principal Life Insurance Company
|
■
| GWFS Equities, Inc.
|
■
| Commonwealth Financial Network
|
■
| Cetera
|
■
| Matrix Financial Solutions
|
■
| Nationwide Financial Services Inc.
|
■
| ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
|
■
| American United Life Insurance Company
|
■
| AIG Advisor Group
|
■
| Ascensus
|
■
| Voya Financial
|
■
| Massachusetts Mutual
|
■
| Hartford Life
|
■
| JH
Trust Co
|
■
| Reliance Trust Company
|
■
| MidAtlantic Capital Corp.
|
■
| Vanguard Group, Inc.
|
■
| Hewitt Associates LLC
|
■
| TIAA Cref
|
■
| Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC
|
■
| Standard Insurance Company
|
■
| John Hancock USA
|
■
| TD
Ameritrade Trust Company
|
■
| T.
Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services
|
■
| Cambridge
|
■
| The Ohio National Life Insurance Company
|
■
| RBC Capital Markets Corporation
|
■
| VALIC Retirement Services Company
|
■
| Northwestern
|
■
| Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc.
|
■
| Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
|
■
| Janney Montgomery & Scott, Inc.
|
■
| Citigroup
|
■
| Securities America, Inc.
|
■
| Xerox HR Solutions LLC
|
■
| Newport Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
|
■
| Genworth
|
■
| Mercer HR Services, LLC
|
■
| 1st Global Capital Corp.
|
■
| United Planners Financial Services of America
|
■
| Oppenheimer & Co.
|
■
| Securities Service Network
|
■
| Triad Advisors Inc.
|
■
| Investacorp
|
■
| Northern Trust
|
COMPUTATION OF OFFERING PRICE
PER SHARE
Using the NAV at February 28, 2017,
the offering prices of Fund shares were as follows:
Offering Price Per Share
|
| Prudential
Floating Rate
Income Fund
|
Class A
|
|
NAV and redemption price per Class A share
| $9.95
|
Maximum initial sales charge (3.25% of the public offering price)
| 0.33
|
Maximum offering price to public
| $10.28
|
Class C
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class C share
| $9.95
|
Class Q
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Q share
| $9.96
|
Class Z
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Z share
| $9.96
|
Explanatory Notes to Table:
Class A and Class C shares are subject to a
contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on certain redemptions. See “How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Sell Your Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC)” in the
Prospectus.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS &
BROKERAGE
The Fund has adopted a policy
pursuant to which the Fund and its Manager, subadviser and principal underwriter are prohibited from directly or indirectly compensating a broker-dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage
transactions to that broker. The Fund has adopted procedures for the purpose of deterring and detecting any violations of the policy. The policy permits the Fund, the Manager and the subadviser to use selling brokers
to execute transactions in portfolio securities so long as the selection of such selling brokers is the result of a decision that executing such transactions is in the best interest of the Fund and is not influenced
by considerations about the sale of Fund shares. For purposes of this section, the term “Manager” includes the subadviser.
The Manager is responsible for
decisions to buy and sell securities, futures contracts and options on such securities and futures for the Fund, the selection of brokers, dealers and futures commission merchants to effect the transactions and the
negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. On a national securities exchange, broker-dealers may receive negotiated brokerage commissions on Fund portfolio transactions, including options, futures, and options on
futures transactions and the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon the exercise of options. On a foreign securities exchange, commissions may be fixed. Orders may be directed to any broker or futures
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 44
commission merchant including, to the extent and in
the manner permitted by applicable laws, one of the Manager's affiliates (an affiliated broker). Brokerage commissions on US securities, options and futures exchanges or boards of trade are subject to negotiation
between the Manager and the broker or futures commission merchant.
In the OTC market, securities are
generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In
underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount. On occasion, certain
money market instruments and US Government agency securities may be purchased directly from the issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid. The Fund will not deal with an affiliated broker in any
transaction in which an affiliated broker acts as principal except in accordance with the rules of the SEC.
In placing orders for portfolio
securities of the Fund, the Manager's overriding objective is to obtain the best possible combination of favorable price and efficient execution. The Manager seeks to effect such transaction at a price and commission
that provides the most favorable total cost of proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. The factors that the Manager may consider in selecting a particular broker, dealer or futures commission merchant
(firms) are the Manager's knowledge of negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction costs; the nature of the portfolio transaction; the size of the transaction; the desired timing of
the trade; the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular transaction; confidentiality; the execution, clearance and settlement capabilities of the firms; the availability of research and
research-related services provided through such firms; the Manager's knowledge of the financial stability of the firms; the Manager's knowledge of actual or apparent operational problems of firms; and the amount of
capital, if any, that would be contributed by firms executing the transaction. Given these factors, the Fund may pay transaction costs in excess of that which another firm might have charged for effecting the same
transaction.
When the Manager selects a firm
that executes orders or is a party to portfolio transactions, relevant factors taken into consideration are whether that firm has furnished research and research-related products and/or services, such as research
reports, research compilations, statistical and economic data, computer databases, quotation equipment and services, research-oriented computer software and services, reports concerning the performance of accounts,
valuations of securities, investment-related periodicals, investment seminars and other economic services and consultations. Such services are used in connection with some or all of the Manager's investment activities;
some of such services, obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for one investment account, may be used in managing other accounts, and not all of these services may be used in connection with the
Fund. The Manager maintains an internal allocation procedure to identify those firms who have provided it with research and research-related products and/or services, and the amount that was provided, and to endeavor
to direct sufficient commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt of those services that the Manager believes provide a benefit to the Fund and its other clients. The Manager makes a good faith determination
that the research and/or service is reasonable in light of the type of service provided and the price and execution of the related portfolio transactions.
When the Manager deems the purchase
or sale of equities to be in the best interests of the Fund or its other clients, including Prudential, the Manager may, but is under no obligation to, aggregate the transactions in order to obtain the most favorable
price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the transactions, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it considers
to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to clients. The allocation of orders among firms and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Fund's Board. Portfolio securities may
not be purchased from any underwriting or selling syndicate of which any affiliate, during the existence of the syndicate, is a principal underwriter (as defined in the 1940 Act), except in accordance with rules of
the SEC. This limitation, in the opinion of the Fund, will not significantly affect the Fund's ability to pursue its present investment objectives. However, in the future in other circumstances, the Fund may be at a
disadvantage because of this limitation in comparison to other funds with similar objectives but not subject to such limitations.
Subject to the above
considerations, an affiliate may act as a broker or futures commission merchant for the Fund. In order for an affiliate of the Manager to effect any portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other
remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other firms in connection with comparable transactions involving similar
securities or futures being purchased or sold on an exchange or board of trade during a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive no more than the remuneration which would
be expected to be received by an unaffiliated firm in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Board Members, has adopted procedures which are reasonably
designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to the affiliated broker (or any affiliate) are consistent with the foregoing standard. In accordance with Section 11(a) of the 1934 Act, an
affiliate may not retain compensation for effecting transactions on a national securities exchange for the Fund unless the Fund has expressly authorized the retention of such compensation. The affiliate must furnish
to the Fund at least annually a statement setting forth the total amount of all compensation retained by the affiliate from transactions effected for the Fund during the applicable period. Brokerage transactions with
an affiliated broker are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be
imposed upon the affiliate by applicable law.
Transactions in options by the Fund will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of options which may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors
acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or held on the same or different exchanges or are written or held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options
which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by options written or held by the Manager and other investment advisory clients of the Manager. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess
of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
Set forth below is information
concerning the payment of commissions by the Fund, including the amount of such commissions paid to an affiliate, if any, for the indicated fiscal years or periods:
Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund ($) (Fiscal years ended February 28/29)
|
| 2017
| 2016
| 2015
|
Total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund
| $0
| $0
| $0
|
The Fund is required to disclose
its holdings of securities of its regular brokers and dealers (as defined under Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) and their parents as of the most recently completed fiscal year. As of the most recently completed fiscal
year, the Fund held the following securities of its regular brokers and dealers.
Broker-Dealer Securities Holdings ($) (as of most recently completed fiscal year)
|
Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund
| Equity or Debt
| Amount
|
None
| None
| N/A
|
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FUND HISTORY. The Company was organized under the laws of Maryland on April 8, 1983. The Company's Board approved changing the name of the Company to Dryden Government Income Fund, Inc., effective June
30, 2003. Effective February 16, 2010, the Board approved changing the name of the Company to Prudential Government Income Fund, Inc. Effective December 21, 2010, the Company's name changed to Prudential Investment
Portfolios, Inc. 14. A second series of the Company, Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, was established on December 21, 2010 and commenced operations in March 2011.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES AND
ORGANIZATION. The Company is authorized to issue 3.4 billion shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share, divided and classified as set forth below:
Prudential Government Income Fund:
Class A: 230,000,000 shares
Class B: 5,000,000 shares
Class C: 495,000,000 shares
Class Q: 500,000,000 shares
Class R: 500,000,000 shares
Class Z: 500,000,000 shares
Class T: 270,000,000 shares
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund:
Class A: 150,000,000 shares
Class C: 200,000,000 shares
Class Q: 250,000,000 shares
Class Z: 250,000,000 shares
Class T: 50,000,000 shares
Note: Class T shares are not
currently offered, and no Class T shares are issued or outstanding as of the date of this SAI.
Each class of common stock of the
Fund represents an interest in the same assets of each Fund and is identical in all respects except that (1) each class is subject to different (or no) sales charges and distribution and/or service fees (except Class
Z shares, which are not subject to any sales charges and distribution and/or service fees), which may affect performance, (2) each class has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates
solely to its distribution arrangement and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class, (3) each class has a
different exchange privilege, (4) only Class B shares have a conversion feature, and (5) Class Q, Class R and Class Z shares are offered
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 46
exclusively for sale to a limited group of
investors. In accordance with the Company's Articles of Incorporation, the Board may authorize the creation of additional series of common stock and classes within such series, with such preferences, privileges,
limitations and voting and dividend rights as the Board may determine.
The Board may increase or decrease
the number of authorized shares without the approval of shareholders. Shares of each Fund, when issued, are fully paid, nonassessable, fully transferable and redeemable at the option of the holder. Shares are also
redeemable at the option of each Fund under certain circumstances. Each share of each class of common stock is equal as to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except as noted above, and each class bears the
expenses related to the distribution of its shares (with the exception of Class Q and Class Z shares, which are not subject to any distribution and/or service fees). Except for the conversion feature applicable to the
Class B shares, there are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. In the event of liquidation, each share of common stock of each Fund is entitled to its portion of all of that Fund's assets after all
debts and expenses of the Fund have been paid. Since Class B and Class C shares generally bear higher distribution expenses than Class A shares, the liquidation proceeds to shareholders of those classes are likely to
be lower than to Class A shareholders and to Class Q and Class Z shareholders, whose shares are not subject to any distribution and/or service fees. The Fund's shares do not have cumulative voting rights for the
election of Board Members.
The Company does not intend to hold
annual meetings of shareholders unless otherwise required by law. The Company will not be required to hold meetings of shareholders unless, for example, the election of Board Members is required to be acted on by
shareholders under the 1940 Act. Shareholders have certain rights, including the right to call a meeting upon a vote of 10% or more of each Fund's outstanding shares for the purpose of voting on the removal of one or
more Board Members or to transact any other business.
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND
CONTROL PERSONS
To the knowledge of the Fund, the
following persons/entities owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of any class of Fund shares as of the date indicated:
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017)
|
Shareholder Name
| Address
| Share
Class
| No. of Shares/
% of Class
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
| 499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
| A
| 1,379,236 / 19.64%
|
Morgan Stanley & Co
| Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311
| A
| 1,184,554 / 16.87%
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct for The
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
| 2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
| A
| 950,212 / 13.53%
|
UBS WM USA
Spec Cdy A/C Exl Ben Customers of UBSFSI
| 1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
| A
| 619,294 / 8.82%
|
LPL Financial
| 4707 Executive Dr
San Diego, CA 92121
| A
| 578,148 / 8.23%
|
Pershing LLC
| 1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
| A
| 570,999 / 8.13%
|
Morgan Stanley & Co
| Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311
| C
| 1,665,650 / 29.48%
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct for The
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
| 2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
| C
| 787,046 / 13.93%
|
UBS WM USA
Spec Cdy A/C Exl Ben Customers of UBSFSI
| 1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
| C
| 536,374 / 9.49%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
| 499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
| C
| 501,942 / 8.88%
|
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Account
Attn: Courtney Waller
| 880 Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716
| C
| 416,045 / 7.36%
|
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017)
|
Shareholder Name
| Address
| Share
Class
| No. of Shares/
% of Class
|
Pershing LLC
| 1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
| C
| 370,088 / 6.55%
|
Mac & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund OPS-TC
| 500 Grant Street
Room 151-1010
Pittsburgh, PA 15258
| Q
| 705,148 / 37.34%
|
Prudential Real Assets Fund
Attn: Ted Lockwood and Joel M Kallman
| 2 Gateway Ctr, 4th Fl
Newark, NJ 07102
| Q
| 638,038 / 33.79%
|
Prudential Investment Portfolio 16
Prudential Income Builder Fund
Attn: Rita Tucci, Vice President-OPS
| 2 Gateway Ctr, 6th Fl
Newark, NJ 07102
| Q
| 421,728 / 22.33%
|
Edward D Jones & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Accounting
| 201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland Fts, MO 63043
| Q
| 112,030 / 5.93%
|
Morgan Stanley & Co
| Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311
| Z
| 7,116,944 / 17.91%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
| 499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
| Z
| 6,725,609 / 16.93%
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct for The
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
| 2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
| Z
| 5,697,259 / 14.34%
|
UBS WM USA
Spec Cdy A/C Exl Ben Customers of UBSFSI
| 1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
| Z
| 4,893,587 / 12.32%
|
Pershing LLC
| 1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
| Z
| 3,140,471 / 7.90%
|
LPL Financial
| 4707 Executive Dr
San Diego, CA 92121
| Z
| 2,721,688 / 6.85%
|
Charles Schwab Co
| 211 Main St
San Francisco, CA 94105
| Z
| 2,215,604 / 5.58%
|
As of the date of this SAI, the
Board Members and Officers of the Fund, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements for the
Fund for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017, which are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the 2017 annual report to shareholders (File No. 811-03712), were audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered
public accounting firm. You may obtain a copy of the annual report at no charge by request to the Fund by calling (800) 225-1852 or by writing to Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI
02940.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 48
PART II
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
SHARE CLASSES. The Fund may offer shares of one or more classes to investors. Not every share class described in this SAI may be offered, and investors should consult their Prospectus for specific
information concerning the share classes that are available to them.
Shares of the Fund may be purchased
at a price equal to the next determined NAV per share plus a sales charge (if applicable) which, at the election of the investor, may be imposed either (1) at the time of purchase (Class A shares) or (2) on a deferred
basis (Class B and Class C shares or Class A shares, in certain circumstances). Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class R5, Class R6, and Class Z shares, if offered, are offered only to a
limited group of investors at NAV without any sales charges.
Additional or different classes of
shares may also be offered, including Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class R5, and Class R6. If offered, specific information with respect to these share classes is set forth in the
Prospectus and SAI.
For more information, see
“How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” in the Prospectus.
PURCHASE BY WIRE. For an initial purchase of shares of the Fund by wire, you must complete an application and telephone PMFS at (800) 225-1852 (toll-free) to receive an account number. PMFS will request
the following information: your name, address, tax identification number, Fund name, class election (if applicable), dividend distribution election, amount being wired and wiring bank. PMFS will also furnish you with
instructions for wiring the funds from your bank to the Fund's Custodian.
If you arrange for receipt by the
Custodian of federal funds prior to the calculation of NAV (once each business day at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), on a business day, you may purchase shares of the Fund
as of that day. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to purchase is received after the close of regular trading on
the NYSE.
In making a subsequent purchase
order by wire, you should wire the Custodian directly and should be sure that the wire specifies the Fund name, the share class to be purchased, your name, individual account number, Direct Deposit Account (DDA)
Number and the Fund's Bank Account registration. You do not need to call PMFS to make subsequent purchase orders utilizing federal funds. The minimum amount for subsequent purchase by wire is $100.
ISSUANCE OF FUND SHARES FOR
SECURITIES. Transactions involving the issuance of Fund shares for securities (rather than cash) will be limited to (1) reorganizations, (2) statutory mergers, or (3) other acquisitions of portfolio
securities that: (a) meet the investment objectives and policies of the Fund, (b) are liquid and not subject to restrictions on resale, (c) have a value that is readily ascertainable via listing on or trading in a
recognized United States or international exchange or market, and (d) are approved by the Fund's Manager.
MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS. An institution may open a single master account by filing an application with PMFS, signed by personnel authorized to act for the institution. Individual subaccounts may be opened at the
time the master account is opened by listing them, or they may be added at a later date by written advice. Procedures will be available to identify subaccounts by name and number within the master account name. The
foregoing procedures would also apply to related institutional accounts (i.e., accounts of shareholders with a common institutional or corporate parent). The investment minimums as set forth in the relevant Prospectus
under “How to Buy and Sell Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” are applicable to the aggregate amounts invested by a group, and not to the amount credited to each subaccount.
REOPENING AN ACCOUNT. Subject to the minimum investment restrictions, an investor may reopen an account, without filing a new application, at any time during the calendar year the account is closed, provided
that the information on that application is still applicable.
RESTRICTIONS ON SALE OF FUND
SHARES. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment may be postponed for a period of up to seven days. Suspensions or postponements may not exceed seven days except at times
(1) when the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Fund securities is not reasonably
practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided that applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
REDEMPTION IN KIND. The Fund may pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with applicable
rules of the SEC and procedures adopted by the Board. Securities will be readily marketable and will be valued in the same manner as in a regular redemption. If your shares are redeemed in
kind, you would incur transaction costs in
converting the assets into cash. The Fund, however, has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, under which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of
the NAV of the Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder.
RIGHTS OF ACCUMULATION. Reduced sales charges are also available through Rights of Accumulation, under which an investor or an eligible group of related investors, as described under “Reducing or Waiving
Class A's Initial Sales Charge” in the Prospectus, may aggregate the value of their existing holdings of Class A, Class B, and Class C shares of the Fund and shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds
(excluding money market funds other than those acquired pursuant to the exchange privilege) to determine the reduced sales charge. However, the value of shares held directly with PMFS and through your broker will not
be aggregated to determine the reduced sales charge. The value of existing holdings for purposes of determining the reduced sales charge is calculated using the maximum offering price (NAV plus maximum sales charge).
The Distributor, your broker or PMFS must be notified at the time of purchase that the investor is entitled to a reduced sales charge. Reduced sales charges will be granted subject to confirmation of the investor's
holdings. This does not apply to Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
SALE OF SHARES. You can redeem your shares at any time for cash at the NAV next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (in accordance with procedures established by PMFS in
connection with investors' accounts) by PMFS or your broker or other financial intermediary. See “Net Asset Value” below. In certain cases, however, redemption proceeds will be reduced by the amount of any
applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC), as described in “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below. If you are redeeming your shares through a broker, your broker must receive your sell order
before the NAV is computed for that day (at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in order to receive that day's NAV. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before
4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your broker will be responsible for furnishing all necessary
documentation to the Distributor and may charge you for its services in connection with redeeming shares of the Fund.
All correspondence and documents
concerning redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, Rhode Island 02940 or to your broker or other financial intermediary.
If you hold shares in
non-certificate form, a written request for redemption signed by you exactly as the account is registered is required. If you hold certificates, the certificates must be received by PMFS, the Distributor or your
broker in order for the redemption request to be processed. If redemption is requested by a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, written evidence of authority acceptable to PMFS must be submitted before such
request will be accepted. All correspondence and documents concerning redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940, to the Distributor or to your broker.
Payment for redemption of recently
purchased shares will be delayed until the Fund or PMFS has been advised that the purchase check has been honored, which may take up to 7 calendar days from the time of receipt of the purchase check by PMFS. Such
delay may be avoided by purchasing shares by wire or by certified or cashier's check.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE. If the proceeds of the redemption (1) exceed $100,000, (2) are to be paid to a person other than the record owner, (3) are to be sent to an address other than the address on PMFS’
records, (4) are to be paid to a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, or (5) are to be paid due to the death of the shareholder or on behalf of the shareholder, and your shares are held directly with PMFS,
the signature(s) on the redemption request or stock power must be medallion signature guaranteed. The medallion signature guarantee must be obtained from an authorized officer of a bank, broker, dealer, securities
exchange or association, clearing agency, savings association, or credit union that is participating in one of the recognized medallion programs (STAMP, SEMP, or NYSE MSP). The medallion signature guarantee must be
appropriate for the dollar amount of the transaction. PMFS reserves the right to reject transactions where the value of the transaction exceeds the value of the surety coverage indicated on the medallion imprint. PMFS
also reserves the right to request additional information from, and make reasonable inquires of, any institution that provides a medallion signature guarantee. In the case of redemptions from a PruArray Plan, if the
proceeds of the redemption are invested in another investment option of the plan in the name of the record holder and at the same address as reflected in PMFS' records, a medallion signature guarantee is not
required.
Payment for shares presented for
redemption will be made by check within seven days after receipt by PMFS or your broker of the written request and certificates, if issued, except as indicated below. If you hold shares through a broker, payment for
shares presented for redemption will be credited to your account at your broker, unless you indicate otherwise. Such payment may be postponed or the right of redemption suspended at times (1) when the NYSE is closed
for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably
practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided that applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 50
EXPEDITED REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE. By electing the Expedited Redemption Privilege, you may arrange to have redemption proceeds sent to your bank account. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be used to redeem shares in an
amount of $100 or more, except if an account for which an expedited redemption is requested has an NAV of less than $100, the entire account will be redeemed. Redemption proceeds in the amount of $500 or more will be
remitted by wire to your bank account at a domestic commercial bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve system. The money would generally be received by your bank within one business day of the redemption.
Redemption proceeds of less than $500 will be sent by ACH to your bank which must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. The money would generally be received by your bank within three business days
of the redemption. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. Expedited redemption requests may be made by telephone or letter, must be received by the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time to receive a redemption amount based on that day's NAV and are subject to the terms and conditions as set forth in the Prospectus regarding redemption of shares. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE
closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. For more information, see “How to Buy, Sell and
Exchange Fund Shares-Telephone Redemptions or Exchanges” in the Prospectus. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. To receive further information,
shareholders should contact PMFS.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTION. If the value of your account with PMFS is less than $500 for any reason, we may sell the rest of your shares (without charging any CDSC) and close your account. The involuntary sale
provisions do not apply to: (i) an individual retirement account (IRA) or other qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan or account, (ii) Automatic Investment Plan (AIP) accounts, employee savings plan accounts or
payroll deduction plan accounts, (iii) accounts under the same registration with multiple share classes in the Fund whose combined value exceeds $500, or (iv) clients with assets more than $50,000 across the PGIM
Investments family of mutual funds. “Client” for this purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors.
We have the right to reject any
purchase order (including an exchange into a Fund) or suspend or modify a Fund's sales of its shares under certain circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, failure by you to provide
additional information requested, such as information required to verify the source of funds used to purchase shares, your identity or the identity of any underlying beneficial owners of your shares. Furthermore, we
are required by law to close your account if you do not provide the required identifying information; this would result in the redemption of shares at the then-current day's NAV and the proceeds would be remitted to
you via check. We will attempt to verify your identity within a reasonable time frame (e.g., 60 days) which may change from time to time.
ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE FEE. In order to offset the disproportionate effect (in basis points) of expenses associated with servicing lower balance accounts, if the value of your account with PMFS is less than $10,000,
a $15 annual account maintenance fee (“account maintenance fee”) will be deducted from your account. The account maintenance fee will be assessed during the 4th calendar quarter of each year. Any
applicable CDSC on the shares redeemed to pay the account maintenance fee will be waived. The account maintenance fee will not be charged on: (i) accounts during the first six months from inception of the account,
(ii) accounts for which you have elected to receive your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and fund shareholder reports electronically rather than by mail, (iii) omnibus accounts or other
accounts for which the dealer is responsible for recordkeeping, (iv) institutional accounts, (v) group retirement plans (including SIMPLE IRA plans, profit-sharing plans, money purchase pension plans, Keogh plans,
defined compensation plans, defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans), (vi) AIP accounts or employee savings plan accounts, (vii) accounts with the same registration associated with multiple share classes within the
Fund, provided that the aggregate value of share classes with the same registration within the Fund is $10,000 or more, or (viii) clients with assets of $50,000 or more across the PGIM Investments family of mutual
funds. “Client” for this purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors or other financial intermediary.
90 DAY REPURCHASE PRIVILEGE. If you redeem your shares and have not previously exercised the repurchase privilege during the previous 12 months, you may reinvest back into your account any portion or all of the
proceeds of such redemption in shares of the Fund at the NAV next determined after the order is received, which must be within 90 days after the date of the redemption. Any CDSC paid in connection with such redemption
in Class A, Class B or Class C shares will be credited (in shares) to your account. (If less than a full repurchase is made, the credit will be on a pro rata basis.) This repurchase privilege can only be used once in
a 12-month period. You must notify PMFS, either directly or through the Distributor or your broker, at the time the repurchase privilege is exercised to adjust your account for the CDSC you previously paid.
Thereafter, any redemptions will be subject to the CDSC applicable at the time of the redemption. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below. Exercise of the repurchase privilege will generally not
affect federal tax treatment of any gain realized upon redemption. However, if the redemption was made within a 30 day period of the repurchase and if the redemption resulted in a loss, some or all of the loss,
depending on the amount reinvested, may not be allowed for federal income tax purposes.
The terms of this privilege may
vary by financial intermediary. For more information, see “Appendix A: Waivers and Discounts Available From Certain Financial Intermediaries” in the Fund’s prospectus.
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE
(CDSC)
Class A. Investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and sell these shares within 12 months of purchase are subject to a 1% CDSC. (Note: For Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. only, investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and then sell these shares within 18 months of
purchase are subject to a 0.50% CDSC).
Class B. Redemptions of Class B shares will be subject to a CDSC declining from 5% to zero over a six-year period (or a four-year period in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.).
Class C. Class C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase will be subject to a 1% CDSC. The CDSC will be deducted from the redemption proceeds and reduce the amount paid to you.
Waiver of CDSC. The Class A, Class B, or Class C CDSC is waived if the shares are sold:
■
| After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders as well as shares held in
joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability,
|
■
| To
provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account,
|
■
| To
withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, and
|
■
| On certain redemptions effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (Class B shares only).
|
If you purchase Class Z shares (see
“Qualifying for Class Z Shares” in the Prospectus) within 5 days of redemption of your Class A shares that you had purchased directly through the Fund's transfer agent, we will credit your account with the
appropriate number of shares to reflect any CDSC you paid on the reinvested portion of your redemption proceeds.
Calculation of CDSC. The CDSC will be imposed on any redemption that reduces the current value of your Class A, Class B or Class C shares to an amount which is lower than the amount of all payments by you for
shares during the preceding 12 months in the case of Class A shares (in certain cases), 6 years in the case of Class B shares (or four years in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. Class B shares), and 12 months in the case of Class C shares. A CDSC will be applied on the lesser of the original purchase price or the current value of the shares being redeemed. Increases in the value
of your shares or shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions are not subject to a CDSC. The amount of any CDSC will be paid to and retained by the Distributor. If you purchased or hold your
shares through a broker, third party administrator or other authorized entity that maintains subaccount recordkeeping, any applicable CDSC that you will pay will be calculated and reported to PMFS by such broker,
administrator or other authorized entity.
The amount of the CDSC, if any,
will vary depending on the number of years from the time of payment for the purchase of shares until the time of redemption of such shares. The CDSC will be calculated from the date of the initial purchase, excluding
the time shares were held in Class B or Class C shares of a money market fund. See “Shareholder Services—Exchange Privileges” below.
In determining whether a CDSC is
applicable to a redemption, the calculation will be made in a manner that results in the lowest possible rate. It will be assumed that the redemption is made first of amounts representing shares acquired pursuant to
the reinvestment of dividends and distributions; then of amounts representing the increase in NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class A shares made during the preceding 12 months (in certain
cases), 6 years for Class B shares (four years in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.) and 12 months for Class C shares; then of amounts representing the cost of shares held beyond the applicable
CDSC period; and finally, of amounts representing the cost of shares held for the longest period of time within the applicable CDSC period.
For example, assume you purchased
100 Class B shares at $10 per share for a cost of $1,000. Subsequently, you acquired 5 additional Class B shares through dividend reinvestment. During the second year after the purchase you decided to redeem $500 of
your investment. Assuming at the time of the redemption the NAV had appreciated to $12 per share, the value of your Class B shares would be $1,260 (105 shares at $12 per share). The CDSC would not be applied to the
value of the reinvested dividend shares and the amount which represent appreciation ($260). Therefore, $240 of the $500 redemption proceeds ($500 minus $260) would be charged at a rate of 4% (the applicable rate in
the second year after purchase) for a total CDSC of $9.60.
For federal income tax purposes,
the amount of the CDSC will reduce the gain or increase the loss, as the case may be, on the amount recognized on the redemption of shares.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 52
As noted above, the CDSC will be
waived in the case of a redemption following the death or permanent disability of a shareholder or, in the case of a trust account, following the death or permanent disability of the grantor. The waiver is available
for total or partial redemptions of shares owned by a person, either individually or in joint tenancy at the time of death or initial determination of permanent disability, provided that the shares were purchased
prior to death or permanent disability.
The CDSC will be waived in the case
of a total or partial redemption in connection with certain distributions under the Code from a tax-deferred retirement plan, an IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account. For distributions from an IRA or 403(b)
custodial account, the shareholder must submit a copy of the distribution form from the custodial firm indicating (i) the date of birth of the shareholder and (ii) that the shareholder is over age 70 1⁄2. The distribution form must be signed by the shareholder.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on certain redemptions of Class B shares effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. On an annual basis, up to 12% of the total dollar amount
subject to the CDSC may be redeemed without charge. PMFS will calculate the total amount available for this waiver annually on the anniversary date of your purchase. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on redemptions
until this threshold of 12% is reached. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan is not available to participants in certain retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
In addition, the CDSC will be
waived on redemptions of shares held by Board Members of the Funds.
You must notify PMFS either
directly or through your broker, at the time of redemption that you are entitled to a waiver of the CDSC and provide PMFS or your broker with such supporting documentation as it may deem appropriate. The waiver will
be granted subject to confirmation of your entitlement.
PMFS reserves the right to request
such additional documents as it may deem appropriate.
AUTOMATIC CONVERSION OF CLASS B
SHARES. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares on a quarterly basis approximately seven years after purchase.
Note: Class B shares of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. will automatically convert to Class A shares on a quarterly basis approximately five years after purchase.
The number of Class B shares
eligible to convert to Class A shares will be the total number of shares that have completed their aging schedule (including any time spent at 0% liability), plus all shares acquired through the reinvestment of
dividends for Class B shares.
Since annual distribution-related
fees are lower for Class A shares than Class B shares, the per share NAV of the Class A shares may be higher than that of the Class B shares at the time of conversion. Thus, although the aggregate dollar value will be
the same, you may receive fewer Class A shares than Class B shares converted.
For purposes of calculating the
applicable holding period for conversions, for Class B shares previously exchanged for shares of a money market fund, the time period during which such shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded for the
Class B shares. For example, Class B shares held in a money market fund for one year would not convert to Class A shares until approximately eight years. Class B shares acquired through exchange will convert to Class
A shares after expiration of the conversion period applicable to the original purchaser of such shares.
The conversion feature may be
subject to the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the conversion of shares does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. The automatic conversion of Class
B shares into Class A shares may be suspended if such opinions or rulings are no longer available. If such conversions are suspended, Class B shares of the Fund will continue to be subject, possibly indefinitely, to
their higher annual distribution and service fee. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the conversion or exchange of shares.
EXCHANGE OF SHARE CLASSES WITHIN THE
FUND. Within the Fund, investors or their financial intermediaries may wish to exchange investments in one share class of the Fund to another share class offered by the same Fund. For certain
exchanges, subject to the discretion of the Manager and or its affiliates, the Fund may need to waive applicable sales charges in the share class that the shareholder is receiving and/or waive CDSC on the redeemed
shares, as applicable.
Such exchanges may be subject to
the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the exchange of shares does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. If such opinions or rulings are no longer
available, then the exchange may be a taxable event. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the exchange of shares.
Please contact PMFS at (800)
225-1852 for more details on such exchanges.
NET ASSET VALUE
The price an investor pays for a
Fund share is based on the share value. The share value—known as the net asset value per share or NAV—is determined by subtracting Fund liabilities from the value of Fund assets and dividing the remainder
by the number of outstanding shares. NAV is calculated separately for each class. The Fund will compute its NAV once each business day at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. For
purposes of computing NAV, the Fund will value futures contracts generally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The Fund may not compute its NAV on days on which no orders to purchase, sell or
exchange shares of the Fund have been received or on days on which changes in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities do not materially affect NAV. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in
NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and will price its shares as of 4:00 p.m., if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. Please see the NYSE website (www.nyse.com) for a specific list of the
holidays on which the NYSE is closed.
In accordance with procedures
adopted by the Board, the value of investments listed on a securities exchange and NASDAQ System securities (other than options on stock and stock indices) are valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation or,
if there was no sale on such day, the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day, or at the bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price, as provided by a pricing service or principal market
marker. Securities included on the NASDAQ Market are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (NOCP) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP, at the last sale price. NASDAQ Market Securities for which
there was no NOCP or last sale price are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on the day of valuation, or the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Corporate bonds (other than
convertible debt securities) and US Government securities that are actively traded in the OTC market, including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the
subadviser to be over-the-counter, are valued on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing agent which uses information with respect to transactions in bonds, quotations from bond dealers, agency
ratings, market transactions in comparable securities and various relationships between securities in determining value. Convertible debt securities that are actively traded in the over-the-counter market, including
listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be OTC, are valued on the day of valuation at an evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing
agent, or, in the absence of valuation provided by an independent pricing agent, at the bid price provided by a principal market maker or primary market dealer.
OTC options on stock and stock
indices traded on an exchange are valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on the respective exchange and futures contracts and options thereon are valued at their last sale prices as
of the close of trading on the applicable commodities exchange or if there was no sale on the applicable commodities exchange on such day, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on such
exchange or at the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Quotations of non-US securities in a non-US currency are converted to US dollar equivalents at the current rate obtained from a recognized bank,
dealer or independent service, and forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the current cost of covering or offsetting such contacts. Should an extraordinary event, which is likely to affect the value of the
security, occur after the close of an exchange on which a portfolio security is traded, such security will be valued at fair value considering factors determined in good faith by the subadviser or Manager under
procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Board.
Under the 1940 Act, the Board is
responsible for determining in good faith the fair value of securities of the Fund. Portfolio securities for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the pricing agent or principal
market maker does not provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of the Manager or subadviser (or Valuation Committee or Board) does not represent fair value (Fair
Value Securities), are valued by the Valuation Committee or Board in consultation with the subadviser or Manager, as applicable, including, as applicable, their portfolio managers, traders, research and credit
analysts, and legal and compliance personnel, on the basis of the following factors: the nature of any restrictions on disposition of the securities; assessment of the general liquidity/illiquidity of the securities;
the issuer's financial condition and the markets in which it does business; the cost of the investment; the size of the holding and the capitalization of issuer; the prices of any recent transactions or bids/offers
for such securities or any comparable securities; any available analyst, media or other reports or information deemed reliable by the Manager or subadviser regarding the issuer or the markets or industry in which it
operates; other analytical data; consistency with valuation of similar securities held by other PGIM Investments mutual funds; and such other factors as may be determined by the subadviser, Manager, Board or Valuation
Committee to materially affect the value of the security. Fair Value Securities may include, but are not limited to, the following: certain private placements and restricted securities that do not have an active
trading market; securities whose trading has been suspended or for which market quotes are no longer available; debt securities that have recently gone into default and for which there is no current market; securities
whose prices are stale; securities affected by significant events; and securities that the subadviser or Manager believes were priced incorrectly.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 54
A “significant event”
(which includes, but is not limited to, an extraordinary political or market event) is an event that the subadviser or Manager believes with a reasonably high degree of certainty has caused the closing market prices
of portfolio securities to no longer reflect their value at the time of the NAV calculation. On a day that the Manager determines that one or more portfolio securities constitute Fair Value Securities, the
Manager’s Fair Valuation Committee may determine the fair value of these securities if the fair valuation of each security results in a change of less than $0.01 to the Fund's NAV and/or the fair valuation of
the securities in the aggregate results in a change of less than one half of one percent of the Fund's daily net assets and the Fair Valuation Committee presents these valuations to the Board for its ratification. In
the event that the fair valuation of a security results in a NAV change of $0.01 or more per share and/or in the aggregate results in a change of one half of one percent or more of the daily NAV, the Board shall
promptly be notified, in detail, of the fair valuation, and the fair valuation will be reported on and presented for ratification at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Also, the Board receives, on an interim
basis, reports of the meetings of the Valuation Committee that occur between regularly scheduled Board meetings.
In addition, the Fund uses a
service provided by a pricing vendor to fair value non-US Fair Value Securities, which are securities that are primarily traded in non-US markets and subject to a valuation adjustment upon the reaching of a valuation
“trigger” determined by the Board. The fair value prices of non-US Fair Value Securities reflect an adjustment to closing market prices that is intended to reflect the causal link between movements in the
US market and the non-US market on which the securities trade.
The use of fair value pricing
procedures involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. Accordingly,
there can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if the security were sold at approximately the same time at which the NAV per share is determined.
Generally, we will value the Fund's
futures contracts at the close of trading for those contracts (normally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE). If, in the judgment of the subadviser or Manager, the closing price of a contract is
materially different from the contract price at the NYSE close, a fair value price for the contract will be determined.
If dividends are declared daily,
the NAV of each class of shares will generally be the same. It is expected, however, that the dividends, if any, will differ by approximately the amount of the distribution and/or service fee expense accrual
differential among the classes.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
Upon the initial purchase of Fund
shares, a Shareholder Investment Account is established for each investor under which a record of the shares is maintained by PMFS. Share certificates are no longer issued for shares of the Fund. The Fund furnishes to
shareholders the following privileges and plans:
AUTOMATIC REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS
AND/OR DISTRIBUTIONS. For the convenience of investors, all dividends and distributions are automatically reinvested in full and fractional shares of the Fund at NAV per share. An investor may direct PMFS in
writing not less than five full business days prior to the record date to have subsequent dividends and/or distributions sent in cash rather than reinvested. In the case of recently purchased shares for which
registration instructions have not been received by the record date, cash payment will be made directly to the broker. Any shareholder who receives dividends or distributions in cash may subsequently reinvest any such
dividend or distribution at NAV by returning the check or the proceeds to PMFS within 30 days after the payment date. Such reinvestment will be made at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the check or
the proceeds by PMFS. Shares purchased with reinvested dividends and/or distributions will not be subject to any CDSC upon redemption.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES. The Fund furnishes to shareholders the privilege of exchanging their shares of the Fund for shares of certain other PGIM Investments mutual funds, as disclosed in each Fund’s
Prospectus, including one or more specified money market funds, subject in each case to the minimum investment requirements of such funds. Shares of such other PGIM Investments mutual funds may also be exchanged for
shares of the Fund. All exchanges are made on the basis of the relative NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. An exchange will be treated as a redemption and purchase for federal income tax
purposes. Shares may be exchanged for shares of another fund only if shares of such fund may legally be sold under applicable state laws. For retirement and group plans having a limited menu of PGIM Investments mutual
funds, the exchange privilege is available for those funds eligible for investment in the particular program.
It is contemplated that the
exchange privilege may be applicable to new PGIM Investments mutual funds, the shares of which may be distributed by the Distributor.
In order to exchange shares by
telephone, you must authorize telephone exchanges on your initial application form or by written notice to PMFS and hold shares in non-certificated form. Thereafter, you may call the Fund at (800) 225-1852 to execute
a telephone exchange of shares, on weekdays, except holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. For your protection and
to prevent fraudulent exchanges, your telephone
call will be recorded and you will be asked to authenticate your account. A written confirmation of the exchange transaction will be sent to you. Neither the Fund nor its agents will be liable for any loss, liability
or cost which results from acting upon instructions reasonably believed to be genuine under the foregoing procedures. All exchanges will be made on the basis of the relative NAV of the two funds next determined after
the request is received in good order.
If you hold shares through a
brokerage firm, you must exchange your shares by contacting your financial adviser.
If you hold share certificates, the
certificates must be returned in order for the shares to be exchanged. See “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Fund Shares—Sale of Shares” above.
You may also exchange shares by
mail by writing to PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940.
In periods of severe market or
economic conditions the telephone exchange of shares may be difficult to implement and you should make exchanges by mail by writing to PMFS at the address noted above.
Class A shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class A shares for Class A shares of certain other PGIM Investments mutual funds and shares of the money market funds specified below. No fee or
sales load will be imposed upon the exchange. Shareholders of money market funds who acquired such shares upon exchange of Class A shares may use the exchange privilege only to acquire Class A shares of the PGIM
Investments mutual funds participating in the exchange privilege.
The following money market fund
participates in the Class A exchange privilege: Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. (Class A shares).
Participants in certain programs
sponsored by broker-dealers, investment advisers and financial planners who have agreements with Prudential, or whose programs are available through financial intermediaries that have agreements with Prudential
relating to mutual fund “wrap” or asset allocation programs or mutual fund “supermarket” programs, for which the Fund is an available option, may have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged
for Class Z shares of the Fund, if available as an investment option, when they elect to have those assets become a part of the program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), such Class Z shares (and,
to the extent provided for in the program, Class Z shares acquired through participation in the program) may be exchanged for Class A shares of the Fund at NAV if Class Z shares are not available to the shareholder as
an investment option outside the program. Contact your program sponsor or financial intermediary with any questions.
Class B and Class C shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class B and Class C shares of the Fund for Class B and Class C shares, respectively, of other PGIM Investments mutual funds. No CDSC will be
payable upon such exchange, but a CDSC may be payable upon the redemption of the Class B and Class C shares acquired as a result of an exchange. The applicable sales charge will be that imposed by the fund in which
shares were initially purchased and the purchase date will be deemed to be the date of the initial purchase, rather than the date of the exchange, excluding any time Class B or Class C shares were held in a money
market fund.
Class B and Class C shares may also
be exchanged for shares of Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. without imposition of any CDSC at the time of exchange. Upon subsequent redemption from such money market fund or after re-exchange into a
Fund, such shares will be subject to the CDSC calculated without regard to the time such shares were held in the money market fund. For purposes of calculating the seven year holding period applicable to the Class B
conversion feature, the time period during which Class B shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded.
At any time after acquiring shares
of other funds participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege, a shareholder may again exchange those shares (and any reinvested dividends and distributions) for Class B or Class C shares of a Fund without
subjecting such shares to any CDSC. Shares of any fund participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege that were acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions may be exchanged for Class B or
Class C shares of other funds without being subject to any CDSC.
Class Q shares: Class Q shares may be exchanged for Class Q shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Class R shares: Class R shares may be exchanged for Class R shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Class Z shares: Class Z shares may be exchanged for Class Z shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Shareholders who qualify to
purchase Class Z shares may have their Class B and Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC and their Class A shares exchanged for Class Z shares upon notification. Eligibility for this exchange privilege will
be calculated on the business day prior to the date of the exchange. Amounts representing Class B or Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC include
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Fund 56
the following: (1) amounts representing Class B or
Class C shares acquired pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions, (2) amounts representing the increase in the NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class B or Class C
shares and (3) amounts representing Class B or Class C shares held beyond the applicable CDSC period. Class B and Class C shareholders must notify PMFS either directly or through Wells Fargo Advisors, Pruco
Securities, LLC or another broker that they are eligible for this special exchange privilege.
Participants in any fee-based
program for which the Fund is an available option may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged for Class Z shares when they elect to have those assets
become a part of the fee-based program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), the participant may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to have such Class Z shares acquired through
participation in the program exchanged for Class A shares at NAV. Similarly, participants in Wells Fargo Advisors' 401(k) Plan for which the Fund's Class Z shares are an available option and who wish to transfer their
Class Z shares out of the Wells Fargo Advisors 401(k) Plan following separation from service (i.e., voluntary or involuntary termination of employment or retirement) may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their
recordkeeper to have their Class Z shares exchanged for Class A shares at NAV.
Additional details about the
exchange privilege and prospectuses for each of the PGIM Investments mutual funds are available from PMFS, the Distributor or your broker. The special exchange privilege may be modified, terminated or suspended on
sixty days' notice, and the Fund, or the Distributor, has the right to reject any exchange application relating to the Fund's shares.
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
(AIP). Under AIP, an investor may arrange to have a fixed amount automatically invested in shares of the Fund by authorizing his or her bank account or brokerage account to be debited to invest
specified dollar amounts in shares of the Fund. The investor's bank must be a member of the Automated Clearing House System.
Further information about this
program and an application form can be obtained from PMFS, the Distributor or your broker.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan is available to shareholders through the PMFS or your broker. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual redemptions
in any amount, except as provided below, up to the value of the shares in the shareholder's account. Systematic withdrawals of Class A (in certain instances), Class B and Class C shares may be subject to a CDSC. The
Systematic Withdrawal Plan is not available to participants in certain retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
PMFS, the Distributor or your
broker acts as an agent for the shareholder in redeeming sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the amount of the systematic withdrawal payment. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any
time.
Systematic withdrawals should not
be considered as dividends, yield or income. If systematic withdrawals continuously exceed reinvested dividends and distributions, the shareholder's original investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately
exhausted.
Furthermore, each withdrawal
constitutes a redemption of shares, and any gain or loss realized must be recognized for federal income tax purposes. In addition, withdrawals made concurrently with purchases of additional shares are inadvisable
because of the sales charges applicable to (i) the purchase of Class A shares and (ii) the redemption of Class A (in certain instances), Class B and Class C shares. Each shareholder should consult his or her own tax
adviser with regard to the tax consequences of the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, particularly if used in connection with a retirement plan.
MUTUAL FUND PROGRAMS. From time to time, the Fund may be included in a mutual fund program with other PGIM Investments mutual funds. Under such a program, a group of portfolios will be selected and thereafter
marketed collectively. Typically, these programs are marketed with an investment theme, such as pursuit of greater diversification, protection from interest rate movements or access to different management styles. In
the event such a program is instituted, there may be a minimum investment requirement for the program as a whole. The Fund may waive or reduce the minimum initial investment requirements in connection with such a
program.
The mutual funds in the program may
be purchased individually or as a part of a program. Since the allocation of portfolios included in the program may not be appropriate for all investors, investors should consult their financial adviser concerning the
appropriate blends of portfolios for them. If investors elect to purchase the individual mutual funds that constitute the program in an investment ratio different from that offered by the program, the standard minimum
investment requirements for the individual mutual funds will apply.
TAX-DEFERRED RETIREMENT
PROGRAMS. Various tax-deferred retirement plans, including a 401(k) plan, self-directed individual retirement accounts and “tax-deferred accounts” under Section 403(b)(7) of the Code are
available through the Distributor. These plans are for use by both self-employed individuals and corporate employers. These plans permit either self-direction of accounts by participants or a pooled account
arrangement. Information regarding the establishment of these plans, their administration, custodial fees and other details is available from the Distributor or PMFS.
Investors who are considering the
adoption of such a plan should consult with their own legal counsel and/or tax adviser with respect to the establishment and maintenance of any such plan.
TAXES, DIVIDENDS AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
The following is a summary of
certain tax considerations generally affecting each Fund and its shareholders. This section is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are
subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. Please consult your own tax adviser concerning the consequences of investing in a Fund in your particular circumstances under the Code and the laws of any other
taxing jurisdiction.
QUALIFICATION AS A REGULATED
INVESTMENT COMPANY. Each Fund has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and intends to meet all other requirements that are necessary for it to be relieved of
federal taxes on income and gains it distributes to shareholders. As a regulated investment company, a Fund is not subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income (i.e., investment company
taxable income, as that term is defined in the Code, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it
distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its net tax-exempt income and investment company taxable income for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”), and satisfies
certain other requirements of the Code that are described below.
Net capital gains of a Fund that
are available for distribution to shareholders will be computed by taking into account any applicable capital loss carryforward. If a Fund has a capital loss carryforward, the amount and duration of any such capital
loss carryforward will be set forth at the end of this section.
In addition to satisfying the
Distribution Requirement, each Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to loans of stock and securities, gains from the sale or disposition of stock,
securities or non-US currencies and other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or
currencies and net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (as such term is defined in the Code).
Each Fund must also satisfy an
asset diversification test on a quarterly basis. Failure to do so may result in a Fund being subject to penalty taxes, being required to sell certain of its positions, and may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a
regulated investment company. Under this asset diversification test, at the close of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets must be represented by cash,
United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the
value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities of (x) any one issuer (other
than United States government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or two or more issuers (other than securities of other regulated investment companies) of which the Fund owns 20% or
more of the voting stock and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (y) one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as such term is defined in the Code) and
commonly referred to as “master limited partnerships.”
A Fund may be able to cure a
failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or by paying a tax and
disposing of assets. If, in any taxable year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, the Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its
shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income.
Although in general the passive
loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded
partnership. A Fund’s investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local or non-US income, franchise or withholding tax
liabilities.
If for any year a Fund does not
qualify as a regulated investment company, or fails to meet the Distribution Requirement, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any
deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, a Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits,
including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends will be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of
shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay
out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable
years,
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Fund 58
the Fund may be subject to taxation on any net
built-in-gains (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate loss that would have been realized if the Fund had been liquidated) recognized for a period of ten years, or, under
certain circumstances, may have to recognize and pay tax on such net built-in-gain, in order to qualify as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
EXCISE TAX ON REGULATED INVESTMENT
COMPANIES. A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on a regulated investment company to the extent that it distributes income in such a way that it is taxable to shareholders in a calendar year
other than the calendar year in which a Fund earned the income. Specifically, the excise tax will be imposed if a Fund fails to distribute in each calendar year an amount equal to 98% of ordinary taxable income,
including qualified dividend income, for the calendar year and 98.2% of capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year (or, at the election of a regulated investment company
having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year). The balance of such income must be distributed during the next calendar year. For the foregoing purposes, a regulated investment company
is treated as having distributed otherwise retained amounts if it is subject to income tax on those amounts for any taxable year ending in such calendar year.
Each Fund intends to make
sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its qualified dividend income, ordinary income and capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax. However,
investors should note that a Fund may in certain circumstances be required to borrow money or liquidate portfolio investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid excise tax liability.
FUND INVESTMENTS. Each Fund may make investments or engage in transactions that affect the character, amount and timing of gains or losses realized by a Fund. A Fund may make investments that produce income
that is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund. Any such income would be treated as income earned by the Fund and therefore would be subject to the Distribution Requirement. Such investments may
require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in order to comply with those requirements. Each Fund may also make investments that prevent or defer the recognition of losses or the deduction of
expenses. These investments may likewise require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in order to comply with the Distribution Requirement. Additionally, a Fund may make investments that result in the
recognition of ordinary income rather than capital gain, or that prevent the Fund from accruing a long-term holding period. These investments may prevent the Fund from making capital gain distributions as described
below. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it makes any such investments in order to mitigate the
effect of these rules. The foregoing concepts are explained in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Gains or losses on sales of stock
or securities by a Fund generally will be treated as long-term capital gains or losses if the stock or securities have been held by it for more than one year, except in certain cases where the Fund acquires a put or
writes a call or otherwise holds an offsetting position, with respect to the stock or securities. Other gains or losses on the sale of stock or securities will be short-term capital gains or losses.
In certain situations, a Fund may,
for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its net capital loss realized after October (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) and its late-year ordinary loss
(defined as the sum of the excess of post-October non-US currency and passive non-US investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October non-US currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December
ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such
deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
If an option written by a Fund on
securities lapses or is terminated through a closing transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund of the option from its holder, the Fund will generally realize short-term capital gain or loss. If securities are sold
by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a call option written by it, the Fund will include the premium received in the sale proceeds of the securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale.
Gain or loss on the sale, lapse or other termination of options acquired by a Fund on stock or securities and on narrowly-based stock indexes will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term depending
on the holding period of the option.
Certain Fund transactions may be
subject to wash sale, short sale, constructive sale, conversion transaction, constructive ownership transaction and straddle provisions of the Code that may, among other things, require a Fund to defer recognition of
losses or convert long-term capital gain into ordinary income or short-term capital gain taxable as ordinary income.
As a result of entering into swap
contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction.
Periodic net payments will generally constitute taxable ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the
Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to
certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to
currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. Periodic net
payments that would otherwise constitute ordinary deductions but are allocable under the Code to exempt-interest dividends will not be allowed as a deduction but instead will reduce net tax-exempt income.
In general, gain or loss on a short
sale is recognized when a Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally capital gain or loss to the extent
that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in a Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale has a long-term
holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of
“substantially identical property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical
property” has been held by a Fund for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short
sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Debt securities acquired by a Fund
may be subject to original issue discount and market discount rules which, respectively, may cause the Fund to accrue income in advance of the receipt of cash with respect to interest or cause gains to be treated as
ordinary income subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above. Market discount generally is the excess, if any, of the principal amount of the security (or, in the case of a security issued at an original
issue discount, the adjusted issue price of the security) over the price paid by the Fund for the security. Original issue discount that accrues in a taxable year is treated as income earned by a Fund and therefore is
subject to the Distribution Requirement. Because the original issue discount income earned by a Fund in a taxable year may not be represented by cash income, the Fund may have to borrow money or dispose of other
securities and use the proceeds to make distributions to satisfy the Distribution Requirement.
Certain futures contracts and
certain listed options (referred to as Section 1256 contracts) held by the Funds will be required to be “marked to market” for federal income tax purposes at the end of a Fund’s taxable year, that
is, treated as having been sold at the fair market value on the last business day of the Fund’s taxable year. Except with respect to certain non-US currency forward contracts, sixty percent of any gain or loss
recognized on these deemed sales and on actual dispositions will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and forty percent will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any net mark-to-market gains may be
subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above, even though a Fund may receive no corresponding cash amounts, possibly requiring the disposition of portfolio securities or borrowing to obtain the necessary
cash.
Gains or losses attributable to
fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between the time a Fund accrues interest or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-US currency and the time the Fund actually collects
such receivables or pays such liabilities are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on non-US currency forward contracts or dispositions of debt securities denominated in a non-US currency
that are attributable to fluctuations in the value of the non-US currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition thereof generally also are treated as ordinary income
or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as “Section 988” gains or losses, increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed
to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund’s net capital gain. If Section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year,
a Fund would not be able to make any ordinary dividend distributions from current earnings and profits, and distributions made before the losses were realized could be recharacterized as a return of capital to
shareholders, rather than as an ordinary dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.
If the Fund holds (directly or
indirectly) one or more “tax credit bonds” (defined below) on one or more specified dates during the Fund’s taxable year, and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may
elect for US federal income tax purposes to pass through to shareholders tax credits otherwise allowable to the Fund for that year with respect to such bonds. A tax credit bond is defined in the Code as a
“qualified tax credit bond” (which includes a qualified forestry conservation bond, a new clean renewable energy bond, a qualified energy conservation bond, a qualified zone academy bond, or a qualified
school construction bond, each of which must meet certain requirements specified in the Code), a “build America bond” or certain other specified bonds. If the Fund were to make an election, a shareholder
of the Fund would be required to include in gross income an amount equal to such shareholder’s proportionate share of the interest income attributable to such credits and would be entitled to claim as a tax
credit an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of such credits. Certain limitations may apply on the extent to which the credit may be claimed.
A Fund may make investments in
equity securities of non-US issuers. If a Fund purchases shares in PFICs, the Fund may be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such non-US corporation, including any
gain from the disposition of such shares, even if such income is distributed by the Fund to its shareholders. In addition, certain interest charges may be imposed on
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Fund 60
the Fund as a result of such distributions. If a
Fund were to invest in an eligible PFIC and elected to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund (a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include each year in its
income and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, a pro rata portion of the QEF’s ordinary earnings and net capital gain, whether or not distributed by the QEF to the Fund. A
Fund may not be able to make this election with respect to many PFICs because of certain requirements that the PFICs would have to satisfy.
Alternatively, a Fund generally
will be permitted to “mark to market” any shares it holds in a PFIC. If a Fund made such an election, with such election being made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund, the Fund would be required to
include in income each year and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the
taxable year over the adjusted basis of such stock at that time. A Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the PFIC stock over its fair market value as of the close of the
taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains with respect to the stock included by the Fund for prior taxable years. A Fund will make appropriate basis adjustments in the PFIC stock to take
into account the mark-to-market amounts.
Notwithstanding any election made
by a Fund, dividends attributable to distributions from a non-US corporation will not be eligible for the special tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income if the non-US corporation is a PFIC either in the
taxable year of the distribution or the preceding taxable year, but instead will be taxable at rates applicable to ordinary income.
A Fund may invest in REITs. Such
Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required
to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold (including when it is not advantageous to do so). A Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in
the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax
purposes. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will generally not constitute qualified dividend income. REITs will generally be able to pass through the tax treatment of tax-qualified dividends they receive.
Some of the REITs in which the
Funds may invest will be permitted to hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”). Under Treasury regulations not yet issued, but that may apply retroactively, a portion
of a Fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all
events. These regulations are expected to provide that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to
the dividends received by shareholders, with the same consequences as if shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest directly.
In general, excess inclusion income
allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a
qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is
allocated excess inclusion income, and that otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-US shareholder, will not qualify for
any reduction in US federal withholding tax.
Under current law, if a charitable
remainder trust (defined in Section 664 of the Code) realizes any unrelated business taxable income for a taxable year, it will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of such unrelated business taxable income. In
addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (as defined in the Code) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment
company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed
on corporations. The Funds do not intend to invest directly in residual interests in REMICs or to invest in REITs in which a substantial portion of the assets will consist of residual interests in REMICs.
FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its net investment income for each taxable year. Dividends of net investment income paid to a non-corporate US shareholder that are
reported as qualified dividend income will generally be taxable to such shareholder at capital gain income tax rates. The amount of dividend income that may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will
generally be limited to the aggregate of the eligible dividends received by the Fund. In addition, a Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the shares on which the Fund received the
eligible dividends, and the non-corporate US shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the Fund shares. Dividends of net investment income that are not reported as qualified dividend
income or exempt-interest dividends and dividends of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates. Dividends paid by a Fund with respect to a taxable year will qualify for the
70% dividends
received deduction generally available to
corporations to the extent of the amount of dividends received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations for the taxable year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the US federal income tax consequences of
distributions made (or deemed made) during the year, including the portion of dividends paid that qualify for the reduced tax rate.
Ordinarily, shareholders are
required to take taxable distributions by a Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by a Fund in October, November or
December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be
taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than the year paid.
Dividends paid by a Fund that are
properly reported as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax. Dividends paid by a Fund will be exempt from federal income tax (though not necessarily exempt from state and local
taxation) to the extent of the Fund’s tax-exempt interest income as long as 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets at the end of each quarter is invested in (1) state, municipal and other bonds that
are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes or (2) interests in other regulated investment companies, and, in each case, as long as the Fund properly reports such dividends as exempt-interest
dividends. Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state, or its political subdivisions, are generally exempt from income tax in that state. However, income from municipal
securities from other states generally will not qualify for tax-free treatment.
Interest on indebtedness incurred
by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of a Fund will not be deductible for US federal income tax purposes to the extent it relates to exempt-interest dividends received by a shareholder. If a shareholder
receives exempt-interest dividends with respect to any share of a Fund (other than a Fund that declares income dividends daily and pays such dividends at least as frequently as monthly) and if the share is held by the
shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. In addition, the Code may require a shareholder that receives
exempt-interest dividends to treat as taxable income a portion of certain otherwise non-taxable social security and railroad retirement benefit payments. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by
a Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a “substantial user” of a
facility financed by such bonds, or a “related person” thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from a Fund may affect a non-US corporate shareholder’s federal “branch
profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of a shareholder of an S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to whether they are (i)
“substantial users” with respect to a facility or “related” to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to the federal “branch profits” tax, or the federal
“excess net passive income” tax.
A Fund may either retain or
distribute to shareholders its net capital gain (i.e., excess net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year. Each Fund currently intends to distribute any such amounts. If net
capital gain is distributed and reported as a “capital gain dividend,” it will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has held its shares or
whether such gain was recognized by the Fund prior to the date on which the shareholder acquired its shares. Conversely, if a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the
extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated
as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will
receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Distributions by a Fund that exceed
the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares; any distribution in excess
of such tax basis will be treated as gain from the sale of its shares, as discussed below. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s minimum distribution requirements but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and
profits will be taxable to shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. A Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any, carried from taxable years beginning before 2011 do not reduce current
earnings and profits, even if such carryforwards offset current year realized gains. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if
any, may be subject to limitation.
Distributions by a Fund will be
treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). Shareholders receiving a distribution in the form of
additional shares will be treated as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash that could have been received. In addition, prospective investors in a Fund should be aware that distributions
from the Fund will, all other things being equal, have the effect of reducing the NAV of the Fund’s shares by the amount of the distribution. If the NAV is reduced below a shareholder’s cost, the
distribution will
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 62
nonetheless be taxable as described above, even if
the distribution effectively represents a return of invested capital. Investors should consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution, when the price of shares may reflect the amount of
the forthcoming distribution.
SALE OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES. A shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale or redemption and the
shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder acquires other shares of the Fund or substantially identical stock or securities
within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before such disposition, such as pursuant to reinvestment of a dividend in shares of the Fund. Additionally, if a shareholder disposes of shares of a Fund within 90 days
following their acquisition, and the shareholder subsequently re-acquires Fund shares (1) before January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the original stock was disposed of, (2) pursuant to
a reinvestment right received upon the purchase of the original shares and (3) at a reduced load charge (i.e., sales or additional charge), then any load charge incurred upon the acquisition of the original shares
will not be taken into account as part of the shareholder’s basis for computing gain or loss upon the sale of such shares, to the extent the original load charge does not exceed any reduction of the load charge
with respect to the acquisition of the subsequent shares. To the extent the original load charge is not taken into account on the disposition of the original shares, such charge shall be treated as incurred in
connection with the acquisition of the subsequent shares. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares of a Fund will be considered capital gain or loss and
will be long term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term
capital loss to the extent of the amount of long-term capital gain dividends received on (or undistributed long-term capital gains credited with respect to) such shares.
Capital gain of a non-corporate US
shareholder is generally taxed at a federal income tax rate of up to 15% for individuals with incomes below approximately $418,000 ($471,000 if married filing jointly), adjusted annually for inflation, and 20% for any
income above such levels that is generally net long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income, where the property is held by the shareholder for more than one year. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is
taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
Cost Basis Reporting. Mutual funds must report cost basis information to you and the IRS when you sell or exchange shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 in your non-retirement accounts. The cost basis
regulations do not affect retirement accounts, money market funds, and shares acquired before January 1, 2012. The regulations also require mutual funds to report whether a gain or loss is short-term (shares held one
year or less) or long-term (shares held more than one year) for all shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 that are subsequently sold or exchanged. To calculate the gain or loss on shares sold, you need to know
the cost basis of the shares. Cost basis is the original value of an asset for tax purposes (usually the gross purchase price), adjusted for stock splits, reinvested dividends, and return of capital distributions.
This value is used to determine the capital gain (or loss), which is the difference between the cost basis of the shares and the gross proceeds when the shares are sold. The Fund’s Transfer Agent supports
several different cost basis methods from which you may select a cost basis method you believe best suited to your needs. If you decide to elect the Transfer Agent’s default method, which is average cost, no
action is required on your part. For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, if you change your cost basis method, the new method will apply to all shares in the account if you request the change prior to the
first redemption. If, however, you request the change after the first redemption, the new method will apply to shares acquired on or after the date of the change. Keep in mind that the Fund’s Transfer Agent is
not required to report cost basis information to you or the IRS on shares acquired before January 1, 2012. However, the Transfer Agent will provide this information to you, as a service, if its cost basis records are
complete for such shares. This information will be separately identified on the Form 1099-B (Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions) sent to you by the Transfer Agent and not transmitted to the
IRS.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the US Treasury 28% of all dividends and capital gain dividends, and the proceeds of redemption of shares, paid to any
shareholder (1) who has provided the Fund with either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to report the receipt of interest or
dividend income properly or (3) who has failed to certify to the Fund that it is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other exempt recipient. In addition, dividends and capital gain
dividends made to corporate United States holders may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited
against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss
with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886.
Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss
is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the
applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
MEDICARE CONTRIBUTION TAX. A US person that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, is subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the US
person’s “net investment income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the US person’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married
filing jointly). A Fund shareholder’s net investment income will generally include, among other things, dividend income from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares, unless such dividend
income or net gains are derived in the ordinary course of the conduct of a trade or business (other than a trade or business that consists of certain passive or trading activities). If you are a US person that is an
individual, estate or trust, you are urged to consult your tax advisers regarding the applicability of the Medicare contribution tax to your income and gains in respect of your investment in the Fund shares.
NON-US SHAREHOLDERS. Dividends paid to a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, non-US trust or estate, non-US corporation, or non-US partnership (“non-US
shareholder”) will be subject to US withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on the gross amount of the dividend. Such a non-US shareholder would generally be exempt from US federal
income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed
capital gains.
The foregoing applies when the
non-US shareholder’s income from a Fund is not effectively connected with a US trade or business. If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with a US trade or business carried on by a non-US
shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, net capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains credited to such shareholder and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of the Fund
will be subject to US federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to US citizens or domestic corporations.
Distributions that a Fund reports
as “short-term capital gain dividends” or “long-term capital gain dividends” will not be treated as such to a recipient non-US shareholder if the distribution is attributable to a REIT’s
distribution to a Fund of a gain from the sale or exchange of US real property or an interest in a US real property holding corporation and a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in US real property exceed
certain levels. Instead, if the non-US shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be
subject to 30% withholding by a Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the non-US shareholder; if the non-US shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the
one-year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the non-US shareholder to US filing requirements.
Additionally, if a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in US real property were to exceed certain levels, a non-US shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from a Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding
tax and US filing requirements unless more than 50% of a Fund’s shares were owned by US persons at such time or unless the non-US person had not held more than 5% of a Fund’s outstanding shares throughout
either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.
The rules laid out in the previous
paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.
Provided that 50% or more of the
value of the Fund’s stock is held by US shareholders, distributions of US real property interests (including securities in a US real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on
an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution), in redemption of a non-US
shareholder’s shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the
Fund’s adjusted bases to the extent of the greatest non-US ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of non-US non-corporate
shareholders, a Fund may be required to backup withhold US federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their
non-US status.
A 30% withholding tax is currently
imposed on US-source dividends, interest and other income items, and will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing US-source dividends and interest paid after December 31, 2018, to (i) non-US
financial institutions including non-US investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect US account holders and (ii) certain other non-US entities,
unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect US owners. To avoid withholding, non-US financial institutions will need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will
provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect US account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of US
accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to US accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant non-US financial institutions
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 64
or to account holders, or (ii) in the event that an
intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder information. Other non-US entities will need to either provide the name, address, and
taxpayer identification number of each substantial US owner or certifications of no substantial US ownership unless certain exceptions apply.
The tax consequences to a non-US
shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-US shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax
consequences to them of an investment in a Fund, the procedure for claiming the benefit of a lower treaty rate and the applicability of non-US taxes.
NON-US TAXES. A Fund may be subject to non-US withholding taxes or other non-US taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gain) received from sources within non-US
countries. So long as more than 50% by value of the total assets of the Fund (1) at the close of the taxable year, consists of stock or securities of non-US issuers, or (2) at the close of each quarter, consists of
interests in other regulated investment companies, the Fund may elect to treat any non-US income taxes paid by it as paid directly by its shareholders.
If the Fund makes the election,
each shareholder will be required to (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, its pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating US taxable
income) or credit (in calculating US federal income tax) its pro rata share of the Fund’s income taxes. A non-US tax credit may not exceed the US federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the non-US
source income. For this purpose, each shareholder must treat as non-US source gross income (i) its proportionate share of non-US taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any actual dividend paid by the Fund
which represents income derived from non-US sources; the gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as US source income and certain non-US currency gains and losses likewise will be treated as derived
from US sources. This non-US tax credit limitation is, with certain exceptions, applied separately to separate categories of income; dividends from the Fund will be treated as “passive” or
“general” income for this purpose. The effect of this limitation may be to prevent shareholders from claiming as a credit the full amount of their pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes. In
addition, shareholders will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax credit with respect to non-US income taxes paid by the Fund unless certain holding period requirements are met at both the Fund and the shareholder
levels. For purposes of foreign tax credits for US shareholders of the Fund, foreign capital gains taxes may not produce associated foreign source income, limiting the availability of such credits for US persons.
A Fund will make such an election
only if it deems it to be in the best interest of its shareholders. A shareholder not subject to US tax may prefer that this election not be made. The Fund will notify shareholders in writing each year if it makes the
election and of the amount of non-US income taxes, if any, to be passed through to the shareholders and the amount of non-US taxes, if any, for which shareholders of the Fund will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax
credit because the holding period requirements (described above) have not been satisfied.
Shares of a Fund held by a non-US
shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the US estate tax.
STATE AND LOCAL TAX MATTERS. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions may also be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend
income, ordinary income dividends and capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies and other items may differ from federal income tax rules. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers as
to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in a Fund.
CAPITAL LOSS CARRYFORWARDS. For federal income tax purposes, Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund had a capital loss carryforward of approximately $123,000 in the year ended February 28, 2017, which can be carried
forward for an unlimited period. The Fund utilized approximately $984,000 of its capital loss carryforward to offset net taxable gains realized in the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017. No capital gains
distributions are expected to be paid to shareholders until net gains have been realized in excess of such losses.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO
HOLDINGS
The Board of each Fund in the
Prudential mutual fund complex has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio securities owned by each Fund and to authorize certain arrangements to make available information about
portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosures of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are made consistently with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the
fiduciary duties of each Fund and each Fund adviser. The policy is designed to ensure that disclosures of nonpublic portfolio holdings to selected third parties are made only when the Fund has legitimate business
purposes for doing so and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information.
The Board has authorized PGIM
Investments, as the investment manager of each Fund, to administer these policies and procedures and to enter into confidentiality agreements on behalf of the Funds that provide that all information disclosed shall be
treated as confidential and that the recipient will not trade on the nonpublic information. No material, non-public information, including but not limited to portfolio holdings, may be disseminated to third parties
except in compliance with these policies and procedures.
The Custodian Bank (Bank of New
York Mellon) is authorized to facilitate, under the supervision of PGIM Investments, the release of portfolio holdings.
Regulatory Filings. Portfolio holdings for each Fund will be made public at the time of quarterly public regulatory filings via Forms N-CSR and/or N-Q unless noted otherwise herein.
Annual and semi-annual reports for
each Fund are filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR and mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. Annual and semi-annual shareholder reports for a Fund may be accessed at
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and at the website for the PGIM Investments mutual funds (www.pgiminvestments.com).
Portfolio holdings for each Fund
are filed with the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the first and third fiscal quarters. Filings on Form N-Q may be accessed at www.sec.gov.
Public Disclosures—Fund
Holdings and Characteristics. Each Fund may post on the PGIM Investments mutual funds website a detailed list of its portfolio holdings and characteristics derived from the portfolio holdings as of the end of each
calendar month approximately 15 days after the end of the month, unless noted otherwise herein.
Any portfolio holdings and
characteristics information that is posted to the Fund’s website and third-party databases but not contained in regulatory filings may be distributed at or after posting to financial advisors, investment
consultants, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, plan sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases.
Public Disclosures—Other Time
Periods. Where a Fund has recently commenced operations or adopted significant changes to its investment policies (a “repositioning”), it may make available in the manner described above
the same portfolio holdings and characteristics information, but as of other relevant period-ends besides month-end, with such information made available and posted to the website approximately 15 days after the
commencement of the Fund’s operations or the date of the repositioning (“Effective Date”), and any portfolio holdings or characteristics information may be distributed after posting to financial
advisors, investment consultants, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, plan sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases. The Fund may release this information until the first
quarter-end or the first month-end following the Effective Date, as applicable.
Other than as set forth above, the
release of holdings and characteristics information will normally occur 15 days after the end of the month: the release of holdings and characteristics information other than 15 days after the end of the month will be
determined based on procedures approved by the Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, when authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer and another officer of the PGIM Investments mutual funds, portfolio holdings
information may be publicly disseminated more frequently or at different periods than as described above.
Ongoing Nonpublic Disclosure
Arrangements. Each Fund has entered into ongoing arrangements to make available nonpublic information about its portfolio holdings, subject to the conditions, restrictions and requirements set forth
below. Parties receiving this information may include intermediaries that distribute Fund shares, third-party providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other services for the Funds, rating and ranking
organizations, and certain affiliated persons of each Fund, as described below. The procedures utilized to determine eligibility are set forth below:
All requests from third parties for
portfolio holdings shall require the following steps:
■
| A
request for release of portfolio holdings shall be prepared setting forth a legitimate business purpose for such release which shall specify the Fund(s), the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of
detail, staleness). Such request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Fund and the investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such
conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Fund(s).
|
■
| The request shall be forwarded to PGIM Investments’ Product Development Group and to the Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate for review and approval.
|
■
| A
confidentiality agreement in the form approved by a Fund officer must be executed by the recipient of the portfolio holdings.
|
■
| A
Fund officer shall approve the release and the agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PGIM Investments’ Law Department.
|
■
| Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group to arrange the release of portfolio holdings.
|
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 66
■
| PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group shall arrange the release by the Custodian Bank.
|
Requests for disclosure to PGIM
Investments or its employees shall follow the procedures noted above other than the execution of a confidentiality agreement.
Set forth below are the authorized
ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI:
1. Traditional External
Recipients/Vendors
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), Broadridge and Glass, Lewis & Co. (proxy voting administrator/agents) at the end of each day;
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims administrator) at the end of each day;
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to a Fund's Subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian (if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed) at the
end of each day. When a Fund has more than one Subadviser, each Subadviser receives holdings information only with respect to the “sleeve” or segment of the Fund for which the Subadviser has responsibility;
|
■
| Full holdings to a Fund's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as practicable following the Fund's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis; and
|
■
| Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a Fund's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period-ends.
|
2. Analytical Service Providers
■
| Fund trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following a Fund's fiscal quarter-end;
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet Research Systems, Inc. (investment research provider) at the end of each day;
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to FT Interactive Data (a fair value information service) at the end of each day;
|
■
| Full holdings on a quarterly basis to Frank Russell Company (investment research provider) when made available ;
|
■
| Full holdings on a monthly basis to Fidelity Advisors (wrap program provider) approximately five days after the end of each month (Prudential Jennison Growth Fund and certain other selected PGIM Investments Funds
only);
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to IDC, Markit and Thompson Reuters (securities valuation);
|
■
| Full holdings on a daily basis to Standard & Poor’s Corporation (securities valuation);
|
■
| Full holdings on a monthly basis to FX Transparency (foreign exchange/transaction analysis) when made available.
|
In each case, the information
disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information (except for legitimate
business purposes).
In addition, certain authorized
employees of PGIM Investments receive portfolio holdings information on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PGIM Investments employees are subject to
the requirements of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential, which prohibits employees from trading on or further disseminating confidential information, including portfolio holdings information.
Also, affiliated shareholders may,
subject to execution of a non-disclosure agreement, receive current portfolio holdings for the sole purpose of enabling a Fund to effect the payment of the redemption price to such shareholder in whole or in part by a
distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the SEC and procedures adopted by the Board. For more information regarding the payment of
the redemption price by a distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, see “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Fund Shares—Redemption in Kind” in the SAI.
PGIM Investments’ Law
Department and the Chief Compliance Officer shall review the arrangements with each recipient on an annual basis. The Board shall, on a quarterly basis be advised of any revisions to the list of recipients of
portfolio holdings and the reason for such disclosure. These policies and procedures will be reviewed for adequacy and effectiveness in connection with the Funds’ compliance program under Rule 38a-1 under the
1940 Act.
A listing of the parties who will
receive portfolio holdings pursuant to these procedures is maintained by PGIM Investments Compliance.
There can be no assurance that the
policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information will protect a Fund from the potential misuse of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of the information.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated to the
Manager the responsibility for voting any proxies and maintaining proxy recordkeeping with respect to the Fund. The Manager is authorized by the Fund to delegate, in whole or in part, its proxy voting authority to the
investment subadviser(s) or third party vendors consistent with the policies set forth below. The proxy voting process shall remain subject to the supervision of the Board, including any committee thereof established
for that purpose.
The Manager and the Board view the
proxy voting process as a component of the investment process and, as such, seek to ensure that all proxy proposals are voted with the primary goal of seeking the optimal benefit for the Fund. Consistent with this
goal, the Board views the proxy voting process as a means to encourage strong corporate governance practices and ethical conduct by corporate management. The Manager and the Board maintain a policy of seeking to
protect the best interests of the Fund should a proxy issue potentially implicate a conflict of interest between the Fund and the Manager or its affiliates.
The Manager delegates to the Fund's
Subadviser(s) the responsibility for voting proxies. The Subadviser is expected to identify and seek to obtain the optimal benefit for the Fund, and to adopt written policies that meet certain minimum standards,
including that the policies be reasonably designed to protect the best interests of the Fund and delineate procedures to be followed when a proxy vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund and the
interests of the Subadviser or its affiliates. The Manager and the Board expect that the Subadviser will notify the Manager and Board at least annually of any such conflicts identified and confirm how the issue was
resolved. In addition, the Manager expects that the Subadviser will deliver to the Manager, or its appointed vendor, information required for filing the Form N-PX with the SEC. Information regarding how the Fund voted
proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge on the Fund's website at www.pgiminvestments.com and on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov.
A summary of the proxy voting
policies of the Subadviser(s) is set forth in its respective Appendix to this SAI.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board has adopted a Code of
Ethics. In addition, the Manager, investment subadviser(s) and Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics. The Codes of Ethics apply to access persons (generally, persons who have access to information about the
Fund's investment program) and permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. However, the protective provisions of the Codes
of Ethics prohibit certain investments and limit such personnel from making investments during periods when the Fund is making such investments. The Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the
SEC.
APPENDIX I: PROXY VOTING
POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISER
PGIM, INC.
The policy of each of PGIM’s
asset management units is to vote proxies in the best interests of their respective clients based on the clients’ priorities. Client interests are placed ahead of any potential interest of PGIM or its asset
management units.
Because the various asset
management units manage distinct classes of assets with differing management styles, some units will consider each proxy on its individual merits while other units may adopt a pre‐determined set of voting
guidelines. The specific voting approach of each unit is noted below.
Relevant members of management and
regulatory personnel oversee the proxy voting process and monitor potential conflicts of interest. In addition, should the need arise, senior members of management, as advised by Compliance and Law, are authorized to
address any proxy matter involving an actual or apparent conflict of interest that cannot be resolved at the level of an individual asset management business unit.
VOTING APPROACH OF PGIM ASSET
MANAGEMENT UNITS
PGIM Fixed Income. PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Fixed Income’s policy is to vote proxies in the best economic interest of its clients. In the case of pooled accounts, the policy is
to vote proxies in the best economic interest of the pooled account. The proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines
reflect PGIM Fixed Income’s judgment of how to further the best economic interest of its clients through the shareholder or debt-holder voting process.
PGIM Fixed Income invests primarily
in debt securities, thus there are few traditional proxies voted by it. PGIM Fixed Income generally votes with management on routine matters such as the appointment of accountants or the election of directors. From
time to time, ballot issues arise that are not addressed by the policy or circumstances may suggest a vote not in accordance with the established guidelines. In these cases, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case
basis by the applicable portfolio manager taking into consideration the
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 68
potential economic impact of the proposal. If a
security is held in multiple accounts and two or more portfolio managers are not in agreement with respect to a particular vote, PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting committee will determine the vote. Not all
ballots are received by PGIM Fixed Income in advance of voting deadlines, but when ballots are received in a timely fashion, PGIM Fixed Income strives to meet its voting obligations. It cannot, however, guarantee that
every proxy will be voted prior to its deadline.
With respect to non-US holdings,
PGIM Fixed Income takes into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair its ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse economic consequences. PGIM Fixed Income
generally votes non-US securities on a best efforts basis if it determines that voting is in the best economic interest of its clients.
Occasionally, a conflict of
interest may arise in connection with proxy voting. For example, the issuer of the securities being voted may also be a client of PGIM Fixed Income. When PGIM Fixed Income identifies an actual or potential conflict of
interest between the firm and its clients with respect to proxy voting, the matter is presented to senior management who will resolve such issue in consultation with the compliance and legal departments.
Any client may obtain a copy of
PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures, as well as the proxy voting records for that client’s securities, by contacting the client service representative responsible for the
client’s account.
PGIM Real Estate. PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Real Estate's proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders.
These guidelines reflect PGIM Real Estate's judgment of how to further the best long-range economic interest of our clients (i.e. the mutual interest of clients in seeing the appreciation in value of a common
investment over time) through the shareholder voting process. PGIM Real Estate’s policy is generally to vote proxies on social or political issues on a case by case basis. Additionally, where issues are not
addressed by our policy, or when circumstances suggest a vote not in accordance with our established guidelines, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the potential economic
impact of the proposal. With respect to international holdings, we take into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair our ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse
economic consequences, and generally vote foreign securities on a best efforts basis in accordance with the recommendations of the issuer's management if we determine that voting is in the best economic interest of
our clients.
PGIM Real Estate utilizes the
services of a third party proxy voting facilitator, and upon receipt of proxies will direct the voting facilitator to vote in a manner consistent with PGIM Real Estate's established proxy voting guidelines described
above (assuming timely receipt of proxy materials from issuers and custodians). In accordance with its obligations under the Advisers Act, PGIM Real Estate provides full disclosure of its proxy voting policy,
guidelines and procedures to its clients upon their request, and will also provide to any client, upon request, the proxy voting records for that client's securities.
APPENDIX II: DESCRIPTIONS OF
SECURITY RATINGS
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.
(MOODY'S)
Debt Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest
payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower
than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the
long-term risks appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are
considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate
for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative
characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very
moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any
long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment
standing.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers
1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating category from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer is in the higher end of its letter rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; the modifier 3
indicates that the issuer is in the lower end of the letter ranking category.
Short-Term Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are
opinions of the ability of issuers to honor senior financial obligations and contracts. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of
the following characteristics:
■
| Leading market positions in well-established industries.
|
■
| High rates of return on funds employed.
|
■
| Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.
|
■
| Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.
|
■
| Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
|
PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This normally will be evidenced by many of the characteristics
cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external
conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 70
MIG 1: This designation denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for
refinancing.
MIG 2: This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS
SERVICES (S&P)
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the
obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the
obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment
on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
Plus (+) or Minus (–): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Commercial Paper Ratings
A-1: This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus
sign (+) designation.
A-2: Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.
Notes Ratings
An S&P notes rating reflects the
liquidity factors and market risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a notes rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The
following criteria will be used in making that assessment.
■
| Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note.
|
■
| Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
|
Note rating symbols are as
follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
FITCH RATINGS LTD.
International Long-Term Credit
Ratings
AAA: Highest Credit Quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not
significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be
more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but
adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.
BB: Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial
alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B: Highly Speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for
continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC, CC, C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating
indicates that default of some kind appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.
International Short-Term Credit
Ratings
F1: Highest Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit
feature.
F2: Good Credit Quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3: Fair Credit Quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
B: Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic investment.
Plus (+) or Minus (–): Plus or minus signs may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA long-term rating category, to categories
below CCC, or to short-term ratings other than F1.
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund 72
PGIM INVESTMENTS | Bringing
you the investment managers of Prudential Financial, Inc.
PRUDENTIAL
GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
STATEMENT
OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | April 26, 2017
This Statement
of Additional Information (SAI) of Prudential Government Income Fund (the “Fund”) is not a prospectus and should be
read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Fund dated April 26, 2017. This SAI has been incorporated by reference into the
Fund’s Prospectus. The Prospectus can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 225-1852 or by writing to Prudential
Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940. This SAI has been incorporated by reference into each Fund’s
current Prospectus.
Prudential
Government Income Fund is a series of Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 has one other series, Prudential
Floating Rate Income Fund, which is currently offered pursuant to a separate prospectus and a separate SAI. The information presented
in this SAI applies only to Prudential Government Income Fund.
The
Fund's audited financial statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Fund’s 2017 Annual Report (File No.
811-03712). You may request a copy of the Annual Report at no charge by calling (800) 225-1852 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Eastern time on any business day.
PRUDENTIAL GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND |
A: PGVAX |
B: PBGPX |
C: PRICX |
Q: PGIQX |
R: JDRVX |
Z: PGVZX |
|
|
|
To
enroll in e-delivery, go to pgiminvestments.com/edelivery
MF128B
Table of Contents
3 |
PART I |
3 |
INTRODUCTION |
3 |
GLOSSARY |
4 |
FUND CLASSIFICATION, INVESTMENT Objectives & POLICIES |
4 |
INVESTMENT RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS |
24 |
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS |
27 |
INFORMATION ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS |
34 |
MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS |
40 |
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS |
40 |
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES |
44 |
COMPUTATION OF OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE |
44 |
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS & BROKERAGE |
46 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
47 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS |
48 |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
49 |
PART II |
49 |
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES |
54 |
NET ASSET VALUE |
55 |
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES |
58 |
TAXES, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
65 |
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS |
67 |
PROXY VOTING |
68 |
CODES OF ETHICS |
68 |
APPENDIX I: PROXY VOTING POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISER |
70 |
APPENDIX II: DESCRIPTIONS OF SECURITY RATINGS |
Table
of Contents
PART I
INTRODUCTION
This
SAI sets forth information about Prudential Government Income Fund (the Fund), which is one of the mutual funds which together
comprise Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 is an open-end management investment company. It provides information
about certain of the securities, instruments, policies and strategies that are used by the Fund in seeking to achieve its objective.
This SAI also provides additional information about PIP 14’s Board of Directors, the advisory services provided to and the
management fees paid by the Fund, information about other fees paid by and services provided to the Fund, and other information.
Information
about PIP 14’s other series, which is Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, is set forth in a separate prospectus and a separate
SAI.
Before
reading the SAI, you should consult the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI:
GLOSSARY
Term |
Definition |
ADR |
American Depositary Receipt |
ADS |
American Depositary Share |
Board |
Fund’s Board of Directors or Trustees |
Board Member |
A trustee or director of the Fund’s Board |
CEA |
Commodity Exchange Act, as amended |
CFTC |
US Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
Code |
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
CMO |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation |
ETF |
Exchange-Traded Fund |
EDR |
European Depositary Receipt |
Fannie Mae |
Federal National Mortgage Association |
FDIC |
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
Fitch |
Fitch Ratings, Inc. |
Freddie Mac |
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation |
GDR |
Global Depositary Receipt |
Ginnie Mae |
Government National Mortgage Association |
IPO |
Initial Public Offering |
IRS |
Internal Revenue Service |
1933 Act |
Securities Act of 1933, as amended |
1934 Act |
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended |
1940 Act |
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended |
1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions |
Exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations, collectively |
LIBOR |
London Interbank Offered Rate |
Manager or PGIM Investments |
PGIM Investments LLC |
Moody’s |
Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. |
NASDAQ |
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System |
NAV |
Net Asset Value |
NRSRO |
Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization |
NYSE |
New York Stock Exchange |
OTC |
Over the Counter |
Prudential |
Prudential Financial, Inc. |
PMFS |
Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC |
REIT |
Real Estate Investment Trust |
3
Table
of Contents
Term |
Definition |
RIC |
Regulated Investment Company, as the term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
S&P |
Standard & Poor’s Corporation |
SEC |
US Securities & Exchange Commission |
World Bank |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
FUND
CLASSIFICATION, INVESTMENT Objectives & POLICIES
The
investment objective of Prudential Government Income Fund is to seek high current return. Prudential Government Income Fund is
diversified. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
The
following section discusses certain types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use, including explanations
of these investments and investment strategies, as well as the risks and considerations associated with these investments and investment
strategies. The Fund also may invest from time to time in certain types of investments and investment strategies that are not discussed
below. In seeking to achieve its objectives, the Fund may from time to time also use the securities, instruments, policies and
non-principal strategies that are further described in the following section. Certain of the investments and investment strategies
discussed in the following section are subject to the limitations set forth below.
Consistent
with its objective, the Fund seeks investments that provide investors with a current return in excess of the Fund’s benchmark.
The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective of high current return primarily by investing in US Government securities,
including US Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, strips and other debt securities issued by the US Treasury, and obligations including
mortgage-related securities, issued or guaranteed by US Government agencies or instrumentalities. These guarantees apply only to
the payment of principal and interest on these securities and do not extend to the securities' yield or value, which are likely
to vary with fluctuations in interest rates, nor do the guarantees extend to the yield or value of the Fund's shares. Some of the
US Government securities and mortgage-related securities in which the Fund will invest are guaranteed by the US Government, while
securities issued by other government entities that may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, in which the Fund may invest,
are not guaranteed by the United States and must rely on their own resources to repay the debt. The Fund will also write covered
call options and covered put options and purchase put and call options, for purposes of hedging and/or improving the Fund's returns..
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the investable assets of the Fund will be invested in US Government securities. The
term “investable assets” in this SAI refers to the Fund's net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes. The
Fund's investable assets will be less than its total assets to the extent that it has borrowed money for non-investment purposes,
such as to meet anticipated redemptions. US Government securities which are purchased pursuant to repurchase agreements or on a
when-issued or delayed-delivery basis will be treated as US Government securities for purposes of this calculation.
High
current return means the return received from interest income from US Government and other debt securities and from net gains realized
from sales of portfolio securities. The Fund may also realize income from premiums from covered put and call options written by
the Fund on US Government securities as well as options on futures contracts on US Government securities, options on securities
indexes and net gains from closing purchase and sales transactions with respect to these options. The writing of options on US
Government securities, options on futures contracts on US Government securities and options on securities indexes may limit the
Fund's potential for capital gains on its portfolio.
Most,
if not all, of the Fund’s debt securities are “investment-grade.” This means major rating services, like S&P
or Moody’s, have rated the securities within one of their four highest quality grades. Debt obligations in the fourth highest
grade are regarded as investment-grade, but have speculative characteristics and are riskier than higher rated securities. A rating
is an assessment of the likelihood of timely repayment of interest and principal and can be useful when comparing different debt
obligations. These ratings are not a guarantee of quality. The opinions of the rating agencies do not reflect market risk and they
may at times lag behind the current financial conditions of an issuer. The Fund also may invest in obligations that are not rated,
but that the investment subadviser believes are of comparable quality to the obligations described above. In the event that a security
receives different ratings from different NRSROs, the Fund will treat the security as being rated in the highest rating category
received from an NRSRO. A description of securities ratings is an appendix to this SAI.
INVESTMENT
RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Set
forth below are descriptions of some of the types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use and the risks
and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please also see the Prospectus of the Fund and
the “Fund Classification, Investment Objective & Policies” section of this SAI.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 4
Table
of Contents
ASSET-BACKED
SECURITIES. Asset-backed securities directly or indirectly represent a participation interest
in, or are secured by and payable from, a stream of payments generated by particular assets such as motor vehicle or credit card
receivables. Payments of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter
of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the entities issuing the securities. Asset-backed securities may
be classified as pass-through certificates or collateralized obligations.
Pass-through
certificates are asset-backed securities which represent an undivided fractional ownership interest in an underlying pool of assets.
Pass-through certificates usually provide for payments of principal and interest received to be passed through to their holders,
usually after deduction for certain costs and expenses incurred in administering the pool. Because pass-through certificates represent
an ownership interest in the underlying assets, the holders thereof bear directly the risk of any defaults by the obligors on the
underlying assets not covered by any credit support.
Asset-backed
securities issued in the form of debt instruments include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized
loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is a trust which is often backed by a diversified
pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income
securities such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related
securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans,
which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans,
including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. CBOs and CLOs may charge management fees
and administrative expenses.
For
CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The
riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and
serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially
protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their
underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can
experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance
of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.
The
risks of an investment in a CBO or CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument
in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs and CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities
laws. As a result, investments in CBOs and CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer
market may exist for CBOs and CLOs, allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated
with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Fund’s Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default
risk), CBOs and CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral
securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the possibility that the quality of the collateral may
decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that the Fund may invest in CBOs or CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and
(iv) the risk that the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce
disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
ASSET-BASED
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt, preferred or convertible securities, the principal amount,
redemption terms or conversion terms of which are related to the market price of some natural resource asset such as gold bullion.
These securities are referred to as “asset-based securities.” Unless otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund
will purchase asset-based securities only if they are rated, or are issued by issuers that have outstanding debt obligations rated
investment grade (i.e., AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or Fitch or Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody’s or commercial paper rated A-1
by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s) or of issuers that the subadviser has determined to be of similar creditworthiness. Obligations
ranked in the fourth highest rating category, while considered “investment grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics.
If the asset-based security is backed by a bank letter of credit or other similar facility, the subadviser may take such backing
into account in determining the creditworthiness of the issuer. While the market prices for an asset-based security and the related
natural resource asset generally are expected to move in the same direction, there may not be perfect correlation in the two price
movements. Asset-based securities may not be secured by a security interest in or claim on the underlying natural resource assets
and do not represent an interest in the referenced assets. Certain asset-based securities may be illiquid.
The
asset-based securities in which the Fund may invest may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively
nominal) rates. As an example, assume gold is selling at a market price of $300 per ounce and an issuer sells a $1,000 face amount
gold-related note with a seven-year maturity, payable at maturity at the greater of either $1,000 in cash or the then market price
of three ounces of gold. If at maturity, the market price of gold is $400 per ounce, the amount payable on the note would be $1,200.
Certain asset-based securities may be payable at maturity in cash at the stated principal amount or, at the option of the holder,
directly in a
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stated amount of
the asset to which it is related. In such instance, because the Fund does not presently intend to invest directly in natural resource
assets, the Fund may sell the asset-based security in the secondary market, to the extent one exists, prior to maturity if the
value of the stated amount of the asset exceeds the stated principal amount and thereby realize the appreciation in the underlying
asset.
BORROWING
AND LEVERAGE. Unless noted otherwise, the Fund may borrow up to 33 1⁄3%
of the value of its total assets (calculated at the time of the borrowing). The Fund may pledge up to 33 1⁄3%
of its total assets to secure these borrowings. If the Fund’s asset coverage for borrowings falls below 300%, the Fund will
take prompt action to reduce borrowings. If the Fund borrows to invest in securities, any investment gains made on the securities
in excess of interest paid on the borrowing will cause the NAV of the shares to rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On
the other hand, if the investment performance of the additional securities purchased fails to cover their cost (including any interest
paid on the money borrowed) to the Fund, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will decrease faster than would otherwise be the case.
This is the speculative factor known as “leverage.” In addition, the Fund may use certain investment management techniques
(collectively, “effective leverage”), such as certain derivatives, that may provide leverage and are not subject to
the borrowing limitation noted above.
The
Fund may borrow from time to time, at the discretion of the subadviser, to take advantage of investment opportunities, when yields
on available investments exceed interest rates and other expenses of related borrowing, or when, in the subadviser's opinion, unusual
market conditions otherwise make it advantageous for the Fund to increase its investment capacity. The Fund will only borrow when
there is an expectation that it will benefit the Fund after taking into account considerations such as interest income and possible
losses upon liquidation. Borrowing by the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income but, at the same time, creates risks,
including the fact that leverage may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the yield on the Fund. Unless otherwise
stated, the Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase agreements.
CERTIFICATES
OF DEPOSIT. The FDIC, an independent agency of the US Government, provides deposit insurance
on all types of deposits, including certificates of deposit, received at an FDIC-insured bank or savings association (“insured
depository institutions”) up to applicable limits. The standard deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor (including
principal and accrued interest) for each insurable capacity of such depositor, per insured depository institution, which is backed
by the full faith and credit of the US Government. All of a depositor’s deposits in the same insurable capacity at the same
insured depository institution are aggregated for purposes of the $250,000 insurance limit, including deposits held directly in
the depositor’s name and for the depositor’s benefit by intermediaries. Any amounts in excess of the $250,000 deposit
insurance limit may be uninsured.
CORPORATE
LOANS. Commercial banks and other financial institutions make loans to companies that need capital
to grow or restructure (“corporate loans”). Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at rates that change
in response to changes in market interest rates such as the LIBOR or the prime rate of US banks. As a result, the value of corporate
loan investments is generally responsive to shifts in market interest rates. Because the trading market for corporate loans is
less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, the Fund may experience difficulties from time to time in selling
its corporate loans. Borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations. Leading financial institutions
often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a “syndicate.” The syndicate's agent arranges
the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems,
the Fund may not recover its investment, or there might be a delay in the Fund’s recovery. By investing in a corporate loan,
the Fund becomes a member of the syndicate.
As
in the case of junk bonds, the corporate loans in which the Fund may invest can be expected to provide higher yields than higher-rated
fixed-income securities but may be subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest. There are, however, some significant
differences between corporate loans and junk bonds. Corporate loans are frequently secured by pledges of liens and security interests
in the assets of the borrower, and the holders of corporate loans are frequently the beneficiaries of debt service subordination
provisions imposed on the borrower's bondholders. These arrangements are designed to give corporate loan investors preferential
treatment over junk bond investors in the event of a deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer. Even when these arrangements
exist, however, there can be no assurance that the principal and interest owed on the corporate loans will be repaid in full. Corporate
loans generally bear interest at rates set at a margin above a generally recognized base lending rate that may fluctuate on a day-to-day
basis, in the case of the prime rate of a US bank, or that may be adjusted on set dates, typically 30 days but generally not more
than one year, in the case of LIBOR. Consequently, the value of corporate loans held by the Fund may be expected to fluctuate significantly
less than the value of fixed rate junk bond instruments as a result of changes in the interest rate environment. On the other hand,
the secondary dealer market for corporate loans is not as well developed as the secondary dealer market for junk bonds, and therefore
presents increased market risk relating to liquidity and pricing concerns.
The
Fund may acquire interests in corporate loans by means of a novation, assignment or participation. In a novation, the Fund would
succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a contracting party under the credit agreement
with respect to the debt obligation. As an alternative, the Fund may purchase an assignment, in which case the Fund may be required
to rely
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on the assigning
institution to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower but would otherwise typically be entitled to all of such
assigning institution's rights under the credit agreement. Participation interests in a portion of a debt obligation typically
result in a contractual relationship only with the institution selling the participation interest and not with the borrower. In
purchasing a loan participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of
the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting
the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the
borrower and the institution selling the participation to the Fund.
The
Fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans (whether through
participations, assignments or otherwise) will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by the
Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan because of a default, bankruptcy or any other reason would adversely
affect the income of the Fund and would likely reduce the value of its assets. Even with loans secured by collateral, there is
the risk that the value of the collateral may decline, may be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower, or be difficult
to liquidate. In the event of a default, the Fund may have difficulty collecting on any collateral and would not have the ability
to collect on any collateral for an uncollateralized loan. Further, the Fund’s access to collateral, if any, may be limited
by bankruptcy laws. Due to the nature of the private syndication of senior loans, including, for example, lack of publicly-available
information, some senior loans are not as easily purchased or sold as publicly-traded securities. In addition, loan participations
generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell loan participations in secondary
markets. As a result, it may be difficult for the Fund to value loans or sell loans at an acceptable price when it wants to sell
them. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures
and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual
market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund’s ability
to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in the Prospectus. In some instances, loans and loan participations
are not rated by independent credit rating agencies; in such instances, a decision by the Fund to invest in a particular loan or
loan participation could depend exclusively on the investment subadviser’s credit analysis of the borrower, or in the case
of a loan participation, of the intermediary holding the portion of the loan that the Fund has purchased. To the extent the Fund
invests in loans of non-US issuers, the risks of investing in non-US issuers are applicable.
Loans
may not be considered to be “securities” and as a result may not benefit from the protections of the federal securities
laws, including anti-fraud protections and those with respect to the use of material non-public information, so that purchasers,
such as the Fund, may not have the benefit of these protections. If the Fund is in possession of material non-public information
about a borrower as a result of its investment in such borrower’s loan, the Fund may not be able to enter into a transaction
with respect to a publicly-traded security of the borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
CUSTODIAL
RECEIPTS. Obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the US Government,
foreign governments or semi-governmental entities may be acquired by the Fund in the form of custodial receipts that evidence ownership
of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain notes or bonds. Typically, custodial receipts have their unmatured
interest coupons separated (“stripped”) by their holder. Having separated the interest coupons from the underlying
principal of the government securities, the holder will resell the stripped securities in custodial receipt programs with a number
of different names, including “Treasury Income Growth Receipts” (“TIGRs”) and “Certificate of Accrual
on Treasury Securities” (“CATS”). The stripped coupons are sold separately from the underlying principal, which
is usually sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security
and does not receive any rights to periodic interest (cash) payments. CATS and TIGRs are not considered US Government securities
by the staff of the SEC. Such notes and bonds are held in custody by a bank or a brokerage firm on behalf of the owners.
CYBER
SECURITY RISK. With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in
particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security
and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate
or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and occurrences. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations
and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data
transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability,
integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate
cyber attacks can include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or
disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing operational disruptions. Cyber
attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service
attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external
actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result
in the destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
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Cyber
security failures or breaches, whether deliberate or unintentional, arising from the Fund’s third-party service providers
(e.g., custodians, financial intermediaries, transfer agents), subadviser, shareholder usage of unsecure systems to access personal
accounts, as well as breaches suffered by the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may cause significant disruptions
in the business operations of the Fund. Potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses for the
Fund and the issuers’ securities, the inability of shareholders to conduct transactions with the Fund, an inability of the
Fund to calculate NAV, and disclosures of personal or confidential shareholder information.
In
addition to direct impacts on Fund shareholders, cyber security failures by the Fund and/or its service providers and others may
result in regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs to the Fund, and reputational
damage. The Fund may incur reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional
compliance costs. The Fund may also incur considerable expenses in enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security
following a cyber security failure.
The
rapid proliferation of technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists,
and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. Although the Fund and its service providers and subadviser
may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate cyber security risks, there can be no guarantee
or assurance that such plans or systems will be effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been
completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control or assure the efficacy
of the cyber security plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the subadviser, and the issuers in which
the Fund invests.
DEBT
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as bonds, that involve credit risk.
This is the risk that the issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. The degree of credit risk depends on
the issuer's financial condition and on the terms of the bonds. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception
of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. Credit risk is reduced
to the extent the Fund invests its assets in US Government securities. All debt securities, however, are subject to interest rate
risk. This is the risk that the value of the security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities
with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities.
The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk since the US Federal Reserve Board has ended its quantitative easing
program and may continue to raise rates. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply or in a
manner not anticipated by the subadviser.
DEPOSITARY
RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary
Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated
in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. ADRs and ADSs are receipts or shares typically
issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs
are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. GDRs are receipts issued throughout the world that
evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs and ADSs, in registered form, are designed for use in the US securities markets,
and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and
in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.
The
Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose
material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there
may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts are generally
subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted or exchanged.
DERIVATIVES.
The Fund may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from
another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500
Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed
more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes.
The Fund may also use derivatives to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking
to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. When the Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes,
the Fund will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative's cost.
The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that the Fund would be prohibited by its investment
restrictions from purchasing directly.
A
discussion of the risk factors relating to derivatives is set out in the sub-section entitled “Risk Factors Involving Derivatives.”
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HEDGING.
Hedging is a strategy in which a derivative or security is used to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. Losses
on the other investment may be substantially reduced by gains on a derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements.
While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a different manner
than anticipated by the Fund or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Hedging also involves the risk
that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged as expected by the Fund, in which
case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may be increased. The inability to close options and futures
positions also could have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to hedge effectively its portfolio. There is also a risk
of loss by the Fund of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position
in an option, a futures contract or a related option.
There
can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging strategies will be effective or that hedging transactions will be available to
the Fund. The Fund is not required to engage in hedging transactions and the Fund may choose not to do so from time to time.
INDEXED
AND INVERSE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based
on an index or interest rate. As an illustration, the Fund may invest in a security whose value is based on changes in a specific
index or that pays interest based on the current value of an interest rate index, such as the prime rate. The Fund may also invest
in a debt security that returns principal at maturity based on the level of a securities index or a basket of securities, or based
on the relative changes of two indices. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based inversely
on the change in an index or interest rate (that is, a security the value of which will move in the opposite direction of changes
to an index or interest rate). For example, the Fund may invest in securities that pay a higher rate of interest when a particular
index decreases and pay a lower rate of interest (or do not fully return principal) when the value of the index increases. Investing
in such securities may subject the Fund to reduced or eliminated interest payments or loss of principal in the event of an adverse
movement in the relevant interest rate, index or indices. Indexed and inverse securities may involve credit risk, and certain indexed
and inverse securities may involve leverage risk, liquidity risk and currency risk. The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse
securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging purposes, indexed and inverse securities
involve correlation risk. (Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of such an adverse
movement, the Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.)
SWAP
AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into swap transactions, including, but not limited to, equity,
interest rate, index, credit default, total return and, to the extent that it invests in foreign currency-denominated securities,
currency exchange rate swap agreements. In addition, the Fund may enter into options on swap agreements (swap options). These swap
transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at
a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return. Swap transactions
are a type of derivative. Derivatives are further discussed in the sub-sections entitled “Derivatives” and “Risk
Factors Involving Derivatives.”
Swap
agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction,
two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on or calculated with respect
to particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged
or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” that is,
the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a “basket”
of securities representing a particular index or other investments or instruments. Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund
would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently the Fund’s current
obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the
agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The
Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and
any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the segregation of liquid assets.
To
the extent that the Fund enters into swaps on other than a net basis, the segregated amount maintained will be the full amount
of the Fund’s obligations, if any, with respect to such swaps, accrued on a daily basis. Inasmuch as segregated accounts
are established for these hedging transactions, the subadviser and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities
and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions. If there is a default by the
other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction.
Since swaps are individually negotiated, the Fund expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its rights to
receive a return on its portfolio securities and its rights and obligations to receive and pay a return pursuant to swaps. The
Fund will enter into swaps only with counterparties meeting certain creditworthiness standards (generally, such counterparties
would have to be eligible counterparties under the terms of the Fund’s repurchase agreement guidelines approved by the Board).
Some
swaps will be subject to mandatory or optional clearing through derivatives clearing organizations. While this is expected to better
protect collateral, margin and other applicable requirements may increase the financial and operational costs for such transactions.
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Recent
legislation requires certain swaps to be executed through a centralized exchange or regulated facility and be cleared through a
regulated clearinghouse. Although this clearing mechanism is generally expected to reduce counterparty credit risk, it may disrupt
or limit the swap market and may not result in swaps being easier to trade or value. As swaps become more standardized, the Fund
may not be able to enter into swaps that meet its investment needs. The Fund also may not be able to find a clearinghouse willing
to accept a swap for clearing. In a cleared swap, a central clearing organization will be the counterparty to the transaction.
The Fund will assume the risk that the clearinghouse may be unable to perform its obligations. The Fund will be required to maintain
its positions with a clearing organization through one or more clearing brokers. The clearing organization will require the Fund
to post margin and the broker may require the Fund to post additional margin to secure the Fund’s obligations. The amount
of margin required may change from time to time. In addition, cleared transactions may be more expensive to maintain than OTC transactions
and may require the Fund to deposit larger amounts of margin. The Fund may not be able to recover margin amounts if the broker
has financial difficulties. Also, the broker may require the Fund to terminate a derivatives position under certain circumstances.
This may cause the Fund to lose money.
CREDIT
DEFAULT SWAP AGREEMENTS AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may enter into credit default
swap agreements and similar agreements. The credit default swap agreement or similar instrument may have as reference obligations
one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract
may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract
provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally
must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable
obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount,
if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit
event occurs, the Fund recovers nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the
buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations
of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an up-front payment or a fixed
rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the
seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of
the reference entity that may have little or no value.
Credit
default swaps and similar instruments involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly,
since, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund will
enter into credit default swap agreements and similar instruments only with counterparties that are rated investment grade quality
by at least one credit rating agency at the time of entering into such transaction or whose creditworthiness is believed by the
subadviser to be equivalent to such rating. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by
the seller, coupled with the up-front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays
to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund. When acting as a seller of a credit default swap or a similar instrument,
the Fund is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage since, if a credit event occurs, the seller may be required to pay the
buyer the full notional value of the contract net of any amounts owed by the buyer related to its delivery of deliverable obligations.
TOTAL
RETURN SWAP AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into total return swap agreements. Total return
swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying
assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return
for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return
swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security
or market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its
total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return swap agreements
entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Fund thereunder. Swap agreements also bear the risk
that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps
on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net
amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect
to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of cash or liquid instruments having an aggregate NAV
at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated by the Fund. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other
than a net basis, the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the
Fund’s obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities
under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment,
plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement.
Segregation
and other requirements pertaining to total return swap agreements are subject to change in the event of future changes in applicable
laws or regulations. It is possible that any such changes in laws or regulations could require modifications to the operation of
the Fund.
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OPTIONS
ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDEXES.
TYPES
OF OPTIONS. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets
of securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rate (an “index”), such as an index of
the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges
and in OTC markets. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the
parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options
is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer
and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to greater credit risk. OTC options also
involve greater liquidity risk. See “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.”
CALL
OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments in
which it may invest. A call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying security at
the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options
are similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at
a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the
level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.
The
Fund may only write (i.e., sell) covered call options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest and enter into closing
purchase transactions with respect to certain of such options, provided such options are “covered,” as defined herein.
A covered call option is an option in which the Fund owns the underlying security or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire
that security, without additional consideration (or for additional consideration held in a segregated account by its custodian),
upon conversion or exchange of other securities currently held in its portfolio or with respect to which the Fund holds cash or
other liquid assets segregated within the Fund’s account at the custodian or in a separate segregation account at the custodian.
The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than
would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, the Fund gives up the opportunity, while the option
is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, the Fund’s
ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase
transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting
purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has written. Covered call options also serve as a partial
hedge to the extent of the premium received against a decline in the price of the underlying security. Also, with respect to call
options written by the Fund that are covered only by segregated portfolio securities, the Fund is exposed to the risk of loss equal
to the amount by which the price of the underlying securities rises above the exercise price.
PUT
OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of
its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell such underlying securities or
instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities
or instruments until the put option expires. The amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments
will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration,
a put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received
is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels
out the Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the
expiration of the option it has purchased. The Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
The
Fund may write (i.e., sell) put options on the types of securities or instruments that may be held by the Fund, provided that such
put options are covered (as described above, covered options are secured by cash or other liquid assets held in a segregated account
or the referenced security). The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return.
FUTURES.
The Fund may engage in transactions in futures and options thereon. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts which obligate
a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified
price. No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Rather, upon purchasing or selling a futures contract the Fund is
required to deposit collateral (“margin”) equal to a percentage (generally less than 10%) of the contract value. Each
day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the Fund will pay additional margin representing any loss experienced as a
result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the
futures position the prior day. Futures involve substantial leverage risk.
The
sale of a futures contract limits the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated
with the futures contract prior to the futures contract's expiration date. In the event the market value of the portfolio holdings
correlated with the futures contract increases rather than decreases, however, the Fund will realize a loss on the futures position
and a lower return on the portfolio holdings than would have been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.
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The
purchase of a futures contract may protect the Fund from having to pay more for securities as a consequence of increases in the
market value for such securities during a period when the Fund was attempting to identify specific securities in which to invest
in a market the Fund believes to be attractive. In the event that such securities decline in value or the Fund determines not to
complete an anticipatory hedge transaction relating to a futures contract, however, the Fund may realize a loss relating to the
futures position.
The
Fund is also authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts including financial futures and stock indices
in connection with its hedging activities. Generally, these strategies would be used under the same market and market sector conditions
(i.e., conditions relating to specific types of investments) in which the Fund entered into futures transactions. The Fund may
purchase put options or write (i.e., sell) call options on futures contracts and stock indices rather than selling the underlying
futures contract in anticipation of a decrease in the market value of its securities. Similarly, the Fund can purchase call options,
or write put options on futures contracts and stock indices, as a substitute for the purchase of such futures to hedge against
the increased cost resulting from an increase in the market value of securities which the Fund intends to purchase.
The
Fund may only write “covered” put and call options on futures contracts. The Fund will be considered “covered”
with respect to a call option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns the assets that are deliverable under the futures
contract or an option to purchase that futures contract having a strike price equal to or less than the strike price of the “covered”
option and having an expiration date not earlier than the expiration date of the “covered” option, or if it holds segregated
in an account with its custodian for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to the mark-to-market
value of the futures contract on which the option was written. The Fund will be considered “covered” with respect to
a put option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns an option to sell that futures contract having a strike price equal
to or greater than the strike price of the “covered” option, or if the Fund holds segregated in an account with its
custodian for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to the exercise price of the put (less
any initial margin deposited by the Fund with its futures custody manager or as otherwise permitted by applicable law with respect
to such option). There is no limitation on the amount of the Fund’s assets that can be segregated. Segregation requirements
may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable
to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close out a derivatives position at a disadvantageous time or price.
Segregation requirements may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when
it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close out a derivatives position
at a disadvantageous time or price.
The
Manager has filed a notice of exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund under
CFTC Rule 4.5 and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation with respect to the Fund under the CEA. In order for
the Manager to claim exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA, the Fund is limited
in its ability to trade instruments subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction, including commodity futures (which include futures
on broad-based securities indexes, interest rate futures and currency futures), options on commodity futures, certain swaps or
other investments (whether directly or indirectly through investments in other investment vehicles). Under this exclusion, the
Fund must satisfy one of the following two trading limitations whenever it enters into a new commodity trading position: (1) the
aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in CFTC-regulated instruments may not exceed
5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any
such investments); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time the most recent position
was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits
and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Fund would not be required to consider its exposure to such instruments if they
were held for “bona fide hedging” purposes, as such term is defined in the rules of the CFTC. In addition to meeting
one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading
in the markets for CFTC-regulated instruments.
FOREIGN
EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may engage in spot and forward foreign exchange transactions
and currency swaps, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures and related options thereon
(collectively, Currency Instruments) for purposes of hedging against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio
holdings are denominated against the US dollar or to seek to enhance returns. Such transactions could be effected with respect
to hedges on non-US dollar denominated securities owned by the Fund, sold by the Fund but not yet delivered, or committed or anticipated
to be purchased by the Fund.
As
an illustration, the Fund may use such techniques to hedge the stated value in US dollars of an investment in a yen-denominated
security. In such circumstances, for example, the Fund may purchase a foreign currency put option enabling the Fund to sell a specified
amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date. To the extent the hedge is successful, a loss in the value of
the yen relative to the dollar will tend to be offset by an increase in the value of the put option. To offset, in whole or in
part, the cost of acquiring such a put option, the Fund may also sell a call option which, if exercised, requires the Fund to sell
a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date (a technique called a “straddle”). By selling
such a call option in this illustration, the Fund gives up
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the opportunity
to profit without limit from increases in the relative value of the yen to the dollar. Straddles of the type that may be used by
the Fund are considered to constitute hedging transactions and are consistent with the policies described above. The Fund will
not attempt to hedge all of its foreign portfolio positions.
FORWARD
FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS. Forward foreign exchange transactions are OTC contracts
to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at
the time of the contract. Spot foreign exchange transactions are similar but require current, rather than future, settlement. The
Fund will enter into foreign exchange transactions for purposes of hedging either a specific transaction or a portfolio position,
or to seek to enhance returns. The Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a specific transaction
by, for example, purchasing a currency needed to settle a security transaction or selling a currency in which the Fund has received
or anticipates receiving a dividend or distribution.
The
Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a portfolio position by selling forward a currency in
which a portfolio position of the Fund is denominated or by purchasing a currency in which the Fund anticipates acquiring a portfolio
position in the near future. The Fund may also hedge portfolio positions through currency swaps, which are transactions in which
one currency is simultaneously bought for a second currency on a spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward basis.
Forward foreign exchange transactions involve substantial currency risk, and also involve credit and liquidity risk.
CURRENCY
FUTURES. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value
of a currency through use of currency futures or options thereon. Currency futures are similar to forward foreign exchange transactions
except that futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts. See the sub-section entitled “Futures.” Currency futures
involve substantial currency risk, and also involve leverage risk.
CURRENCY
OPTIONS. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value
of a currency against the US dollar through the use of currency options. Currency options are similar to options on securities,
but in consideration for an option premium the writer of a currency option is obligated to sell (in the case of a call option)
or purchase (in the case of a put option) a specified amount of a specified currency on or before the expiration date for a specified
amount of another currency. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on currencies either on exchanges or OTC markets. See
“Types of Options” and “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives”
in this SAI. Currency options involve substantial currency risk, and may also involve credit, leverage or liquidity risk.
JUNK
BONDS. Junk bonds are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by a NRSRO or are
unrated securities that the subadviser believes are of comparable quality. Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest
than investment grade bonds, they are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. The major
risks of junk bond investments include the following:
■ |
Junk bonds are issued by less creditworthy issuers. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer's economic condition and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing. |
■ |
The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt obligations. |
■ |
Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations. |
■ |
Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income. |
■ |
Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities. |
■ |
Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market. |
■ |
The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer. |
LIMITATIONS
ON CURRENCY HEDGING. The Fund may use currency hedging instruments to seek to enhance
returns. Accordingly, the Fund will not hedge a currency in excess of the aggregate market value of the securities that it owns
(including receivables for unsettled securities sales), or has committed to or anticipates purchasing, which are denominated in
such currency. This limitation does not prohibit the Fund from obtaining long or short exposure to a currency for non-hedging purposes.
The Fund may, however, hedge a currency by entering into a transaction in a Currency Instrument denominated in a currency other
than the currency being hedged (a “cross-hedge”). The Fund will only enter into a cross-hedge if the subadviser believes
that (i) there is a demonstrable high correlation
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between the currency
in which the cross-hedge is denominated and the currency being hedged, and (ii) executing a cross-hedge through the currency in
which the cross-hedge is denominated will be significantly more cost-effective or provide substantially greater liquidity than
executing a similar hedging transaction by means of the currency being hedged.
RISK
FACTORS IN HEDGING FOREIGN CURRENCY. Hedging transactions involving Currency Instruments have
substantial risks, including correlation risk. While the Fund’s use of Currency Instruments to effect hedging strategies
is intended to reduce the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s shares, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate.
Moreover, although Currency Instruments will be used with the intention of hedging against adverse currency movements, transactions
in Currency Instruments involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that the Fund’s
hedging strategies will be ineffective. To the extent that the Fund hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur,
the Fund may realize losses and decrease its total return as the result of its hedging transactions. Furthermore, the Fund will
only engage in hedging activities from time to time and may not be engaging in hedging activities when movements in currency exchange
rates occur.
In
connection with its trading in forward foreign currency contracts, the Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a
foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are
no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets
in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward
contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy
and that at which it is prepared to sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading.
With respect to its trading of forward contracts, if any, the Fund will be subject to the risk of bank or dealer failure and the
inability of, or refusal by, a bank or dealer to perform with respect to such contracts. Any such default would deprive the Fund
of any profit potential or force the Fund to cover its commitments for resale, if any, at the then market price and could result
in a loss to the Fund.
It
may not be possible for the Fund to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, even if correctly anticipated, in the event
that (i) the currency exchange rate movement is so generally anticipated that the Fund is not able to enter into a hedging transaction
at an effective price, or (ii) the currency exchange rate movement relates to a market with respect to which Currency Instruments
are not available and it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging. The cost to the Fund of engaging in foreign
currency transactions varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions
then prevailing. Since transactions in foreign currency exchange usually are conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions
are involved.
RISK
FACTORS INVOLVING DERIVATIVES. Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:
Counterparty
Risk—the risk that the counterparty on a derivative transaction will be unable to honor
its financial obligation to the Fund.
Currency
Risk—the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect
the value (in US dollar terms) of an investment.
Leverage
Risk—the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (such as
borrowing money to increase the amount of investments) that relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the
value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed
the amount originally invested.
Liquidity
Risk—the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time
that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently worth.
Regulatory
Risk—the risk that new regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their
availability, or may otherwise affect their value or performance. In December 2015, the SEC proposed a new rule that would change
the regulation of the use of derivatives by regulated investment companies. If adopted as proposed, the rule could require changes
to the Fund’s use of derivatives.
The
use of derivatives for hedging purposes involves correlation risk. If the value of the derivative moves more or less than the value
of the hedged instruments, the Fund will experience a gain or loss that will not be completely offset by movements in the value
of the hedged instruments.
The
Fund intends to enter into transactions involving derivatives only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such instruments
or, in the case of illiquid instruments traded in OTC transactions, such instruments satisfy the criteria set forth below under
“Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.” However, there can be no
assurance that, at any specific time, either a liquid secondary market will exist for a derivative or the Fund will otherwise be
able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may therefore not be possible to close a position in a derivative without
incurring substantial losses, if at all.
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Certain
transactions in derivatives (such as futures transactions or sales of put options) involve substantial leverage risk and may expose
the Fund to potential losses, which exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. When the Fund engages in such a transaction,
the Fund will deposit in a segregated account at its custodian liquid securities or cash and cash equivalents with a value at least
equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the
SEC). Such segregation will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction,
but will not limit the Fund’s exposure to loss.
ADDITIONAL
RISK FACTORS OF OTC TRANSACTIONS; LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF OTC DERIVATIVES. Certain derivatives
traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, certain swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity risk. The absence
of liquidity may make it difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable price. The absence
of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The Fund will, therefore,
acquire illiquid OTC instruments (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at
which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the subadviser anticipates the Fund can receive on each business
day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer's
quotation may be used.
Because
derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment
of margin, to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparties,
the Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor their obligations. The Fund will attempt
to minimize the risk that a counterparty will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations by engaging in transactions
in derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that appear to have substantial capital or that have provided
the Fund with a third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.
FOREIGN
INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest in foreign equity and/or debt securities. Foreign debt securities
include certain foreign bank obligations and US dollar or foreign currency-denominated obligations of foreign governments or their
subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, international agencies and supranational entities.
Foreign
Market Risk. Foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than if the Fund
invests only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently
from securities in the United States. However, such investments involve special risks not present in US investments that can increase
the chances that the Fund will lose money. In particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer
investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell
securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in
the United States.
Foreign
Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that
of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance
of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable
to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international
trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely
affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation
of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial
restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect
security prices, impair the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or
income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations. Other foreign market risks include
foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing
favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain
foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries.
Currency
Risk and Exchange Risk. Securities in which the Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in
currencies other than the US dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.
Generally, when the US dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because
the currency is worth fewer US dollars. Conversely, when the US dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security
denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more US dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency
risk,” means that a stronger US dollar will reduce returns for US investors while a weak US dollar will increase those returns.
Governmental
Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate
stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less rigorously than the United States. Some countries may not have laws to
protect investors comparable to the US securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider
trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company's securities based on nonpublic information about that company.
Accounting
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standards in other
countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as
much detail as US accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company's
financial condition.
Certain
Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States. The Fund generally holds its foreign
securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently
organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations.
Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository
or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell
and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets
reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund
as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States.
Settlement
Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from
those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays
in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of US investments. Communications between the
United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security
certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions;
these problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling
a purchase of securities, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain assets may be uninvested with no return
earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling a sale of securities, the Fund may lose
money if the value of the security then declines or, if there is a contract to sell the security to another party, the Fund could
be liable to that party for any losses incurred.
Dividends
or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thereby reducing
the amount available for distribution to shareholders.
RECENT
EVENTS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic
and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure,
their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions
have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their
ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset
values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and beyond Europe. Responses to the financial problems
by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social
unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings
by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations
around the world. In addition, the United Kingdom has voted to withdraw from the European Union, and one or more other countries
may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the euro, the common currency of the European Union. The impact of these actions,
especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching. Whether or not the Fund
invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events
could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments.
ILLIQUID
OR RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities that lack an established secondary
trading market or otherwise are considered illiquid. Liquidity of a security relates to the ability to dispose easily of the security
and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be less than would be obtained for a comparable more liquid
security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments. Investment of the Fund’s
assets in illiquid securities may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for a
fair price as well as its ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly
acute where the Fund’s operations require cash, such as when the Fund redeems shares or pays dividends, and could result
in the Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments. The
Fund may invest in securities that are not registered (restricted securities) under the 1933 Act. The Fund is subject to a maximum
of 15% of net assets invested in illiquid securities.
Restricted
securities may be sold in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither listed on an exchange
nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely transferable under the laws
of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence of a public trading market,
privately placed securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To the extent that
privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity,
could be less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities
are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that may be applicable
if their securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by the Fund are required to be registered under
the securities laws of one or more
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jurisdictions before
being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of the Fund’s investments in private
placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may involve greater
risks. These issuers may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may be dependent on a limited management
group. In making investments in such securities, the Fund may obtain access to material nonpublic information, which may restrict
the Fund’s ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.
The
Fund may purchase restricted securities that can be offered and sold to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule
144A under the 1933 Act. The Board has determined to treat as liquid Rule 144A securities that are either freely tradable in their
primary markets offshore or have been determined to be liquid in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board.
The Board has adopted guidelines and delegated to the Manager the daily function of determining and monitoring liquidity of restricted
securities. The Board, however, will retain sufficient oversight and be ultimately responsible for the determinations. Since it
is not possible to predict with assurance exactly how the market for restricted securities sold and offered under Rule 144A will
continue to develop, the Board will carefully monitor the Fund’s investments in these securities. This investment practice
could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become
for a time uninterested in purchasing these securities.
INVESTMENT
IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including ETFs.
In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment companies.
In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company
and not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities of any single investment company.
Notwithstanding
the limits discussed above, the Fund may invest in other investment companies without regard to the limits set forth above provided
that the Fund complies with Rules 12d1-1, 12d1-2 and 12d1-3 promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act or otherwise permitted by
the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
As
with other investments, investments in other investment companies are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the
Fund acquires shares in other investment companies, shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund
(including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, their proportionate shares of the expenses of such investment companies
(including management and advisory fees).
LIQUIDITY
PUTS OR CALLS. The Fund may purchase a permissible instrument or investment together with the
right to resell or purchase the instruments at an agreed-upon price or yield within a specified period prior to the maturity date
of the instruments. Such a right to resell is commonly known as a put, and such a right to purchase is commonly known as a call.
The aggregate price which the Fund pays for instruments with puts or calls may be higher than the price which otherwise would be
paid for the instruments. The purpose of this practice is to permit the Fund to be fully invested while preserving the necessary
liquidity to meet unusually large redemptions and to purchase at a later date securities other than those subject to the put. The
Fund may choose to exercise puts during periods in which proceeds from sales of its shares and from recent sales of portfolio securities
are insufficient to meet redemption requests or when the funds available are otherwise allocated for investment. The Fund may choose
to exercise calls during periods in which funds are available for investment. In determining whether to exercise puts or calls
prior to their expiration date and in selecting which puts or calls to exercise in such circumstances, the subadviser considers,
among other things, the amount of cash available to the Fund, the expiration dates of the available puts or calls, any future commitments
for securities purchases, the yield, quality and maturity dates of the underlying securities, alternative investment opportunities
and the desirability of retaining the underlying securities in the Fund.
MONEY
MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may invest in money market instruments. Money market instruments
include cash equivalents and short-term obligations of US banks, non-US government securities, certificates of deposit and short-term
obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government or its agencies. Money market instruments also include bankers' acceptances,
commercial paper, certificates of deposit and Eurodollar obligations issued or guaranteed by bank holding companies in the US,
their subsidiaries and non-US branches, by non-US banking institutions, and by the World Bank and other multinational instrumentalities,
as well as commercial paper and other short-term obligations of, and variable amount master demand notes, variable rate notes and
funding agreements issued by, US and non-US corporations.
MORTGAGE-BACKED
SECURITIES. Investing in mortgage-backed securities involves certain unique risks in addition
to those generally associated with investing in fixed-income securities and in the real estate industry in general. These unique
risks include the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes
and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Mortgage-backed securities are “pass-through” securities, meaning
that principal and interest payments made by the borrower on the underlying mortgages are passed through to the Fund. The value
of mortgage-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed-income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and
decreases when interest rates rise. However, mortgage-backed securities differ from traditional fixed-income securities because
of their potential for prepayment without penalty. The price paid by the Fund for its mortgage-backed securities, the yield the
Fund expects to receive from such securities and the average life
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of the securities
are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying mortgages. In a period of declining
interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying mortgages more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity
and the average life of the mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these
circumstances, the likely rate of interest received will be lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid.
Mortgage-backed
securities, including CMOs, can be collateralized by either fixed-rate mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgage
securities are collateralized by fixed-rate mortgages and tend to have high prepayment rates when the level of prevailing interest
rates declines significantly below the interest rates on the mortgages. Thus, under those circumstances, the securities are generally
less sensitive to interest rate movements than lower coupon fixed-rate mortgages. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage
loans or private mortgage pass-through securities, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through
securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
Generally,
adjustable rate mortgage securities (ARMs) have a specified maturity date and amortize principal over their life. In periods of
declining interest rates, there is a reasonable likelihood that ARMs will experience increased rates of prepayment of principal.
However, the major difference between ARMs and fixed-rate mortgage securities (FRMs) is that the interest rate and the rate of
amortization of principal of ARMs can and do change in accordance with movements in a particular, pre-specified, published interest
rate index. The amount of interest on an ARM is calculated by adding a specified amount, the “margin,” to the index,
subject to limitations on the maximum and minimum interest that is charged during the life of the mortgage or to maximum and minimum
changes to that interest rate during a given period.
The
underlying mortgages which collateralize the ARMs in which the Fund invests will frequently have caps and floors which limit the
maximum amount by which the loan rate to the residential borrower may change up or down (1) per reset or adjustment interval and
(2) over the life of the loan. Some residential mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower's
monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization.
To
the extent that the Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and principal prepayments may
result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled payments of
principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which,
when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the
underlying mortgages may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively
change a security that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Since long-term
securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities, maturity extension
risk could increase the inherent volatility of the Fund. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios, the Fund may fail
to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee.
Most
mortgage-backed securities are issued by federal government agencies such as Ginnie Mae, or by government sponsored enterprises
such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Principal and interest payments on mortgage-backed securities issued by the federal government
and some federal agencies, such as Ginnie Mae, are guaranteed by the federal government and backed by the full faith and credit
of the United States. Mortgage-backed securities issued by other government agencies or government sponsored enterprises are backed
only by the credit of the government agency or enterprise and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are authorized to borrow from the US Treasury to meet their obligations. Private mortgage-backed securities
are issued by private corporations rather than government agencies and are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.
Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac are stockholder-owned companies chartered by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee the securities
they issue as to timely payment of principal and interest, but such guarantee is not backed by the full faith and credit of the
United States. In September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship by their regulator, the Federal Housing
Finance Agency. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship, which remains ongoing as of the date of this SAI, will have on
the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Although the US Government has provided financial support to
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)
in the future.
The
Fund may purchase certain mortgage-backed securities, the underlying investments of which consist of loans issued and/or serviced
by an affiliated entity.
MUNICIPAL
SECURITIES. The Fund may, from time to time, invest in municipal bonds, which may be general
obligation or revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power
for the payment of principal and interest, whereas revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility
or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source.
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The
Fund may invest in municipal notes including tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes which are issued to obtain funds for various
public purposes. The Fund may invest in municipal asset-backed securities, which are debt obligations, often issued through a trust
or other investment vehicles that are backed by municipal debt obligations and accompanied by a liquidity facility. The Fund may
invest in municipal securities with the right to resell such securities to the seller at an agreed-upon price or yield within a
specified period prior to the maturity date. Such a right to resell is commonly referred to as a “put” or “tender
option.”
Municipal
securities include notes and bonds issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their
political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and the District of Columbia, the interest on which is generally eligible
for exclusion from federal income tax and, in certain instances, applicable state or local income and personal property taxes.
Interest from municipal securities received by the Fund will not be eligible from exclusion from federal income tax when distributed
to shareholders. Such securities are traded primarily in the OTC market.
The
interest rates payable on certain municipal bonds and municipal notes are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market
rates. Municipal bonds and notes of this type are called “variable rate” obligations. The interest rate payable on
a variable rate obligation is adjusted either at pre-designated intervals or whenever there is a change in the market rate of interest
on which the interest rate payable is based. Other features may include the right whereby the Fund may demand prepayment of the
principal amount of the obligation prior to its stated maturity (a demand feature) and the right of the issuer to prepay the principal
amount prior to maturity. The principal benefit of a variable rate obligation is that the interest rate adjustment minimizes changes
in the market value of the obligation. As a result, the purchase of variable rate obligations should enhance the ability of the
Fund to maintain a stable NAV per share and to sell an obligation prior to maturity at a price approximating the full principal
amount of the obligation.
Variable
rate securities provide for a specific periodic adjustment in the interest rate based on prevailing market rates and generally
would allow the Fund to demand payment of the obligation on short notice at par plus accrued interest, which amount may, at times,
be more or less than the amount the Fund paid for them.
An
inverse floater is a debt instrument with a floating or variable interest rate that moves in the opposite direction of the interest
rate on another security or the value of an index. Changes in the interest rate on the other security or index inversely affect
the residual interest rate paid on the inverse floater, with the result that the inverse floater's price will be considerably more
volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Generally, income from inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when short-term interest
rates increase, and will increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing investment
leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at
a rate that is a multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed-rate, long-term, tax-exempt securities increase or decrease
in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities generally will be more volatile than the market
values of fixed-rate tax-exempt securities.
REAL
ESTATE RELATED SECURITIES. Although the Fund may not invest directly in real estate, the Fund
may invest in securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry. Therefore, an investment by the Fund
is subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks
include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible
lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage;
market illiquidity; extended vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating
expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third
parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation
losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including
decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion;
and unfavorable changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying the Fund’s investments are concentrated geographically,
by property type or in certain other respects, the Fund may be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent.
Investments
by the Fund in securities of companies providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancings and
their impact on servicing rights. In addition, if the Fund receives rental income or income from the disposition of real property
acquired as a result of a default on securities the Fund owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Fund’s
ability to retain its federal income tax status as a RIC because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated
investment companies under the Code.
REPURCHASE
AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. The Fund will
enter into repurchase agreements only with parties meeting creditworthiness standards as set forth in the Fund’s repurchase
agreement procedures.
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Under
such agreements, the other party agrees, upon entering into the contract with the Fund, to repurchase the security at a mutually
agreed-upon time and price in a specified currency, thereby determining the yield during the term of the agreement. This results
in a fixed rate of return insulated from market fluctuations during such period, although such return may be affected by currency
fluctuations. In the case of repurchase agreements, the prices at which the trades are conducted do not reflect accrued interest
on the underlying obligation. Such agreements usually cover short periods, such as under one week. Repurchase agreements may be
construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser.
In
the case of a repurchase agreement, as a purchaser, the Fund will require all repurchase agreements to be fully collateralized
at all times by cash or other liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the resale price. The seller is required to provide
additional collateral if the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase price at any time during the term of the
repurchase agreement. In the event of default by the seller under a repurchase agreement construed to be a collateralized loan,
the underlying securities are not owned by the Fund but only constitute collateral for the seller's obligation to pay the repurchase
price. Therefore, the Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or possible losses in connection with disposition of the collateral.
The
Fund may participate in a joint repurchase agreement account with other investment companies managed by the Manager pursuant to
an order of the SEC. On a daily basis, any uninvested cash balances of the Fund may be aggregated with those of such investment
companies and invested in one or more repurchase agreements. The Fund participates in the income earned or accrued in the joint
account based on the percentage of its investment.
REVERSE
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND DOLLAR ROLLS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements.
A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio-eligible security by the Fund, coupled with its agreement to repurchase
the instrument at a specified time and price. See “Repurchase Agreements.” The Fund’s investments in these instruments
are subject to the Fund’s restrictions on borrowing.
The
Fund may enter into dollar rolls. In a dollar roll, the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously
contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date from the same party.
During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference
between the current sale price and the forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the
interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund will segregate cash or other liquid assets, marked to market
daily, having a value equal to the obligations of the Fund in respect of dollar rolls.
Dollar
rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities
sold by the Fund but which the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of securities under
a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted
pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase
the securities. Cash proceeds from dollar rolls may be invested in cash or other liquid assets.
SECURITIES
LENDING. Unless otherwise noted, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers
and other financial institutions subject to applicable regulatory requirements and guidance, including the requirements that: (1)
the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Fund; (2) the borrower
pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral consisting of cash having at all times a value of not less than 102% of the value
of the securities lent; and (3) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time. Securities Finance Trust Company
(eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund’s securities lending
program. As compensation for these services, eSecLending receives a portion of any amounts earned by the Fund through lending securities.
Cash
collateral is invested in an affiliated prime money market fund and will be subject to market depreciation or appreciation. The
Fund will be responsible for any loss that results from this investment of collateral. The affiliated prime money market fund in
which cash collateral is invested may impose liquidity fees or temporary gates on redemptions if its weekly liquid assets fall
below a designated threshold. If this were to occur, the Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated
prime money market fund, or the Fund may not be able to redeem its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated prime money
market fund, which might cause the Fund to liquidate other holdings in order to return the cash collateral to the borrower upon
termination of a securities loan. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
On
termination of the loan, the borrower is required to return the securities to the Fund, and any gain or loss in the market price
during the loan would inure to the Fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities lent because of insolvency
or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities lent or in gaining access to the collateral.
In such situations, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. There is a risk that
the value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment
is purchased.
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During
the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund an amount equivalent to any dividend or interest paid
on such securities. Voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower. However, all loans may be
terminated at any time to facilitate the exercise of voting or other consent rights with respect to matters considered to be material.
The Fund bears the risk that there may be a delay in the return of the securities which may impair the Fund’s ability to
exercise such rights.
SHORT
SALES AND SHORT SALES AGAINST-THE-BOX. The Fund may make short sales of securities, either as
a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Fund does
not own declines in value. Because making short sales in securities not owned by the Fund exposes the Fund to the risks associated
with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if the Fund makes short sales in securities
that increase in value, the Fund will likely underperform similar mutual funds that do not make short sales in securities they
do not own. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the
short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines
in price between those dates. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular
time or at a desired price. Although the Fund’s gain is limited to the price at which the Fund sold the security short, its
potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and
may, theoretically, be unlimited. There is also a risk that a borrowed security will need to be returned to the broker/dealer on
short notice. If the request for the return of a security occurs at a time when other short sellers of the security are receiving
similar requests, a “short squeeze” can occur, meaning that the Fund might be compelled, at the most disadvantageous
time, to replace the borrowed security with a security purchased on the open market, possibly at prices significantly in excess
of the proceeds received earlier.
The
Fund has a short position in the securities sold short until it delivers to the broker/dealer the securities sold, at which time
the Fund receives the proceeds of the sale. In addition, the Fund is required to pay to the broker/dealer the amount of any dividends
or interest paid on shares sold short. The Fund will normally close out a short position by purchasing on the open market and delivering
to the broker/dealer an equal amount of the securities sold short.
The
Fund may also make short sales against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Fund owns an equal amount
of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further consideration,
such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid
assets, in an amount equal to such consideration, must be segregated on the Fund’s records or with its Custodian.
SOVEREIGN
DEBT. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity
that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance
with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner
may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient
foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental
entity's policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject.
Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others
abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and
others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on the implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and
the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance
or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend funds to the
governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to timely service its debts. Consequently, governmental
entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of
such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. In the event of a default by a governmental entity, there may be
few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt.
STRIPPED
SECURITIES. Stripped securities are created when the issuer separates the interest and principal
components of an instrument and sells them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled to receive the interest
payments on the underlying assets (the interest only or “IO” security) and the other to receive the principal payments
(the principal only or “PO” security). Some stripped securities may receive a combination of interest and principal
payments. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are sensitive to the expected or anticipated rate of principal payments (including
prepayments) on the related underlying assets, and principal payments may have a material effect on yield to maturity. If the underlying
assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs.
Conversely, if the underlying assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be adversely
affected. Stripped securities may be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and rates of prepayment.
STRUCTURED
NOTES / STRUCTURED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in structured notes and other types of structured
securities, including participation notes, structured notes, low exercise price warrants and other related instruments. These securities
are generally privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest or value of the structured security is
determined by reference to
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the performance
of a specific asset, benchmark asset, market or interest rate (“reference instrument”). Issuers of structured
securities include corporations and banks. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may increase
or decrease, depending upon changes in the value of the reference instrument. The terms of a structured security may provide that,
in certain circumstances, no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, may result in a loss of invested capital by the Fund.
Receipt of the reference instrument is also, in certain circumstances, exchanged upon maturity of the security.
A
structured security may be positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate
may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate may increase
or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect
to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative)
in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile.
Additionally, caps can be placed on the amount of appreciation with regard to the reference instrument.
Structured
securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of
the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price
than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. The secondary market for structured securities could be illiquid,
making them difficult to sell when the Fund determines to sell them. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for structured
securities and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell a structured security could expose the Fund to losses and could make
structured securities more difficult for the Fund to value accurately.
In
addition, because structured securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness
of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the counterparty's creditworthiness
deteriorates.
SUPRANATIONAL
ENTITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities of supranational entities. Examples include
the World Bank, the European Steel and Coal Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The
government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and in
many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings.
TEMPORARY
DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS. The Fund may temporarily invest without limit
in money market instruments, including commercial paper of US corporations, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other
obligations of domestic banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities,
as part of a temporary defensive strategy.
The
Fund may invest in money market instruments to maintain appropriate liquidity to meet anticipated redemptions. Money market instruments
typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. The Fund also may temporarily hold cash or
invest in money market instruments pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or during periods of portfolio
restructuring.
WHEN-ISSUED
SECURITIES, DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS. The Fund may purchase or sell
securities that the Fund is entitled to receive on a when-issued basis. The Fund may also purchase or sell securities on a delayed
delivery basis or through a forward commitment. These transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund at an
established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The Fund enters into these transactions to obtain what
is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. The Fund has not established any
limit on the percentage of its assets that may be committed in connection with these transactions. When the Fund purchases securities
in these transactions, the Fund segregates liquid securities in an amount equal to the amount of its purchase commitments.
There
can be no assurance that a security purchased on a when-issued basis will be issued or that a security purchased or sold through
a forward commitment will be delivered. The value of securities in these transactions on the delivery date may be more or less
than the Fund’s purchase price. The Fund may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security in these transactions
and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period.
US
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in adjustable rate and fixed rate US Government securities.
US Government securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by the US Treasury or by an agency or instrumentality of the US Government.
US Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or the Fund’s shares. Not all US Government
securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency.
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US
Treasury securities include bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities issued by the US Treasury. These instruments are direct
obligations of the US Government and, as such, are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They differ primarily
in their interest rates, the lengths of their maturities and the dates of their issuances.
Securities
issued by agencies of the US Government or instrumentalities of the US Government, including those which are guaranteed by Federal
agencies or instrumentalities, may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Obligations of Ginnie
Mae, the Farmers Home Administration and the Small Business Administration are backed by the full faith and credit of the United
States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Fund must look principally
to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United
States if the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments.
The
Fund may also invest in component parts of US Government securities, namely either the corpus (principal) of such obligations or
one or more of the interest payments scheduled to be paid on such obligations. These obligations may take the form of (1) obligations
from which the interest coupons have been stripped; (2) the interest coupons that are stripped; (3) book-entries at a Federal Reserve
member bank representing ownership of obligation components; or (4) receipts evidencing the component parts (corpus or coupons)
of US Government obligations that have not actually been stripped. Such receipts evidence ownership of component parts of US Government
obligations (corpus or coupons) purchased by a third party (typically an investment banking firm) and held on behalf of the third
party in physical or book-entry form by a major commercial bank or trust company pursuant to a custody agreement with the third
party. The Fund may also invest in custodial receipts held by a third party that are not US Government securities.
ZERO
COUPON SECURITIES, PAY-IN-KIND SECURITIES AND DEFERRED PAYMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest
in zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest
payments are not made during the life of the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will
accrue and compound over the period until maturity on the particular interest payment date at a rate of interest reflecting the
market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the par value of the security.
While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom
income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. To the extent a distribution is paid, there may
be uncertainty about the source of the distribution. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments
is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life
of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions
at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest
at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations
during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation
increases the longer the period to maturity. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt
service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash. Because these
securities do not pay current cash income, their price can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate and an investment in these
securities generally has a greater potential for complete loss of principal and/or return than an investment in debt securities
that make periodic interest payments. Such investments are more vulnerable to the creditworthiness of the issuer and any other
parties upon which performance relies. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not obtain any return on its investment. These securities
may be subject to less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash interest
at regular intervals. The Fund accrues income with respect to these securities for federal income tax and accounting purposes prior
to the receipt of cash payments.
Pay-in-kind
securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled
to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Deferred payment securities are securities that remain a zero coupon security
until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals.
Pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of
adverse market conditions than comparable rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals.
In
addition to the above described risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred
payment securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less liquid. In
addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Fund’s investment exposure to these securities and their risks,
including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are held in the Fund’s portfolio. Further, to maintain
its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Fund is required to distribute income to its shareholders
and, consequently, may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate the cash, or
may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash to satisfy these distributions, as they relate to the distribution of phantom
income and the value of the paid-in-kind interest. The required distributions will result in an increase in the Fund’s exposure
to such securities.
23
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ADJUSTABLE
AND FLOATING RATE SECURITIES. Adjustable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic
adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations provide that interest rates are adjusted
periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may
be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as based on a change in the prime rate.
The
interest rate on a floating rate debt instrument (“floaters”) is a variable rate which is tied to another interest
rate, such as a corporate bond index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every
six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters may provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection
against rising interest rates, the Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well.
A
floater may be considered to be leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude
of the change in the index rate of interest. The higher degree of leverage inherent in some floaters is associated with greater
volatility in their market values.
Such
instruments may include variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary in addition to providing
for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. The absence of an active secondary market with respect to particular variable and
floating rate instruments could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a variable or floating rate note if the issuer defaulted
on its payment obligation or during periods that the Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights, and the Fund could, for
these or other reasons, suffer a loss with respect to such instruments.
INVESTMENT
RESTRICTIONS
The
Fund has adopted the restrictions listed below as fundamental policies. Under the 1940 Act, a fundamental policy is one that cannot
be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A “majority
of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” when used in this SAI, means the lesser of (i) 67% of the voting shares
represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares are present in person or represented by proxy
or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares.
The
Fund may not:
1.
Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, the Fund would fail to be a diversified company within the meaning of the
1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as each may be amended from time to time, except to the extent
that the Fund may be permitted to do so by exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations
(collectively, the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions).
2.
Issue senior securities or borrow money or pledge its assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
For purposes of this restriction, the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, reverse repurchase
agreements, dollar rolls, short sales, derivative and hedging transactions such as interest rate swap transactions, and collateral
arrangements with respect thereto, and transactions similar to any of the foregoing and collateral arrangements with respect thereto,
and obligations of the Fund to Directors pursuant to deferred compensation arrangements are not deemed to be a pledge of assets
or the issuance of a senior security.
3.
Buy or sell real estate, except that investment in securities of issuers that invest in real estate and investments in mortgage-backed
securities, mortgage participations or other instruments supported or secured by interests in real estate are not subject to this
limitation, and except that the Fund may exercise rights relating to such securities, including the right to enforce security interests
and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
4.
Buy or sell physical commodities or contracts involving physical commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell (i) derivative, hedging
and similar instruments such as financial futures contracts and options thereon, and (ii) securities or instruments backed by,
or the return from which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward currency exchange contracts, and the
Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold physical commodities
and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby
until they can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
5.
Act as underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be
an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
6.
Purchase any security if as a result more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having
their principal business activities in the same group of industries, except for defensive purposes, and except that this limitation
does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the US Government its agencies or instrumentalities.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 24
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7.
The Fund may make loans, including loans of assets of the Fund, repurchase agreements, trade claims, loan participations or similar
investments, or as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. The acquisition of bonds, debentures, other
debt securities or instruments, or participations or other interests therein and investments in government obligations, commercial
paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances or instruments similar to any of the foregoing will not be considered the
making of a loan, and is permitted if consistent with the Fund's investment objective.
For
purposes of Investment Restriction 1, the Fund will currently not purchase any security (other than obligations of the US Government,
its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result, with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets, (i) more than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets (determined at the time of investment) would be invested in securities of a single issuer and (ii) the
Fund would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its
total assets, the Fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund cannot change its classification
from diversified to non-diversified without shareholder approval.
With
respect to Investment Restriction 2 above, the 1940 Act permits the Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s
total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for
temporary purposes. (A Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing,
the 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, provided
that in the event that the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its borrowings
so that it meets the 300% asset coverage threshold within three days (not including Sundays and holidays). Asset coverage means
the ratio that the value of the Fund’s total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings,
bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.”
Borrowing, especially when used for leverage, may cause the value of the Fund’s shares to be more volatile than if the Fund
did not borrow. This is because borrowing tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s
portfolio holdings. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater gains, but also greater losses. To repay borrowings,
the Fund may have to sell securities at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Fund. There also are costs associated
with borrowing money, and these costs would offset and could eliminate the Fund’s net investment income in any given period.
Investment Restriction 2 will be interpreted to permit the Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered
to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered
to be borrowings are not subject to the policy. In addition, Investment Restriction 2 will be interpreted not to prevent collateral
arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, the posting of initial or variation
margin or the Fund’s deferred compensation arrangements with the Trustees.
Investment
Restriction 3 prohibits the Fund from buying or selling real estate. The Fund may invest in real estate-related companies, companies
whose businesses consist in whole or in part of investing in real estate, instruments (like mortgages and mortgage participations)
that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or REIT securities. The Fund may exercise rights relating to real estate
securities, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until
that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
Investment
Restriction 4 prohibits the Fund from buying or selling physical commodities (such as oil or grains) or contracts involving physical
commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell derivative, hedging and similar instruments such as financial futures contracts and
options thereon (such as futures or options on market indexes, currencies, interest rates or some other benchmark, and swap agreements)
and securities or instruments backed by, or the return from which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward
currency exchange contracts. In addition, the Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to enforce
security interests and to hold physical commodities and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund’s
ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby until they can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
Investment
Restriction 5 prohibits the Fund from acting as underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio
securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws. A Fund engaging in transactions involving
disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Under the 1933 Act, an underwriter
may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an issuer’s registration statement or prospectus. Securities purchased
from an issuer and not registered for sale under the 1933 Act are considered restricted securities. There may be a limited market
for these securities. If these securities are registered under the 1933 Act, they may then be eligible for sale but participating
in the sale may subject the seller to underwriter liability. These risks could apply to a Fund investing in restricted securities.
The Fund may purchase restricted securities without limit (except to the extent that restricted securities are subject to the limitation
on investment in illiquid securities).
For
purposes of Investment Restriction 6, the Fund utilizes the Bloomberg Barclays methodology of industry classifications.
25
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With
respect to Investment Restriction 6 relating to concentration, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration”
in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s total assets in one or more
issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It
is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. A fund that invests a significant percentage of its
total assets in a single industry may be particularly susceptible to adverse events affecting that industry and may be more risky
than a fund that does not concentrate in an industry. The policy in Investment Restriction 6 will be interpreted to refer to concentration
as that term may be interpreted from time to time. Investment without limit in securities of the US Government and its agencies
or instrumentalities is permitted by the restriction. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to
be members of any industry. In addition, although the Fund does not concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group
of industries, it may, for temporary defensive purposes, do so. If this occurs, the Fund would, on a temporary basis, be subject
to risks that may be unique or pronounced relating to a particular industry or group of industries. These risks could include greater
sensitivity to inflationary pressures or supply and demand for a particular product or service.
For
purposes of Investment Restriction 7, the Fund will currently lend up to 33 1⁄3%
of the value of its total assets.
With
respect to Investment Restriction 7, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations
currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations
or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement
to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC
frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) Investment Restriction 7 permits the Fund to lend its portfolio securities.
While lending securities may be a source of income to the Fund, as with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in
recovery or even loss of rights in the underlying securities should the borrower fail financially. Additionally, losses could result
from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that decline in value, default, or do not perform
as well as expected. Investment Restriction 5 also permits the Fund to make loans of money, including loans of money to other PGIM
Investments Funds pursuant to an SEC order for exemptive relief. Investment Restriction 7 will be interpreted not to prevent a
Fund from purchasing or investing in debt obligations and loans.
Whenever
any fundamental investment policy or investment restriction states a maximum percentage of the Fund's assets, it is intended that,
if the percentage limitation is met at the time the investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from changing total
asset values will not be considered a violation of such policy.
The
Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to
refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations and modifications of
or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a restriction provides that an investment
practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the restriction will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly
permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.
Although
not fundamental, the Fund has the following additional investment restrictions.
The
Fund may not:
1.
Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management.
2.
Invest in securities of other registered investment companies, except by purchases in the open market involving only customary
brokerage commissions and as a result of which not more than 10% of its total assets (determined at the time of investment) would
be invested in such securities, or except as part of a merger, consolidation or other acquisition.
In
addition, the Fund may not acquire securities of other investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on
subparagraph (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act so long as it is a fund in which one or more of the Prudential Asset
Allocation Funds (which are series of The Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc., Registration Nos. 33-61997; 811-7343) may invest.
3.
Purchase warrants if as a result the Fund would then have more than 5% of its total assets (determined at the time of investment)
invested in warrants.
The
Fund also follows the following additional non-fundamental investment policies:
■ |
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in privately issued asset-backed securities. |
■ |
Up to 20% of the Fund's investable assets may be committed to investments other than US Government securities. |
Prudential
Government Income Fund 26
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■ |
The Fund may, under normal circumstances, invest up to 20% of its investable assets in high-quality money market instruments, including commercial paper of domestic companies, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other obligations of domestic and foreign banks. |
■ |
The Fund may invest in foreign securities (including securities issued by foreign governments, supranational organizations, foreign branches of US banks, or non-governmental foreign issuers such as banks or corporations) denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies which may or may not be hedged to the US dollar, as long as such securities are rated at least single A by Moody's or S&P (or if unrated, of comparable quality in the subadviser’s judgment), and only if, after making that investment, all such investments would make up less than 10% of the Fund's investable assets (determined at the time of investment). |
■ |
The Fund will not enter into foreign currency forward contracts to purchase or sell currency if, as a result, the net market value of all such contracts exceeds 20% of the Fund's net assets. |
■ |
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its investable assets in zero coupon US Government securities. |
■ |
The Fund may engage in short sales up to 25% of net assets (determined at the time of the short sale), as well as short sales “against-the-box.” Short sales “against-the-box” are not subject to the 25% net asset limit. The Fund will cover short sales (other than short sales against-the-box) by segregating liquid assets on its records or with its custodian bank with a market value equal to the market value of the security sold short. |
■ |
The Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase agreements. |
■ |
The Fund's net obligations in respect of all swap agreements (i.e., the aggregate net amount owned by the Fund) is limited to 25% of its net assets. |
INFORMATION
ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS
Information
about Board Members and Officers of the Fund is set forth below. Board Members who are not deemed to be “interested persons”
of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Board Members.” Board Members who are deemed
to be “interested persons” of the Fund are referred to as “Interested Board Members.” The Board Members
are responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of the Fund and perform the various duties imposed on the directors
of investment companies by the 1940 Act. The Board in turn elects the Officers, who are responsible for administering the day-to-day
operations of the Fund.
Independent Board Members(1) |
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Ellen S. Alberding (59)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
President and Board Member, The Joyce Foundation (charitable foundation) (since 2002); Vice Chair, City Colleges of Chicago (community college system) (since 2011); Trustee, Skills for America’s Future (national initiative to connect employers to community colleges) (since 2011); Trustee, National Park Foundation (charitable foundation for national park system) (since 2009); Trustee, Economic Club of Chicago (since 2009). |
None. |
Kevin J. Bannon (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Retired; Managing Director (April 2008-May 2015) and Chief Investment Officer (October 2008-November 2013) of Highmount Capital LLC (registered investment adviser); formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (April 1993-August 2007) of Bank of New York Company; President (May 2003-May 2007) of BNY Hamilton Family of Mutual Funds. |
Director of Urstadt Biddle Properties (equity real estate investment trust) (since September 2008). |
Linda W. Bynoe (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
President and Chief Executive Officer (since March 1995) and formerly Chief Operating Officer (December 1989-February 1995) of Telemat Ltd. (management consulting); formerly Vice President (January 1985-June 1989) at Morgan Stanley & Co. (broker-dealer). |
Director of Simon Property Group, Inc. (retail real estate) (May 2003-May 2012); Director of Anixter International, Inc. (communication products distributor) (since January 2006); Director of Northern Trust Corporation (financial services) (since April 2006); Trustee of Equity Residential (residential real estate) (since December 2009). |
Keith F. Hartstein (60)
Board Member & Independent Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Retired; Member (since November 2014) of the Governing Council of the Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors); formerly President and Chief Executive Officer (2005-2012), Senior Vice President (2004-2005), Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing (1997-2004), and various executive management positions (1990-1997), John Hancock Funds, LLC (asset management); Chairman, Investment Company Institute’s Sales Force Marketing Committee (2003-2008). |
None. |
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (71)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Retired (since February 2005); formerly Senior Managing Director (July 2001-February 2005) of Bear Stearns & Co, Inc.; Global Partner, INVESCO (1999-2001); Managing Director and President of Salomon Brothers Asset Management (1989-1999). |
None. |
27
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Independent Board Members(1) |
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Richard A. Redeker (73)
Board Member & Independent Vice Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Retired Mutual Fund Senior Executive (47 years); Management Consultant; Director, Mutual Fund Directors Forum (since 2014); Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors)-Executive Committee, Chair of Policy Steering Committee, Governing Council. |
None. |
Stephen G. Stoneburn (73)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Chairman (since July 2011), President and Chief Executive Officer (since June 1996) of Frontline Medical Communications (publishing company); formerly President (June 1995-June 1996) of Argus Integrated Media, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Managing Director (January 1993-1995) of Cowles Business Media; Senior Vice President of Fairchild Publications, Inc. (1975-1989). |
None. |
Interested Board Members(1) |
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
Stuart S. Parker (54)
Board Member & President
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
President of PGIM Investments LLC (formerly known as Prudential Investments LLC) (since January 2012); Executive Vice President of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (since December 2012); Executive Vice President of Jennison Associates LLC and Head of Retail Distribution of PGIM Investments LLC (June 2005-December 2011). |
None. |
Scott E. Benjamin (43)
Board Member & Vice President
Portfolios Overseen: 88 |
Executive Vice President (since June 2009) of PGIM Investments LLC; Executive Vice President (June 2009-June 2012) and Vice President (since June 2012) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; Executive Vice President (since September 2009) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President of Product Development and Marketing, PGIM Investments (since February 2006); Vice President of Product Development and Product Management, Prudential Investments (2003-2006). |
None. |
Grace C. Torres*
(57)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 86 |
Retired; formerly Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the PGIM Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, Prudential Variable Contract Accounts and The Prudential Series Fund (1998-June 2014); Assistant Treasurer (March 1999-June 2014) and Senior Vice President (September 1999-June 2014) of PGIM Investments LLC; Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) and Vice President (June 2005-June 2014) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) of Prudential Annuities Advisory Services, Inc. |
Director (since July 2015) of Sun Bancorp, Inc. N.A. and Sun National Bank |
*
Note: Prior to her retirement in 2014, Ms. Torres was employed by PGIM Investments LLC. Due to her prior employment, she is considered
to be an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. Ms. Torres is a Non-Management Interested Board Member.
(1)
The year that each Board Member joined the Fund's Board is as follows:
Ellen S.
Alberding, 2013; Kevin J. Bannon, 2008; Linda W. Bynoe, 2005; Keith F. Hartstein, 2013; Michael S. Hyland, 2008; Richard A. Redeker,
1993; Stephen G. Stoneburn, 2003; Grace C. Torres, 2014; Stuart S. Parker, Board Member and President since 2012; Scott E. Benjamin,
Board Member since 2010 and Vice President since 2009.
Fund Officers(a) |
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Length of
Service as Fund Officer |
Raymond A. O’Hara (61)
Chief Legal Officer |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since July 2010) of Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential); Vice President (March 2011-Present) of Pruco Life Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey; Vice President and Corporate Counsel (March 2011-Present) of Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation; Chief Legal Officer of PGIM Investments LLC (since June 2012); Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since June 2012) and Corporate Counsel of AST Investment Services, Inc. (since June 2012); formerly Assistant Vice President and Corporate Counsel (September 2008-July 2010) of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.; formerly Associate (September 1980-December 1987) and Partner (January 1988–August 2008) of Blazzard & Hasenauer, P.C. (formerly, Blazzard, Grodd & Hasenauer, P.C.). |
Since 2012 |
Prudential
Government Income Fund 28
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Fund Officers(a) |
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
Length of
Service as Fund Officer |
Chad A. Earnst (42)
Chief Compliance Officer |
Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of PGIM Investments LLC; Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of the PGIM Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Income Fund, Inc., Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. and Prudential Jennison MLP Income Fund, Inc.; formerly Assistant Director (March 2010-August 2014) of the Asset Management Unit, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission; Assistant Regional Director (January 2010-August 2014), Branch Chief (June 2006–December 2009) and Senior Counsel (April 2003-May 2006) of the Miami Regional Office, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission. |
Since 2014 |
Deborah A. Docs (59)
Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2001) of Prudential; Vice President (since December 1996) and Assistant Secretary (since March 1999) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc. |
Since 2004 |
Jonathan D. Shain (58)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since August 1998) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since May 2001) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since February 2001) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc. |
Since 2005 |
Claudia DiGiacomo (42)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2005) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of PGIM Investments LLC (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004). |
Since 2005 |
Andrew R. French (54)
Assistant Secretary |
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since February 2010) of Prudential; formerly Director and Corporate Counsel (2006-2010) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC. |
Since 2006 |
Theresa C. Thompson (54)
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer |
Vice President, Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (since April 2004); and Director, Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (2001-2004). |
Since 2008 |
Charles H. Smith (43)
Anti-Money Laundering
Compliance Officer |
Vice President, Corporate Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering Unit (since January 2015) of Prudential; committee member of the American Council of Life Insurers Anti-Money Laundering and Critical Infrastructure Committee (since January 2016); formerly Global Head of Economic Sanctions Compliance at AIG Property Casualty (February 2007 – December 2014); Assistant Attorney General at the New York State Attorney General's Office, Division of Public Advocacy. (August 1998 —January 2007). |
Since 2016 |
M. Sadiq Peshimam (53)
Treasurer and Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer |
Vice President (since 2005) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Assistant Treasurer of funds in the Prudential Mutual Fund Complex (2006-2014). |
Since 2006 |
Peter Parrella (58)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2004-2007) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration; formerly Tax Manager at SSB Citi Fund Management LLC (1997-2004). |
Since 2007 |
Lana Lomuti (49)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2005-2007), within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration; formerly Assistant Treasurer (December 2007-February 2014) of The Greater China Fund, Inc. |
Since 2014 |
Linda McMullin (55)
Assistant Treasurer |
Vice President (since 2011) and Director (2008-2011) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration. |
Since 2014 |
Kelly A. Coyne (48)
Assistant Treasurer |
Director, Investment Operations of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since 2010). |
Since 2015 |
(a)
Excludes Mr. Parker and Mr. Benjamin, interested Board Members who also serve as President and Vice President, respectively.
Explanatory
Notes to Tables:
■ |
Board Members are deemed to be “Interested,” as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with PGIM Investments LLC and/or an affiliate of PGIM Investments LLC. |
■ |
Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Board Members and Officers is c/o PGIM Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. |
■ |
There is no set term of office for Board Members or Officers. The Board Members have adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Board Members on December 31 of the year in which they reach the age of 75. |
■ |
“Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the 1934 Act (that is, “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
■ |
“Portfolios Overseen” includes all investment companies managed by PGIM Investments LLC. The investment companies for which PGIM Investments LLC serves as manager include the PGIM Investments Mutual Funds, The Prudential Variable Contract Accounts, Target Mutual Funds, Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc. and the Advanced Series Trust. |
COMPENSATION
OF BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS. Pursuant to a management agreement with the Fund, the Manager
pays all compensation of Fund Officers and employees as well as the fees and expenses of all Interested Board Members.
29
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The
Fund pays each Independent Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member annual compensation in addition to certain out-of-pocket
expenses. Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members who serve on Board Committees may receive additional
compensation. The amount of annual compensation paid to each Independent Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member
may change as a result of the introduction of additional funds on whose Boards the Board Member may be asked to serve.
Independent
Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members may defer receipt of their fees pursuant to a deferred fee agreement
with the Fund. Under the terms of the agreement, the Fund accrues deferred Board Members' fees daily which, in turn, accrue interest
at a rate equivalent to the prevailing rate of 90-day US Treasury Bills at the beginning of each calendar quarter or at the daily
rate of return of any mutual fund managed by PGIM Investments chosen by the Board Member. Payment of the interest so accrued is
also deferred and becomes payable at the option of the Board Member. The obligation to make payments of deferred Board Members'
fees, together with interest thereon, is a general obligation of the Fund. The Fund does not have a retirement or pension plan
for Board Members.
The
following table sets forth the aggregate compensation paid by the Fund for the most recently completed fiscal year to the Independent
Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members for service on the Board, and the Board of any other investment company
in the Fund Complex for the most recently completed calendar year. Board Members and officers who are “interested persons”
of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) (with the exception of Non-Management Interested Board Members) do not receive compensation
from PGIM Investments-managed funds and therefore are not shown in the following table.
Compensation Received by Independent & Non-Management Interested Board Members |
Name |
Aggregate Fiscal Year
Compensation from Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from Fund
and Fund Complex for Most
Recent Calendar Year |
Ellen S. Alberding |
$2,177 |
None |
None |
$249,000 (32/88)* |
Kevin J. Bannon |
$2,147 |
None |
None |
$255,000 (32/88)* |
Linda W. Bynoe** |
$2,113 |
None |
None |
$243,000 (32/88)* |
Keith F. Hartstein** |
$2,170 |
None |
None |
$249,000 (32/88)* |
Michael S. Hyland |
$2,140 |
None |
None |
$255,000 (32/88)* |
Richard A. Redeker** |
$2,473 |
None |
None |
$313,000 (32/88)* |
Stephen G. Stoneburn** |
$2,090 |
None |
None |
$244,000 (32/88)* |
Grace C. Torres ‡ |
$1,947 |
None |
None |
$218,562 (30/86)* |
‡
Ms. Torres serves as a non-management Interested Board Member. Non-management Interested Board Members receive compensation
from the Fund for their service on the Board.
Explanatory
Notes to Board Member Compensation Table
* Compensation
relates to portfolios that were in existence for any period during 2016. Number of funds and portfolios represent those in existence
as of December 31, 2016, and excludes funds that have merged or liquidated during the year. Additionally, the number of funds and
portfolios includes those which are approved as of December 31, 2016, but may commence operations after that date. No compensation
is paid out from such funds/portfolios.
** Under
the deferred fee agreement for the PGIM Investments-managed funds, certain Board Members have elected to defer all or part of their
total compensation. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued during the calendar year ended December 31, 2016, including
investment results during the year on cumulative deferred fees, amounted to $64,545, $45,725, $(2,253), and $169,627 for Ms. Bynoe,
Mr. Hartstein, Mr. Redeker, and Mr. Stoneburn, respectively.
BOARD
COMMITTEES. The Board has established three standing committees in connection with Fund governance—Audit,
Nominating and Governance, and Investment. Information on the membership of each standing committee and its functions is set forth
below.
Audit
Committee: The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is not an “interested
person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in overseeing the
Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, accounting policies and procedures and other areas relating to the Fund's
auditing processes. The Audit Committee is responsible for pre-approving all audit services and any permitted non-audit services
to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm directly to the Fund. The Audit Committee is also responsible
for pre-approving permitted services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to (1) the Manager and
(2) any entity in a control relationship with the Manager that provides ongoing services to the Fund, provided that the engagement
of the independent registered public accounting firm relates directly to the operation and financial reporting of the Fund. The
scope of the Audit Committee's responsibilities is oversight. It is management's responsibility to maintain appropriate systems
for accounting and internal control and the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility to plan and carry out
an audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The number of Audit
Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 30
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The
membership of the Audit Committee is set forth below:
Kevin J. Bannon (Chair)
Michael S. Hyland, CFA
Richard A. Redeker
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Nominating
and Governance Committee: The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board is responsible
for nominating Board Members and making recommendations to the Board concerning Board composition, committee structure and governance,
director education, and governance practices. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee
is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The number of Nominating and Governance Committee meetings
held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below. The Nominating and Governance Committee
Charter is available on the Fund's website.
The
membership of the Nominating and Governance Committee is set forth below:
Linda W. Bynoe (Chair)
Ellen S. Alberding
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Richard A. Redeker (ex-officio)
Investment
Committees: The Board of each fund in the Prudential retail mutual funds complex has formed joint
committees to review the performance of each Fund in the Fund Complex. The Gibraltar Investment Committee reviews the performance
of each Fund that is subadvised by Jennison Associates LLC and Quantitative Management Associates LLC. The Dryden Investment Committee
reviews the performance of each Fund that is subadvised by PGIM Fixed Income and PGIM Real Estate (each of which is a business
unit of PGIM, Inc.). In addition, the Dryden Investment Committee reviews the performance of the closed-end funds. Each committee
meets at least four times per year and reports the results of its review to the full Board of each Fund at each regularly scheduled
Board meeting. Every Independent Board Member sits on one of the two committees. The Non-Management Interested Board Member sits
on one of the two committees.
The
number of Gibraltar Investment Committee or Dryden Investment Committee meetings, as applicable, held during the Fund's most recently
completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.
The
membership of the Gibraltar Investment Committee and the Dryden Investment Committee is set forth below:
Gibraltar Investment Committee
Ellen S. Alberding (Chair)
Kevin J. Bannon
Keith F. Hartstein
Richard A. Redeker
Dryden
Investment Committee
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (Chair)
Linda W. Bynoe
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Grace C. Torres
Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year) |
Audit Committee |
Nominating & Governance Committee |
Dryden Investment Committee |
5 |
3 |
3 |
LEADERSHIP
STRUCTURE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS. The Board is responsible for oversight of the
Fund. The Fund has engaged the Manager to manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board oversees the Manager and certain other
principal service providers in the operations of the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten members, seven of whom are Independent
Board Members. The Board meets in-person at regularly scheduled meetings four times throughout the year. In addition, the Board
Members may meet in-person or by telephone at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. As described above, the
Board has established three standing committees—Audit, Nominating and Governance, and Investment—and may establish
ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The Independent
Board Members have also engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities.
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The
Board is chaired by an Independent Board Member. As Chair, this Independent Board Member leads the Board in its activities. Also,
the Chair acts as a member or as an ex-officio member of each standing committee and any ad hoc committee of the Board. The Board
Members have determined that the Board's leadership and committee structure is appropriate because the Board believes it sets the
proper tone to the relationships between the Fund, on the one hand, and the Manager, the subadviser(s) and certain other principal
service providers, on the other, and facilitates the exercise of the Board's independent judgment in evaluating and managing the
relationships. In addition, the structure efficiently allocates responsibility among committees.
The
Board has concluded that, based on each Board Member's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis
and in combination with those of the other Board Members, each Board Member should serve as a Board Member. Among other attributes
common to all Board Members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them,
to interact effectively with the various service providers to the Fund, and to exercise reasonable business judgment in the performance
of their duties as Board Members. In addition, the Board has taken into account the actual service and commitment of the Board
Members during their tenure in concluding that each should continue to serve. A Board Member's ability to perform his or her duties
effectively may have been attained through a Board Member's educational background or professional training; business, consulting,
public service or academic positions; experience from service as a Board Member of the Fund, other funds in the Fund Complex, public
companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations; or other experiences. Set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific
experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Board Member that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve
as a Board Member.
Messrs.
Redeker and Stoneburn have each served as a Board Member of mutual funds in the Fund Complex for more than 15 years, including
as members and/or Chairs of various Board committees. Mr. Stoneburn has more than 30 years of experience as senior executive officer
of operating companies and/or as a director of public companies. Mr. Redeker has more than 50 years of experience as a senior executive
in the mutual fund industry. Ms. Bynoe has been a Board Member of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2005, having
served on the boards of other mutual fund complexes since 1993. She has worked in the financial services industry over 11 years,
has approximately 20 years of experience as a management consultant and serves as a Director of financial services and other complex
global corporations. Messrs. Bannon and Hyland joined the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex in 2008. Each has
held senior executive positions in the financial services industry, including serving as senior executives of asset management
firms, for over 17 years. Ms. Alberding and Mr. Hartstein joined the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex in 2013.
Ms. Alberding has 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector, including over 20 years as the president of a charitable foundation,
where she oversees multiple investment managers. Ms. Alberding also served as a Trustee of the Aon Funds from 2000 to 2003. Mr.
Hartstein has worked in the asset management industry for almost 30 years and served as a senior executive in an asset management
firm. Mr. Parker, who has served as an Interested Board Member and President of the Fund and the other funds in the Fund Complex
since 2012, is President, Chief Operating Officer and Officer-in-Charge of PGIM Investments and several of its affiliates that
provide services to the Fund and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2005. Mr. Benjamin, an Interested Board Member
of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2010, has served as a Vice President of the Fund and other funds in the Fund
Complex since 2009 and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2003. Ms. Torres, a Non-Management Interested Board
Member of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex, formerly served as Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
for the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex for 16 years and held senior positions with the Manager from 1999 to 2014. In
addition, Ms. Torres is a certified public accountant (CPA). Specific details about each Board Member's professional experience
appear in the professional biography tables, above.
Risk
Oversight. Investing in general and the operation of a mutual fund involve a variety of risks,
such as investment risk, compliance risk, and operational risk, among others. The Board oversees risk as part of its oversight
of the Fund. Risk oversight is addressed as part of various regular Board and committee activities. The Board, directly or through
its committees, reviews reports from among others, the Manager, subadvisers, the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer, the Fund's independent
registered public accounting firm, counsel, and internal auditors of the Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks
faced by the Fund and the risk management programs of the Manager and certain service providers. The actual day-to-day risk management
with respect to the Fund resides with the Manager and other service providers to the Fund. Although the risk management policies
of the Manager and the service providers are designed to be effective, those policies and their implementation vary among service
providers and over time, and there is no guarantee that they will be effective. Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified
or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are simply beyond any
control of the Fund or the Manager, its affiliates or other service providers.
Selection
of Board Member Nominees. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for considering
nominees for Board Members at such times as it considers electing new members to the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee
may consider recommendations by business and personal contacts of current Board Members, and by executive search firms which the
Committee may engage from time to time and will also consider shareholder recommendations. The Nominating and Governance Committee
has not established specific, minimum qualifications that it believes must be met by a nominee. In evaluating nominees, the Nominating
and
Prudential
Government Income Fund 32
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Governance Committee
considers, among other things, an individual's background, skills, and experience; whether the individual is an “interested
person” as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the individual would be deemed an “audit committee financial expert”
within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers whether the individual's background,
skills, and experience will complement the background, skills, and experience of other nominees and will contribute to the diversity
of the Board. There are no differences in the manner in which the Nominating and Governance Committee evaluates nominees for the
Board based on whether the nominee is recommended by a shareholder.
A
shareholder who wishes to recommend a board member for nomination should submit his or her recommendation in writing to the Chair
of the Board (Keith Hartstein) or the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee (Linda W. Bynoe), in either case in care
of the specified Fund(s), at 655 Broad Street, 17th
Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. At a minimum, the recommendation should include: the name, address and business, educational
and/or other pertinent background of the person being recommended; a statement concerning whether the person is an “interested
person” as defined in the 1940 Act; any other information that the Fund would be required to include in a proxy statement
concerning the person if he or she was nominated; and the name and address of the person submitting the recommendation, together
with the number of Fund shares held by such person and the period for which the shares have been held. The recommendation also
can include any additional information which the person submitting it believes would assist the Nominating and Governance Committee
in evaluating the recommendation.
Shareholders
should note that a person who owns securities issued by Prudential (the parent company of the Fund's Manager) would be deemed an
“interested person” under the 1940 Act. In addition, certain other relationships with Prudential or its subsidiaries,
with registered broker-dealers, or with the Fund's outside legal counsel may cause a person to be deemed an “interested person.”
Before the Nominating and Governance Committee decides to nominate an individual to the Board, Committee members and other Board
Members customarily interview the individual in person. In addition, the individual customarily is asked to complete a detailed
questionnaire which is designed to elicit information which must be disclosed under SEC and stock exchange rules and to determine
whether the individual is subject to any statutory disqualification from serving on the board of a registered investment company.
Share
Ownership. Information relating to each Board Member's Fund share ownership and in all registered
funds in the PGIM Investments-advised funds that are overseen by the respective Board Member as of the most recently completed
calendar year is set forth in the chart below.
Name |
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Board Member in Fund Complex |
Board Member Share Ownership: Independent Board Members |
Ellen S. Alberding |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Kevin J. Bannon |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Linda W. Bynoe |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Keith F. Hartstein |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Michael S. Hyland |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Richard A. Redeker |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Stephen G. Stoneburn |
Over $100,000 |
Over $100,000 |
Board Member Share Ownership: Interested Board Members |
Stuart S. Parker |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Scott E. Benjamin |
None |
Over $100,000 |
Grace C. Torres |
None |
Over $100,000 |
None
of the Independent Board Members, or any member of his/her immediate family, owned beneficially or of record any securities in
an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or
indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund
as of the most recently completed calendar year.
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Shareholder
Communications with Board Members. Shareholders can communicate directly with Board Members by
writing to the Chair of the Board, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th
Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Shareholders can communicate directly with an individual Board Member by writing to that
Board Member, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th
Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Such communications to the Board or individual Board Members are not screened before being
delivered to the addressee.
MANAGEMENT
& ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS
MANAGER.
The Manager’s address is 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. The Manager serves as manager to all of the other
investment companies that, together with the Fund, comprise the PGIM Investments mutual funds. See the Prospectus for more information
about PGIM Investments. As of February 28, 2017, the Manager served as the investment manager to all of the Prudential US and offshore
open-end investment companies, and as administrator to closed-end investment companies, with aggregate assets of approximately
$261.7 billion.
The
Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PIFM Holdco, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PGIM Holding Company LLC, which
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential. PMFS, an affiliate of PGIM Investments, serves as the transfer agent and dividend distribution
agent for the PGIM Investments mutual funds and, in addition, provides customer service, record keeping and management and administrative
services to qualified plans.
Pursuant
to a management agreement with PIP 14 on behalf of the Fund (the Management Agreement), PGIM Investments, subject to the supervision
of the Fund's Board and in conformity with the stated policies of the Fund, manages both the investment operations of the Fund
and the composition of the Fund's portfolio, including the purchase, retention, disposition and loan of securities and other assets.
In connection therewith, the Manager is obligated to keep certain books and records of the Fund. The Manager is authorized to enter
into subadvisory agreements for investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. The Manager will continue
to have responsibility for all investment advisory services performed pursuant to any such subadvisory agreements. PGIM Investments
will review the performance of the investment subadviser(s) and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the retention
of investment subadvisers and the renewal of contracts. The Manager also administers the Fund's corporate affairs and, in connection
therewith, furnishes the Fund with office facilities, together with those ordinary clerical and bookkeeping services which are
not being furnished by the Fund's custodian (the Custodian) and PMFS. The management services of PGIM Investments to the Fund are
not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and PGIM Investments is free to, and does, render management services
to others.
PGIM
Investments may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating
expenses of the Fund. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total return. These voluntary waivers may be terminated
at any time without notice. To the extent that PGIM Investments agrees to waive its fee or subsidize the Fund's expenses, it may
enter into a relationship agreement with the subadviser to share the economic impact of the fee waiver or expense subsidy.
In
connection with its management of the corporate affairs of the Fund, PGIM Investments bears the following expenses:
■ |
the salaries and expenses of all of its and the Fund's personnel except the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members; |
■ |
all expenses incurred by the Manager or the Fund in connection with managing the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, other than those assumed by the Fund as described below; and |
■ |
the fees, costs and expenses payable to any investment subadviser pursuant to a subadvisory agreement between PGIM Investments and such investment subadviser. |
Under
the terms of the Management Agreement, the Fund is responsible for the payment of the following expenses:
■ |
the fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets payable to the Manager; |
■ |
the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members; |
■ |
the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian and transfer and dividend disbursing agent, including the cost of providing records to the Manager in connection with its obligation of maintaining required records of the Fund and of pricing the Fund's shares; |
■ |
the charges and expenses of the Fund's legal counsel and independent auditors and of legal counsel to the Independent Board Members; |
■ |
brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with securities (and futures, if applicable) transactions; |
■ |
all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies; |
■ |
the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a member; |
■ |
the cost of share certificates representing, and/or non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing, shares of the Fund; |
■ |
the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and omissions insurance; |
Prudential
Government Income Fund 34
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■ |
the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of Fund shares with the SEC and paying notice filing fees under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes; allocable communications expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses of shareholders' and Board meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices to shareholders; and |
■ |
litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business and distribution and service (12b-1) fees. |
The
Management Agreement provides that PGIM Investments will not be liable for any error of judgment by PGIM Investments or for any
loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from
a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be
limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance,
bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties. The Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically
if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by either PGIM Investments or the Fund
by the Board or vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) upon not more
than 60 days', nor less than 30 days', written notice. The Management Agreement will continue in effect for a period of more than
two years from the date of execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance
with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Fees
payable under the Management Agreement are computed daily and paid monthly. The applicable fee rate and the management fees received
by PGIM Investments from the Fund for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below.
Management
Fee Rate
Prudential Government Income Fund:
0.50% to $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.45% next $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.35% next $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.30% over $3 billion of average daily net assets.
Management Fees Paid by Prudential Government Income Fund |
|
|
|
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|
$2,507,009 |
$2,496,908 |
$2,555,368 |
SUBADVISORY
ARRANGEMENTS. The Manager has entered into a subadvisory agreement (Subadvisory Agreement) with
the Fund's investment subadviser. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that the subadviser will furnish investment advisory services
in connection with the management of the Fund. In connection therewith, the subadviser is obligated to keep certain books and records
of the Fund. Under the Subadvisory Agreement, the subadviser, subject to the supervision of PGIM Investments, is responsible for
managing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives, investment program and policies. The subadviser
determines what securities and other instruments are purchased and sold for the Fund and is responsible for obtaining and evaluating
financial data relevant to the Fund. PGIM Investments continues to have responsibility for all investment advisory services pursuant
to the Management Agreement and supervises the subadviser's performance of such services.
As
discussed in the Prospectus, PGIM Investments employs the subadviser under a “manager of managers” structure that allows
PGIM Investments to replace the subadviser or amend a Subadvisory Agreement without seeking shareholder approval. The Subadvisory
Agreement provides that it will terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of
the Management Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated by the Fund, PGIM Investments, or the subadviser upon not
more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will continue
in effect for a period of not more than two years from its execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved
at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Any new subadvisory agreement or amendment to the Fund’s
Management Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement that directly or indirectly results in an increase in the aggregate management fee
rate payable by the Fund will be submitted to the Fund’s shareholders for their approval.
The
applicable fee rate and the subadvisory fees paid by PGIM Investments for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below. Subadvisory
fees are based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, calculated and paid on a monthly basis, at the fee rate as set forth
in the Subadvisory Agreement. Subadvisory fees are deducted out of the management fee paid by the Fund.
35
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Fund Subadviser & Fee Rate |
Fund |
Subadviser |
Fee Rate |
Prudential Government Income Fund |
PGIM Fixed Income |
0.25% to $1 billion;
0.2138% next $1 billion;
0.1575% next $1 billion;
0.1275% over $3 billion |
Subadvisory Fees Paid by PGIM Investments: Prudential Government Income Fund |
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|
$1,253,489 |
$1,248,422 |
$1,277,684 |
THE
FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED
The
table below identifies the number and total assets of other mutual funds and other types of investment accounts managed by each
portfolio manager. For each category, the number of investment accounts and total assets in the investment accounts whose fees
are based on performance, if any, is indicated in italics typeface. Information shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently
completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
Other Funds and Investment Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers |
Subadviser |
Portfolio Managers |
Registered Investment
Companies/Total Assets |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles/
Total Assets |
Other Accounts/
Total Assets |
PGIM Fixed Income* |
Robert Tipp, CFA |
24/$29,178,851,997 |
21/$7,569,883,192
1/$579,850 |
87/$20,795,538,560 |
|
Craig Dewling |
37/$8,428,221,498 |
32/$11,520,415,661
2/$1,417,944,902 |
146/$40,735,472,719
2/-$9,721,210 |
|
Erik Schiller, CFA |
37/$12,388,028,354 |
31/$11,305,534,327
2/$1,417,944,902 |
144/$39,004,565,049
2/-$9,721,210 |
*Accounts
are managed on a team basis. If a portfolio manager is a member of a team, any account managed by that team is included in the
number of accounts and total assets for such portfolio manager (even if such portfolio manager is not primarily involved in the
day-to-day management of the account).
THE
FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS
The
table below identifies the dollar value (in ranges) of investments beneficially held by, and financial interests awarded to, each
portfolio manager, if any, in the Fund and in other investment accounts managed by, or which have an individual portion or sleeve
managed by, each portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, objectives and mandates similar to the Fund. Information
shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
Personal Investments and Financial Interests of the Portfolio Managers |
Subadviser |
Portfolio Managers |
Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies* |
PGIM Fixed Income |
Robert Tipp, CFA |
None |
|
Craig Dewling |
$10,001 - $50,000 |
|
Erik Schiller, CFA |
$10,001 - $50,000 |
*“Investments
and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies” include direct investment in the Fund and investment
in all other investment accounts which are managed by the same portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, investment
objectives and mandates that are similar to those of the Fund. “Other financial interests” are interests related to
awards under a targeted long-term incentive plan, the value of which is subject to increase or decrease based on the performance
of the Fund. “Other Investment Accounts” in similar strategies include other Prudential mutual funds, insurance company
separate accounts, and collective and commingled trusts. The dollar range of each Portfolio Manager’s direct investment in
the Fund is as follows: Robert Tipp: None; Craig Dewling: $10,001 - $50,000; Erik Schiller: $10,001 - $50,000.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS—COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Set forth
below, for each portfolio manager, is an explanation of the structure of, and methods used to determine, portfolio manager compensation.
Also set forth below, for each portfolio manager, is an explanation of any material conflicts of interest that may arise between
a portfolio manager's management of the Fund's investments and investments in other accounts.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 36
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PGIM,
Inc. (PGIM).
COMPENSATION.
The base salary of an investment professional in the PGIM Fixed Income unit of PGIM (“PGIM Fixed Income”) is based
on market data relative to similar positions as well as the past performance, years of experience and scope of responsibility of
the individual. Incentive compensation, including the annual cash bonus, the long-term equity grant and grants under PGIM Fixed
Income’s long-term incentive plans, is primarily based on such person’s contribution to PGIM Fixed Income’s goal
of providing investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines and risk parameters and market-based
data such as compensation trends and levels of overall compensation for similar positions in the asset management industry. In
addition, an investment professional’s qualitative contributions to the organization are considered in determining incentive
compensation. Incentive compensation is not solely based on the performance of, or value of assets in, any single account or group
of client accounts.
An
investment professional’s annual cash bonus is paid from an annual incentive pool. The pool is developed as a percentage
of PGIM Fixed Income’s operating income and may be refined by factors such as:
■ |
business development initiatives, measured primarily by growth in operating income; and/or |
■ |
investment performance of portfolios: (i) relative to appropriate peer groups and/or (ii) as measured against relevant investment indices. |
Long-term
compensation consists of Prudential Financial restricted stock, grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term
incentive plan. Grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan are participation interests in
notional accounts with a beginning value of a specified dollar amount. The value attributed to these notional accounts increases
or decreases over a defined period of time based, in part (and wholly, in the case of targeted long-term incentive awards), on
the performance of one or more investment composites or commingled investment vehicles representing a number of PGIM Fixed Income’s
most frequently marketed investment strategies. An investment composite is an aggregation of accounts with similar investment strategies.
The long-term incentive plan is designed to more closely align compensation with investment performance and the growth of PGIM
Fixed Income’s business. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan is designed to align the
interests of certain of its investment professionals with the performance of a particular long-short composite or commingled investment
vehicle. Both the restricted stock and participation interests are subject to vesting requirements.
CONFLICTS
OF INTEREST. Like other investment advisers, PGIM Fixed Income is subject to various conflicts
of interest in the ordinary course of its business. PGIM Fixed Income strives to identify potential risks, including conflicts
of interest, that are inherent in its business, and conducts annual conflict of interest reviews. When actual or potential conflicts
of interest are identified, PGIM Fixed Income seeks to address such conflicts through one or more of the following methods:
■ |
elimination of the conflict; |
■ |
disclosure of the conflict; or |
■ |
management of the conflict through the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures. |
PGIM
Fixed Income follows the policies of Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential Financial) on business ethics, personal securities
trading by investment personnel, and information barriers. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a code of ethics, allocation policies
and conflicts of interest policies, among others, and has adopted supervisory procedures to monitor compliance with its policies.
PGIM Fixed Income cannot guarantee, however, that its policies and procedures will detect and prevent, or assure disclosure of,
each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.
Side-by-Side
Management of Accounts and Related Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side
management of multiple accounts can create conflicts of interest. Examples are detailed below, followed by a discussion of how
PGIM Fixed Income addresses these conflicts.
■ |
Performance Fees— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts with asset-based fees alongside accounts with performance-based fees. This side-by-side management may be deemed to create an incentive for PGIM Fixed Income and its investment professionals to favor one account over another. Specifically, PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have the incentive to favor accounts for which it receives performance fees, and possibly take greater investment risks in those accounts, in order to bolster performance and increase its fees. |
■ |
Affiliated accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts on behalf of its affiliates as well as unaffiliated accounts. PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have an incentive to favor accounts of affiliates over others. |
■ |
Large accounts—large accounts typically generate more revenue than do smaller accounts and certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s strategies have higher fees than others. As a result, a portfolio manager could be considered to have an incentive when allocating scarce investment opportunities to favor accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PGIM Fixed Income. |
■ |
Long only and long/short accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts that only allow it to hold securities long as well as accounts that permit short selling. PGIM Fixed Income may, therefore, sell a security short in some client accounts while holding the same security long in other client accounts. These short sales could reduce the value of the securities held in the long only accounts. In addition, purchases for long only accounts could have a negative impact on the short positions. |
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■ |
Securities of the same kind or class— PGIM Fixed Income may buy or sell for one client account securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another client at prices that may be different. PGIM Fixed Income may also, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and in the opposite direction for another account due to differences in investment strategy or client direction. Different strategies trading in the same securities or types of securities may appear as inconsistencies in PGIM Fixed Income’s management of multiple accounts side-by-side. |
■ |
Financial interests of investment professionals— PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may invest in investment vehicles that it advises. Also, certain of these investment vehicles are options under the 401(k) and deferred compensation plans offered by Prudential Financial. In addition, the value of grants under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan is affected by the performance of certain client accounts. As a result, PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may have financial interests in accounts managed by PGIM Fixed Income or that are related to the performance of certain client accounts. |
■ |
Non-discretionary accounts or models— PGIM Fixed Income provides non-discretionary investment advice and non-discretionary model portfolios to some clients and manages others on a discretionary basis. Trades in non-discretionary accounts could occur before, in concert with, or after PGIM Fixed Income executes similar trades in its discretionary accounts. The non-discretionary clients may be disadvantaged if PGIM Fixed Income delivers the model investment portfolio or investment advice to them after it initiates trading for the discretionary clients, or vice versa. |
How
PGIM Fixed Income Addresses These Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income has developed policies
and procedures designed to address the conflicts of interest with respect to its different types of side-by-side management described
above.
■ |
The head of PGIM Fixed Income and its chief investment officer periodically review and compare performance and performance attribution for each client account within its various strategies. |
■ |
In keeping with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, its policy with respect to trade aggregation and allocation is to treat all of its accounts fairly and equitably over time. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee, which generally meets quarterly, is responsible for providing oversight with respect to trade aggregation and allocation. PGIM Fixed Income has compliance procedures with respect to its aggregation and allocation policy that include independent monitoring by its compliance group of the timing, allocation and aggregation of trades and the allocation of investment opportunities. In addition, its compliance group reviews a sampling of new issue allocations and related documentation each month to confirm compliance with the allocation procedures. PGIM Fixed Income’s compliance group reports the results of the monitoring processes to its trade management oversight committee. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee reviews forensic reports of new issue allocation throughout the year so that new issue allocation in each of its strategies is reviewed at least once during each year. This forensic analysis includes such data as: (i) the number of new issues allocated in the strategy; (ii) the size of new issue allocations to each portfolio in the strategy; and (iii) the profitability of new issue transactions. The results of these analyses are reviewed and discussed at PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee meetings. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee also reviews forensic reports on the allocation of trading opportunities in the secondary market. The procedures above are designed to detect patterns and anomalies in PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side management and trading so that it may assess and improve its processes. |
■ |
PGIM Fixed Income has policies and procedures that specifically address its side-by-side management of long/short and long only portfolios. These policies address potential conflicts that could arise from differing positions between long/short and long only portfolios. In addition, lending opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is demanding a slight premium rate over normal market rates are allocated to long only accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to long/short accounts. |
Conflicts
Related to PGIM Fixed Income’s Affiliations. As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential
Financial, PGIM Fixed Income is part of a diversified, global financial services organization. PGIM Fixed Income is affiliated
with many types of U.S. and non-U.S. financial service providers, including insurance companies, broker-dealers, commodity trading
advisors, commodity pool operators and other investment advisers. Some of its employees are officers of some of these affiliates.
■ |
Conflicts Arising Out of Legal Restrictions. PGIM Fixed Income may be restricted by law, regulation or contract as to how much, if any, of a particular security it may purchase or sell on behalf of a client, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. These restrictions may apply as a result of its relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s holdings of a security on behalf of its clients may, under some SEC rules, be aggregated with the holdings of that security by other Prudential Financial affiliates. These holdings could, on an aggregate basis, exceed certain reporting thresholds that are monitored, and PGIM Fixed Income may restrict purchases to avoid exceeding these thresholds. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income could receive material, non-public information with respect to a particular issuer and, as a result, be unable to execute transactions in securities of that issuer for its clients. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s bank loan team often invests in private bank loans in connection with which the borrower provides material, non-public information, resulting in restrictions on trading securities issued by those borrowers. PGIM Fixed Income has procedures in place to carefully consider whether to intentionally accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers. PGIM Fixed Income is generally able to avoid receiving material, non-public information from its affiliates and other units within PGIM by maintaining information barriers. In some instances, it may create an isolated information barrier around a small number of its employees so that material, non-public information received by such employees is not attributed to the rest of PGIM Fixed Income. |
■ |
Conflicts Related to Outside Business Activity. From time to time, certain of PGIM Fixed Income employees or officers may engage in outside business activity, including outside directorships. Any outside business activity is subject to prior approval pursuant to PGIM Fixed Income’s personal conflicts of interest and outside business activities policy. Actual and potential conflicts of interest are analyzed during such approval process. PGIM Fixed Income could be restricted in trading the securities of certain issuers in client |
Prudential
Government Income Fund 38
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|
portfolios in the unlikely event that an employee or officer, as a result of outside business activity, obtains material, nonpublic information regarding an issuer. The head of PGIM Fixed Income serves on the board of directors of the operator of an electronic trading platform. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted procedures to address the conflict relating to trading on this platform. The procedures include independent monitoring by PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer and chief compliance officer and reporting on PGIM Fixed Income’s use of this platform to the President of PGIM. |
■ |
Conflicts Related to Investment of Client Assets in Affiliated Funds. PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in funds that it manages or subadvises for an affiliate. PGIM Fixed Income may also invest cash collateral from securities lending transactions in these funds. These investments benefit both PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliate. |
■ |
PICA General Account. Because of the substantial size of the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (PICA), trading by PICA’s general account, including PGIM Fixed Income’s trades on behalf of the account, may affect market prices. Although PGIM Fixed Income doesn’t expect that PICA’s general account will execute transactions that will move a market frequently, and generally only in response to unusual market or issuer events, the execution of these transactions could have an adverse effect on transactions for or positions held by other clients. |
Conflicts
Related to Securities Holdings and Other Financial Interests
■ |
Securities Holdings. PGIM, Prudential Financial, PICA’s general account and accounts of other affiliates of PGIM Fixed Income (collectively, affiliated accounts) hold public and private debt and equity securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as other client accounts but at different levels in the capital structure. These investments can result in conflicts between the interests of the affiliated accounts and the interests of PGIM Fixed Income’s clients. For example: (i) Affiliated accounts can hold the senior debt of an issuer whose subordinated debt is held by PGIM Fixed Income’s clients or hold secured debt of an issuer whose public unsecured debt is held in client accounts. In the event of restructuring or insolvency, the affiliated accounts as holders of senior debt may exercise remedies and take other actions that are not in the interest of, or are adverse to, other clients that are the holders of junior debt. (ii) To the extent permitted by applicable law, PGIM Fixed Income may also invest client assets in offerings of securities the proceeds of which are used to repay debt obligations held in affiliated accounts or other client accounts. PGIM Fixed Income’s interest in having the debt repaid creates a conflict of interest. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a refinancing policy to address this conflict. PGIM Fixed Income may be unable to invest client assets in the securities of certain issuers as a result of the investments described above. |
■ |
Conflicts Related to the Offer and Sale of Securities. Certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s employees may offer and sell securities of, and interests in, commingled funds that it manages or subadvises. There is an incentive for PGIM Fixed Income’s employees to offer these securities to investors regardless of whether the investment is appropriate for such investor since increased assets in these vehicles will result in increased advisory fees to it. In addition, such sales could result in increased compensation to the employee. |
■ |
Conflicts Related to Long-Term Compensation. The performance of many client accounts is not reflected in the calculation of changes in the value of participation interests under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan. In addition, the performance of only a small number of our investment strategies is covered under PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan. This may be because the composite representing the strategy in which the account is managed is not one of the composites included in the calculation or because the account is excluded from a specified composite due to guideline restrictions or other factors. As a result of the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan, PGIM Fixed Income’s portfolio managers from time to time have financial interests related to the investment performance of some, but not all, of the accounts they manage. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, PGIM Fixed Income has procedures, including trade allocation and supervisory review procedures, designed to confirm that each of its client accounts is managed in a manner that is consistent with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, as well as with the account’s investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer formally reviews performance among similarly managed accounts with the head of PGIM Fixed Income on a quarterly basis during meetings typically attended by members of PGIM Fixed Income’s senior leadership team, chief compliance officer and senior portfolio managers. |
■ |
Other Financial Interests. PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliates may also have financial interests or relationships with issuers whose securities it invests in for client accounts. These interests can include debt or equity financing, strategic corporate relationships or investments, and the offering of investment advice in various forms. For example, PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in the securities of issuers that are also its advisory clients. |
In
general, conflicts related to the securities holdings and financial interests described above are addressed by the fact that PGIM
Fixed Income makes investment decisions for each client independently considering the best economic interests of such client.
Conflicts
Related to Valuation and Fees.
When
client accounts hold illiquid or difficult to value investments, PGIM Fixed Income faces a conflict of interest when making recommendations
regarding the value of such investments since its management fees are generally based on the value of assets under management.
PGIM Fixed Income believes that its valuation policies and procedures mitigate this conflict effectively and enable it to value
client assets fairly and in a manner that is consistent with the client’s best interests.
Conflicts
Related to Securities Lending Fees
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When
PGIM Fixed Income manages a client account and also serves as securities lending agent for the account, it could be considered
to have the incentive to invest in securities that would yield higher securities lending rates. This conflict is mitigated by the
fact that PGIM Fixed Income’s advisory fees are generally based on the value of assets in a client’s account. In addition,
PGIM Fixed Income’s securities lending function has a separate reporting line to its chief operating officer (rather than
its chief investment officer).
OTHER
SERVICE PROVIDERS
CUSTODIAN.
The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), 225 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10281, serves as Custodian for the Fund’s portfolio
securities and cash, and in that capacity, maintains certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with
the Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any non-US assets held outside the United States.
SECURITIES
LENDING AGENT. Securities Finance Trust Company (eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent
for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund's securities lending program. Prior to on or about July 6, 2016, PGIM, Inc.
(PGIM) served as the securities lending agent. PGIM is an affiliate of PGIM Investments. eSecLending receives as compensation for
its services a portion of the amount earned by lending securities. The compensation received by PGIM and/or eSecLending, as applicable,
for services as securities lending agent for the three most recently completed fiscal years is set forth below.
Compensation Received by the Agent for Securities Lending |
|
|
|
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
|
$1,160 |
$7,314 |
$9,851 |
TRANSFER
AGENT. PMFS, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, serves as the transfer and dividend
disbursing agent of the Fund. PMFS is an affiliate of the Manager. PMFS provides customary transfer agency services to the Fund,
including the handling of shareholder communications, the processing of shareholder transactions, the maintenance of shareholder
account records, the payment of dividends and distributions, and related functions. For these services, PMFS receives compensation
from the Fund and is reimbursed for its transfer agent expenses which include an annual fee and certain out-of-pocket expenses
including, but not limited to, postage, stationery, printing, allocable communication expenses and other costs.
The
Fund's Board has appointed BNY Mellon Asset Servicing (US) Inc. (BNYAS), 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, as sub-transfer
agent to the Fund. PMFS has contracted with BNYAS to provide certain administrative functions to PMFS. PMFS will compensate BNYAS
for such services.
For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Fund incurred the following approximate amount of fees for services provided by PMFS:
Fees Paid to PMFS |
Amount |
Prudential Government Income Fund |
$251,500 |
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM. KPMG LLP, 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, served
as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, and in that capacity will audit the annual financial statements
for the Fund for the next fiscal year.
DISTRIBUTION
OF FUND SHARES
DISTRIBUTOR.
Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (PIMS or the Distributor), 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410, acts
as the distributor of all of the shares of the Fund. The Distributor is a subsidiary of Prudential.
The
Distributor incurs the expenses of distributing each of the Fund's share classes pursuant to separate Distribution and Service
Plans for each share class (collectively, the Plans) adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and a distribution
agreement (the Distribution Agreement). PIMS also incurs the expenses of distributing any share class offered by the Fund which
is not subject to a Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plan, and none of the expenses incurred by PIMS in distributing such share
classes are reimbursed or paid for by the Fund.
The
expenses incurred under the Plans include commissions and account servicing fees paid to, or on account of, brokers or financial
institutions which have entered into agreements with the Distributor, as applicable, advertising expenses, the cost of printing
and mailing prospectuses to potential investors and indirect and overhead costs of the Distributor associated with the sale of
Fund shares, including sales promotion expenses.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 40
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Under
the Plans, the Fund is obligated to pay distribution and/or service fees to the Distributor, as applicable, as compensation for
its distribution and service activities, not as reimbursement for specific expenses incurred. If the Distributor’s expenses
exceed its distribution and service fees, the Fund will not be obligated to pay any additional expenses. If the Distributor’s
expenses are less than such distribution and service fees, then it will retain its full fees and realize a profit.
The
distribution and/or service fees may also be used by the Distributor to compensate on a continuing basis brokers in consideration
for the distribution, marketing, administrative and other services and activities provided by brokers with respect to the promotion
of the sale of Fund shares and the maintenance of related shareholder accounts.
Distribution
expenses attributable to the sale of each share class are allocated to each such class based upon the ratio of sales of each such
class to the combined sales of all classes of the Fund, other than expenses allocable to a particular class. The distribution fee
and sales charge of one class will not be used to subsidize the sale of another class.
Each
Plan continues in effect from year to year, provided that each such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of the
Board, including a majority vote of the Board Members who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect
financial interest in any of the Plans or in any agreement related to the Plans (the Rule 12b-1 Board Members), cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance. A Plan may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by the
vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Board Members or by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the
applicable class of the Fund on not more than 30 days' written notice to any other party to the Plan. The Plans may not be amended
to increase materially the amounts to be spent for the services described therein without approval by the shareholders of the applicable
class, and all material amendments are required to be approved by the Board in the manner described above. Each Plan will automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment. The Fund will not be contractually obligated to pay expenses incurred under any Plan
if it is terminated or not continued.
Pursuant
to each Plan, the Board will review at least quarterly a written report of the distribution expenses incurred on behalf of each
class of shares of the Fund by the Distributor. The report will include an itemization of the distribution expenses and the purposes
of such expenditures. In addition, as long as the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of Rule 12b-1 Board Members
shall be committed to the Rule 12b-1 Board Members.
Pursuant
to the Distribution Agreement, the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor to the extent permitted by applicable law against
certain liabilities under federal securities laws. In addition to distribution and service fees paid by the Fund under the Plans,
the Manager (or one of its affiliates) may make payments out of its own resources to dealers and other persons which distribute
shares of the Fund. Such payments may be calculated by reference to the NAV of shares sold by such persons or otherwise.
CLASS
A SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class A Plan, the Fund may pay
the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class A shares at an annual rate of .25% of the average
daily net assets of the Class A shares. The Class A Plan provides that (1) .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A
shares may be used to pay for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts (service fee) and (2) total distribution
fees (including the service fee of up to .25%) may not exceed .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares of the
Fund. The Prospectus for the Fund discusses any contractual or voluntary fee waivers that may be in effect. In addition, if you
purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares, you are subject to a 1% CDSC (defined below) for shares redeemed within 12 months
of purchase (the CDSC is waived for purchase by certain retirement and/or benefit plans).
For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class A Plan for the Fund. These amounts were
expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class A shares. For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received initial sales charges and proceeds of contingent deferred
sales charges paid by shareholders upon certain redemptions of Class A shares. The amounts received and spent by the Distributor
are detailed in the tables below.
CLASS
B AND CLASS C SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class B and Class
C Plans, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class B and Class C shares at
an annual rate of 1% of the average daily net assets of each of the Class B and Class C shares. The Class B Plan provides that
(1 ) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares shall be paid as a service fee and (2 ) up to .75% (not including
the service fee) of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares up to $3 billion, .55% of the next $1 billion of such assets
and .25% of such assets in excess of $4 billion (asset-based sales charge), shall be paid for distribution-related expenses with
respect to the Class B shares. The Class C Plan provides that (1) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class C shares
shall be paid as a service fee for providing personal service and/or maintaining shareholder accounts and (2) up to .75% of the
average daily net assets of the Class C shares (asset-based sales charge) shall be paid for distribution-related expenses with
respect to Class C shares. The service fee (.25% of average daily net assets)
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is used to pay
for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Distributor also receives contingent deferred sales charges
from certain redeeming shareholders. The Prospectus discusses any voluntary or contractual fee waivers that may be in effect. The
Distributor also receives contingent deferred sales charges from certain redeeming shareholders.
For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class B and C Plans. These amounts were expended
primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class B and C shares. For the
most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders
upon certain redemptions of Class B and Class C shares. The approximate amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed
in the tables below.
CLASS
R SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class R Plan, the Fund may pay
the Distributor for its distribution-related expenses with respect to Class R shares at an annual rate of up to .75% of the average
daily net assets of the Class R shares. The Class R Plan provides that (1) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class
R shares may be used as a service fee and (2) total distribution fees (including the service fee of .25%) may not exceed .75% of
the average daily net assets of the Class R shares. There is no CDSC for the redemption of Class R shares. The Prospectus discusses
any contractual or voluntary fee waivers that may be in effect. For the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor received
payments under the Class R Plan. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisors
and other persons who sell Class R shares. The amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
Payments Received by Distributor |
CLASS A CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC) |
$22 |
CLASS A DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES |
$884,307 |
CLASS A INITIAL SALES CHARGES |
$154,765 |
CLASS B CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC) |
$5,885 |
CLASS B DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES |
$28,020 |
CLASS C CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC) |
$1,899 |
CLASS C DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES |
$125,705 |
CLASS R DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES |
$81,279 |
For
the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor spent the following amounts on behalf of the Fund:
Amounts Spent by Distributor: Prudential Government Income Fund |
Share Class |
Printing & Mailing of
Prospectuses to Other than
Current Shareholders |
Compensation to Broker/Dealers for
Commissions to Representatives and
Other Expenses* |
Overhead Costs** |
Total Amount
Spent by Distributor |
CLASS A |
$0 |
$785,327 |
$480,442 |
$1,265,769 |
CLASS B |
$0 |
$6,948 |
$3,057 |
$10,005 |
CLASS C |
$0 |
$114,218 |
$13,585 |
$127,803 |
CLASS R |
$0 |
$11,242 |
$47,014 |
$58,256 |
*
Includes amounts paid to affiliated broker/dealers.
** Including
sales promotion expenses.
FEE
WAIVERS AND SUBSIDIES. PGIM Investments may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management
fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund. In addition, the Distributor may from time to time waive
a portion of the distribution (12b-1) fees as described in the Prospectus. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total
return.
PAYMENTS
TO FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRMS. As described in the Fund's Prospectus, the Manager or certain of
its affiliates (but not the Distributor) have entered into revenue sharing or other similar arrangements with financial services
firms, including affiliates of the Manager. These revenue sharing arrangements are intended to promote the sale of Fund shares
or to compensate the financial services firms for marketing or marketing support activities in connection with the sale of Fund
shares.
The
list below includes the names of the firms (or their affiliated broker/dealers) that received from the Manager, and/or certain
of its affiliates, revenue sharing payments of more than $10,000 in calendar year 2016 for marketing and product support of the
Fund and other PGIM Investments funds as described above.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 42
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Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC |
■ |
Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. |
■ |
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. |
■ |
Raymond James |
■ |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
■ |
Fidelity |
■ |
UBS Financial Services Inc. |
■ |
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. |
■ |
LPL Financial |
■ |
Principal Life Insurance Company |
■ |
GWFS Equities, Inc. |
■ |
Commonwealth Financial Network |
■ |
Cetera |
■ |
Matrix Financial Solutions |
■ |
Nationwide Financial Services Inc. |
■ |
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc. |
■ |
American United Life Insurance Company |
■ |
AIG Advisor Group |
■ |
Ascensus |
■ |
Voya Financial |
■ |
Massachusetts Mutual |
■ |
Hartford Life |
■ |
JH Trust Co |
■ |
Reliance Trust Company |
■ |
MidAtlantic Capital Corp. |
■ |
Vanguard Group, Inc. |
■ |
Hewitt Associates LLC |
■ |
TIAA Cref |
■ |
Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC |
■ |
Standard Insurance Company |
■ |
John Hancock USA |
■ |
TD Ameritrade Trust Company |
■ |
T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services |
■ |
Cambridge |
■ |
The Ohio National Life Insurance Company |
■ |
RBC Capital Markets Corporation |
■ |
VALIC Retirement Services Company |
■ |
Northwestern |
■ |
Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. |
■ |
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company |
■ |
Janney Montgomery & Scott, Inc. |
■ |
Citigroup |
■ |
Securities America, Inc. |
■ |
Xerox HR Solutions LLC |
■ |
Newport Retirement Plan Services, Inc. |
■ |
Genworth |
■ |
Mercer HR Services, LLC |
■ |
1st Global Capital Corp. |
■ |
United Planners Financial Services of America |
■ |
Oppenheimer & Co. |
■ |
Securities Service Network |
■ |
Triad Advisors Inc. |
■ |
Investacorp |
■ |
Northern Trust |
43
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COMPUTATION
OF OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE
Using
the NAV at February 28, 2017, the offering prices of Fund shares were as follows:
Offering Price Per Share |
|
Prudential
Government
Income Fund |
Class A |
|
NAV and redemption price per Class A share |
$9.55 |
Maximum initial sales charge (4.50% of the public offering price) |
0.45 |
Maximum offering price to public |
$10.00 |
Class B |
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class B share |
$9.56 |
Class C |
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class C share |
$9.57 |
Class Q |
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Q share |
$9.52 |
Class R |
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class R share |
$9.56 |
Class Z |
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Z share |
$9.53 |
Explanatory
Notes to Table:
Class A,
Class B and Class C shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on certain redemptions. See “How to Buy,
Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Sell Your Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC)” in the Prospectus.
PORTFOLIO
TRANSACTIONS & BROKERAGE
The
Fund has adopted a policy pursuant to which the Fund and its Manager, subadviser and principal underwriter are prohibited from
directly or indirectly compensating a broker-dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage transactions to
that broker. The Fund has adopted procedures for the purpose of deterring and detecting any violations of the policy. The policy
permits the Fund, the Manager and the subadviser to use selling brokers to execute transactions in portfolio securities so long
as the selection of such selling brokers is the result of a decision that executing such transactions is in the best interest of
the Fund and is not influenced by considerations about the sale of Fund shares. For purposes of this section, the term “Manager”
includes the subadviser.
The
Manager is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities, futures contracts and options on such securities and futures for
the Fund, the selection of brokers, dealers and futures commission merchants to effect the transactions and the negotiation of
brokerage commissions, if any. On a national securities exchange, broker-dealers may receive negotiated brokerage commissions on
Fund portfolio transactions, including options, futures, and options on futures transactions and the purchase and sale of underlying
securities upon the exercise of options. On a foreign securities exchange, commissions may be fixed. Orders may be directed to
any broker or futures commission merchant including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable laws, one of the Manager's
affiliates (an affiliated broker). Brokerage commissions on US securities, options and futures exchanges or boards of trade are
subject to negotiation between the Manager and the broker or futures commission merchant.
In
the OTC market, securities are generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts
without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings,
securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as
the underwriter's concession or discount. On occasion, certain money market instruments and US Government agency securities may
be purchased directly from the issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid. The Fund will not deal with an affiliated
broker in any transaction in which an affiliated broker acts as principal except in accordance with the rules of the SEC.
In
placing orders for portfolio securities of the Fund, the Manager's overriding objective is to obtain the best possible combination
of favorable price and efficient execution. The Manager seeks to effect such transaction at a price and commission that provides
the most favorable total cost of proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. The factors that the Manager may consider
in selecting a particular broker, dealer or futures commission merchant (firms) are the Manager's knowledge of negotiated commission
rates currently available and other current transaction costs; the nature of the portfolio transaction; the size of the transaction;
the desired timing of the
Prudential
Government Income Fund 44
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trade; the activity
existing and expected in the market for the particular transaction; confidentiality; the execution, clearance and settlement capabilities
of the firms; the availability of research and research-related services provided through such firms; the Manager's knowledge of
the financial stability of the firms; the Manager's knowledge of actual or apparent operational problems of firms; and the amount
of capital, if any, that would be contributed by firms executing the transaction. Given these factors, the Fund may pay transaction
costs in excess of that which another firm might have charged for effecting the same transaction.
When
the Manager selects a firm that executes orders or is a party to portfolio transactions, relevant factors taken into consideration
are whether that firm has furnished research and research-related products and/or services, such as research reports, research
compilations, statistical and economic data, computer databases, quotation equipment and services, research-oriented computer software
and services, reports concerning the performance of accounts, valuations of securities, investment-related periodicals, investment
seminars and other economic services and consultations. Such services are used in connection with some or all of the Manager's
investment activities; some of such services, obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for one investment account,
may be used in managing other accounts, and not all of these services may be used in connection with the Fund. The Manager maintains
an internal allocation procedure to identify those firms who have provided it with research and research-related products and/or
services, and the amount that was provided, and to endeavor to direct sufficient commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt
of those services that the Manager believes provide a benefit to the Fund and its other clients. The Manager makes a good faith
determination that the research and/or service is reasonable in light of the type of service provided and the price and execution
of the related portfolio transactions.
When
the Manager deems the purchase or sale of equities to be in the best interests of the Fund or its other clients, including Prudential,
the Manager may, but is under no obligation to, aggregate the transactions in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower
brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the transactions, as well as the expenses incurred
in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it considers to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary
obligations to clients. The allocation of orders among firms and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Fund's
Board. Portfolio securities may not be purchased from any underwriting or selling syndicate of which any affiliate, during the
existence of the syndicate, is a principal underwriter (as defined in the 1940 Act), except in accordance with rules of the SEC.
This limitation, in the opinion of the Fund, will not significantly affect the Fund's ability to pursue its present investment
objectives. However, in the future in other circumstances, the Fund may be at a disadvantage because of this limitation in comparison
to other funds with similar objectives but not subject to such limitations.
Subject
to the above considerations, an affiliate may act as a broker or futures commission merchant for the Fund. In order for an affiliate
of the Manager to effect any portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated
broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other firms in connection with
comparable transactions involving similar securities or futures being purchased or sold on an exchange or board of trade during
a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive no more than the remuneration which would
be expected to be received by an unaffiliated firm in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore, the Board, including
a majority of the Independent Board Members, has adopted procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions,
fees or other remuneration paid to the affiliated broker (or any affiliate) are consistent with the foregoing standard. In accordance
with Section 11(a) of the 1934 Act, an affiliate may not retain compensation for effecting transactions on a national securities
exchange for the Fund unless the Fund has expressly authorized the retention of such compensation. The affiliate must furnish to
the Fund at least annually a statement setting forth the total amount of all compensation retained by the affiliate from transactions
effected for the Fund during the applicable period. Brokerage transactions with an affiliated broker are also subject to such fiduciary
standards as may be imposed upon the affiliate by applicable law. Transactions in options by the Fund will be subject to limitations
established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of options which may be written or held by a single investor
or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or held on the same or different exchanges
or are written or held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Fund may write
or hold may be affected by options written or held by the Manager and other investment advisory clients of the Manager. An exchange
may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
Set
forth below is information concerning the payment of commissions by the Fund, including the amount of such commissions paid to
an affiliate, if any, for the indicated fiscal years or periods:
Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund ($) (Fiscal years ended February 28/29) |
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
Total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund |
$52,566 |
$168,723 |
$93,717 |
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The
Fund is required to disclose its holdings of securities of its regular brokers and dealers (as defined under Rule 10b-1 under the
1940 Act) and their parents as of the most recently completed fiscal year. As of the most recently completed fiscal year, the Fund
held the following securities of its regular brokers and dealers.
Broker-Dealer Securities Holdings ($) (as of most recently completed fiscal year) |
Prudential Government Income Fund |
Equity or Debt |
Amount |
Bank of America Securities LLC |
Debt |
$86,965 |
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. |
Debt |
$2,561,348 |
JP Morgan Chase & Co. |
Debt |
$3,617,589 |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
Debt |
$1,003,554 |
Wells Fargo Securities LLC |
Debt |
$2,572,558 |
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
FUND
HISTORY. The Company was organized under the laws of Maryland on April 8, 1983. The Company's
Board approved changing the name of the Company to Dryden Government Income Fund, Inc., effective June 30, 2003. Effective February
16, 2010, the Board approved changing the name of the Company to Prudential Government Income Fund, Inc. Effective December 21,
2010, the Company's name changed to Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14. A second series of the Company, Prudential Floating
Rate Income Fund, was established on December 21, 2010 and commenced operations in March 2011.
DESCRIPTION
OF SHARES AND ORGANIZATION. The Company is authorized to issue 3.4 billion shares of common stock,
$.01 par value per share, divided and classified as set forth below:
Prudential
Government Income Fund:
Class
A: 230,000,000 shares
Class B: 5,000,000 shares
Class C: 495,000,000 shares
Class Q: 500,000,000 shares
Class R: 500,000,000 shares
Class Z: 500,000,000 shares
Class T: 270,000,000 shares
Prudential
Floating Rate Income Fund:
Class
A: 150,000,000 shares
Class C: 200,000,000 shares
Class Q: 250,000,000 shares
Class Z: 250,000,000 shares
Class T: 50,000,000 shares
Note:
Class T shares are not currently offered, and no Class T shares are issued or outstanding as of the date of this SAI.
Each
class of common stock of the Fund represents an interest in the same assets of each Fund and is identical in all respects except
that (1) each class is subject to different (or no) sales charges and distribution and/or service fees (except Class Z shares,
which are not subject to any sales charges and distribution and/or service fees), which may affect performance, (2) each class
has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to its distribution arrangement and has
separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of
any other class, (3) each class has a different exchange privilege, (4) only Class B shares have a conversion feature, and (5)
Class Q, Class R and Class Z shares are offered exclusively for sale to a limited group of investors. In accordance with the Company's
Articles of Incorporation, the Board may authorize the creation of additional series of common stock and classes within such series,
with such preferences, privileges, limitations and voting and dividend rights as the Board may determine.
The
Board may increase or decrease the number of authorized shares without the approval of shareholders. Shares of each Fund, when
issued, are fully paid, nonassessable, fully transferable and redeemable at the option of the holder. Shares are also redeemable
at the option of each Fund under certain circumstances. Each share of each class of common stock is equal as to earnings, assets
and voting privileges, except as noted above, and each class bears the expenses related to the distribution of its shares (with
the exception of Class Q and Class Z shares, which are not subject to any distribution and/or service fees). Except for the conversion
feature applicable to the Class B shares, there are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. In the event of liquidation,
each share of common
Prudential
Government Income Fund 46
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stock of each Fund
is entitled to its portion of all of that Fund's assets after all debts and expenses of the Fund have been paid. Since Class B
and Class C shares generally bear higher distribution expenses than Class A shares, the liquidation proceeds to shareholders of
those classes are likely to be lower than to Class A shareholders and to Class Q and Class Z shareholders, whose shares are not
subject to any distribution and/or service fees. The Fund's shares do not have cumulative voting rights for the election of Board
Members.
The
Company does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders unless otherwise required by law. The Company will not be required
to hold meetings of shareholders unless, for example, the election of Board Members is required to be acted on by shareholders
under the 1940 Act. Shareholders have certain rights, including the right to call a meeting upon a vote of 10% or more of each
Fund's outstanding shares for the purpose of voting on the removal of one or more Board Members or to transact any other business.
PRINCIPAL
SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS
To
the knowledge of the Fund, the following persons/entities owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of any class of Fund shares
as of the date indicated:
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017) |
Shareholder Name |
Address |
Share
Class |
No. of Shares/
% of Class |
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer |
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
A |
7,342,843 / 21.52% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
A |
4,818,732 / 14.12% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers |
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246 |
A |
4,270,373 / 12.51% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
B |
37,181,203 / 31.03% |
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer |
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
B |
9,796,806 / 8.18% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers |
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246 |
B |
8,082,204 / 6.75% |
UBS WM USA
Spec Cdy A/C Exl Ben Customers of UBSFSI |
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086 |
B |
7,784,081 / 6.505 |
Edward D Jones & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Accounting |
201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland HTS, MO 63043 |
B |
7,688,357 / 6.42% |
Pershing LLC |
1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399 |
B |
7,153,222 / 5.97% |
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer |
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
C |
226,295 / 20.33% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
C |
172,736 / 15.52% |
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Account
Attn: Courtney Waller |
880 Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716 |
C |
70,521 / 6.33% |
Edward D Jones & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Accounting |
201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland Hts, MO 63043 |
Q |
2,348,753 / 63.75% |
Jennison Dryden Conservative Allocation
Attn: Ted Lockwood/Stacie Mintz |
Gateway Center 2, 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102 |
Q |
817,693 / 22.19% |
Prudential Investment Portfolios Inc –
Prudential Moderate
Attn: Ted Lockwood/Stacie Mintz |
Gateway Center 2, 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102 |
Q |
514,197 / 13.96% |
47
Table
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Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017) |
Shareholder Name |
Address |
Share
Class |
No. of Shares/
% of Class |
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For TTEE
Prudential SmartSolution IRA |
280 Trumbull St
Hartford, CT 06103 |
R |
1,135,366 / 71.12% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers |
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246 |
R |
350,795 / 21.97% |
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Robert Wood Johnson Hospital |
379 Campus Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873 |
Z |
1,524,694 / 14.93% |
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE
FBO Energy Northwest 401K
Deferred Compensation Plan |
8515 E Orchard RD 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
Z |
1,006,660 / 9.86% |
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept |
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
Z |
990,152 / 9.70% |
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Alom/Pittsburgh
River Front Place |
810 River Ave, Suite 110
Pittsburgh, PA 15212 |
Z |
742,831 / 7.27% |
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Entertainment Industry 401(K) |
844 Seward Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038 |
Z |
679,780 / 6.66% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers |
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246 |
Z |
635,690 / 6.23% |
As
of the date of this SAI, the Board Members and Officers of the Fund, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of
the Fund.
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
The
financial statements for Prudential Government Income Fund for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017, which are incorporated
in this SAI by reference to the 2017 annual report to shareholders (File No. 811-03712), were audited by KPMG LLP, an independent
registered public accounting firm. You may obtain a copy of the annual report at no charge by request to the Fund by calling (800)
225-1852 or by writing to Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 48
Table
of Contents
PART II
PURCHASE,
REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES
SHARE
CLASSES. The Fund may offer shares of one or more classes to investors. Not every share class
described in this SAI may be offered, and investors should consult their Prospectus for specific information concerning the share
classes that are available to them.
Shares
of the Fund may be purchased at a price equal to the next determined NAV per share plus a sales charge (if applicable) which, at
the election of the investor, may be imposed either (1) at the time of purchase (Class A shares) or (2) on a deferred basis (Class
B and Class C shares or Class A shares, in certain circumstances). Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class
R5, Class R6, and Class Z shares, if offered, are offered only to a limited group of investors at NAV without any sales charges.
Additional
or different classes of shares may also be offered, including Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class R5,
and Class R6. If offered, specific information with respect to these share classes is set forth in the Prospectus and SAI.
For
more information, see “How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” in the Prospectus.
PURCHASE
BY WIRE. For an initial purchase of shares of the Fund by wire, you must complete an application
and telephone PMFS at (800) 225-1852 (toll-free) to receive an account number. PMFS will request the following information: your
name, address, tax identification number, Fund name, class election (if applicable), dividend distribution election, amount being
wired and wiring bank. PMFS will also furnish you with instructions for wiring the funds from your bank to the Fund's Custodian.
If
you arrange for receipt by the Custodian of federal funds prior to the calculation of NAV (once each business day at the close
of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), on a business day, you may purchase shares of the Fund as of that
day. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV
if your order to purchase is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE.
In
making a subsequent purchase order by wire, you should wire the Custodian directly and should be sure that the wire specifies the
Fund name, the share class to be purchased, your name, individual account number, Direct Deposit Account (DDA) Number and the Fund's
Bank Account registration. You do not need to call PMFS to make subsequent purchase orders utilizing federal funds. The minimum
amount for subsequent purchase by wire is $100.
ISSUANCE
OF FUND SHARES FOR SECURITIES. Transactions involving the issuance of Fund shares for securities
(rather than cash) will be limited to (1) reorganizations, (2) statutory mergers, or (3) other acquisitions of portfolio securities
that: (a) meet the investment objectives and policies of the Fund, (b) are liquid and not subject to restrictions on resale, (c)
have a value that is readily ascertainable via listing on or trading in a recognized United States or international exchange or
market, and (d) are approved by the Fund's Manager.
MULTIPLE
ACCOUNTS. An institution may open a single master account by filing an application with PMFS,
signed by personnel authorized to act for the institution. Individual subaccounts may be opened at the time the master account
is opened by listing them, or they may be added at a later date by written advice. Procedures will be available to identify subaccounts
by name and number within the master account name. The foregoing procedures would also apply to related institutional accounts
(i.e., accounts of shareholders with a common institutional or corporate parent). The investment minimums as set forth in the relevant
Prospectus under “How to Buy and Sell Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” are applicable to the aggregate amounts
invested by a group, and not to the amount credited to each subaccount.
REOPENING
AN ACCOUNT. Subject to the minimum investment restrictions, an investor may reopen an account,
without filing a new application, at any time during the calendar year the account is closed, provided that the information on
that application is still applicable.
RESTRICTIONS
ON SALE OF FUND SHARES. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment may be
postponed for a period of up to seven days. Suspensions or postponements may not exceed seven days except at times (1) when the
NYSE is closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency
exists as a result of which disposal of Fund securities is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the
Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided
that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
REDEMPTION
IN KIND. The Fund may pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in kind
of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and procedures
adopted by the Board. Securities will be readily marketable and will be valued in the same manner as in a regular redemption. If
your shares are redeemed in
49
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kind, you would
incur transaction costs in converting the assets into cash. The Fund, however, has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the
1940 Act, under which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the NAV of the
Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder.
RIGHTS
OF ACCUMULATION. Reduced sales charges are also available through Rights of Accumulation, under
which an investor or an eligible group of related investors, as described under “Reducing or Waiving Class A's Initial Sales
Charge” in the Prospectus, may aggregate the value of their existing holdings of Class A, Class B, and Class C shares of
the Fund and shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds (excluding money market funds other than those acquired pursuant to
the exchange privilege) to determine the reduced sales charge. However, the value of shares held directly with PMFS and through
your broker will not be aggregated to determine the reduced sales charge. The value of existing holdings for purposes of determining
the reduced sales charge is calculated using the maximum offering price (NAV plus maximum sales charge). The Distributor, your
broker or PMFS must be notified at the time of purchase that the investor is entitled to a reduced sales charge. Reduced sales
charges will be granted subject to confirmation of the investor's holdings. This does not apply to Prudential Government Money
Market Fund, Inc.
SALE
OF SHARES. You can redeem your shares at any time for cash at the NAV next determined after the
redemption request is received in proper form (in accordance with procedures established by PMFS in connection with investors'
accounts) by PMFS or your broker or other financial intermediary. See “Net Asset Value” below. In certain cases, however,
redemption proceeds will be reduced by the amount of any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC), as described in “Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge” below. If you are redeeming your shares through a broker, your broker must receive your sell order
before the NAV is computed for that day (at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in order
to receive that day's NAV. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive
the following day's NAV if your order to sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your broker will be responsible
for furnishing all necessary documentation to the Distributor and may charge you for its services in connection with redeeming
shares of the Fund.
All
correspondence and documents concerning redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, Rhode
Island 02940 or to your broker or other financial intermediary.
If
you hold shares in non-certificate form, a written request for redemption signed by you exactly as the account is registered is
required. If you hold certificates, the certificates must be received by PMFS, the Distributor or your broker in order for the
redemption request to be processed. If redemption is requested by a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, written evidence
of authority acceptable to PMFS must be submitted before such request will be accepted. All correspondence and documents concerning
redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940, to the Distributor or to your broker.
Payment
for redemption of recently purchased shares will be delayed until the Fund or PMFS has been advised that the purchase check has
been honored, which may take up to 7 calendar days from the time of receipt of the purchase check by PMFS. Such delay may be avoided
by purchasing shares by wire or by certified or cashier's check.
SIGNATURE
GUARANTEE. If the proceeds of the redemption (1) exceed $100,000, (2) are to be paid to a person
other than the record owner, (3) are to be sent to an address other than the address on PMFS’ records, (4) are to be paid
to a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, or (5) are to be paid due to the death of the shareholder or on behalf of the
shareholder, and your shares are held directly with PMFS, the signature(s) on the redemption request or stock power must be medallion
signature guaranteed. The medallion signature guarantee must be obtained from an authorized officer of a bank, broker, dealer,
securities exchange or association, clearing agency, savings association, or credit union that is participating in one of the recognized
medallion programs (STAMP, SEMP, or NYSE MSP). The medallion signature guarantee must be appropriate for the dollar amount of the
transaction. PMFS reserves the right to reject transactions where the value of the transaction exceeds the value of the surety
coverage indicated on the medallion imprint. PMFS also reserves the right to request additional information from, and make reasonable
inquires of, any institution that provides a medallion signature guarantee. In the case of redemptions from a PruArray Plan, if
the proceeds of the redemption are invested in another investment option of the plan in the name of the record holder and at the
same address as reflected in PMFS' records, a medallion signature guarantee is not required.
Payment
for shares presented for redemption will be made by check within seven days after receipt by PMFS or your broker of the written
request and certificates, if issued, except as indicated below. If you hold shares through a broker, payment for shares presented
for redemption will be credited to your account at your broker, unless you indicate otherwise. Such payment may be postponed or
the right of redemption suspended at times (1) when the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when
trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by
it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets,
or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC shall
govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
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EXPEDITED
REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE. By electing the Expedited Redemption Privilege, you may arrange to have
redemption proceeds sent to your bank account. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be used to redeem shares in an amount of
$100 or more, except if an account for which an expedited redemption is requested has an NAV of less than $100, the entire account
will be redeemed. Redemption proceeds in the amount of $500 or more will be remitted by wire to your bank account at a domestic
commercial bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve system. The money would generally be received by your bank within one
business day of the redemption. Redemption proceeds of less than $500 will be sent by ACH to your bank which must be a member of
the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. The money would generally be received by your bank within three business days of the
redemption. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. Expedited redemption requests may be made by telephone
or letter, must be received by the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to receive a redemption amount based on that
day's NAV and are subject to the terms and conditions as set forth in the Prospectus regarding redemption of shares. In the event
that regular trading on the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to
sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. For more information, see “How to Buy, Sell and Exchange
Fund Shares-Telephone Redemptions or Exchanges” in the Prospectus. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be modified or
terminated at any time without notice. To receive further information, shareholders should contact PMFS.
INVOLUNTARY
REDEMPTION. If the value of your account with PMFS is less than $500 for any reason, we may sell
the rest of your shares (without charging any CDSC) and close your account. The involuntary sale provisions do not apply to: (i)
an individual retirement account (IRA) or other qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan or account, (ii) Automatic Investment
Plan (AIP) accounts, employee savings plan accounts or payroll deduction plan accounts, (iii) accounts under the same registration
with multiple share classes in the Fund whose combined value exceeds $500, or (iv) clients with assets more than $50,000 across
the PGIM Investments family of mutual funds. “Client” for this purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights
of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors.
We
have the right to reject any purchase order (including an exchange into a Fund) or suspend or modify a Fund's sales of its shares
under certain circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, failure by you to provide additional information
requested, such as information required to verify the source of funds used to purchase shares, your identity or the identity of
any underlying beneficial owners of your shares. Furthermore, we are required by law to close your account if you do not provide
the required identifying information; this would result in the redemption of shares at the then-current day's NAV and the proceeds
would be remitted to you via check. We will attempt to verify your identity within a reasonable time frame (e.g., 60 days) which
may change from time to time.
ACCOUNT
MAINTENANCE FEE. In order to offset the disproportionate effect (in basis points) of expenses
associated with servicing lower balance accounts, if the value of your account with PMFS is less than $10,000, a $15 annual account
maintenance fee (“account maintenance fee”) will be deducted from your account. The account maintenance fee will be
assessed during the 4th calendar quarter of each year. Any applicable CDSC on the shares redeemed to pay the account maintenance
fee will be waived. The account maintenance fee will not be charged on: (i) accounts during the first six months from inception
of the account, (ii) accounts for which you have elected to receive your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses,
and fund shareholder reports electronically rather than by mail, (iii) omnibus accounts or other accounts for which the dealer
is responsible for recordkeeping, (iv) institutional accounts, (v) group retirement plans (including SIMPLE IRA plans, profit-sharing
plans, money purchase pension plans, Keogh plans, defined compensation plans, defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans), (vi) AIP
accounts or employee savings plan accounts, (vii) accounts with the same registration associated with multiple share classes within
the Fund, provided that the aggregate value of share classes with the same registration within the Fund is $10,000 or more, or
(viii) clients with assets of $50,000 or more across the PGIM Investments family of mutual funds. “Client” for this
purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors
or other financial intermediary.
90
DAY REPURCHASE PRIVILEGE. If you redeem your shares and have not previously exercised the repurchase
privilege during the previous 12 months, you may reinvest back into your account any portion or all of the proceeds of such redemption
in shares of the Fund at the NAV next determined after the order is received, which must be within 90 days after the date of the
redemption. Any CDSC paid in connection with such redemption in Class A, Class B or Class C shares will be credited (in shares)
to your account. (If less than a full repurchase is made, the credit will be on a pro rata basis.) This repurchase privilege can
only be used once in a 12-month period. You must notify PMFS, either directly or through the Distributor or your broker, at the
time the repurchase privilege is exercised to adjust your account for the CDSC you previously paid. Thereafter, any redemptions
will be subject to the CDSC applicable at the time of the redemption. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below.
Exercise of the repurchase privilege will generally not affect federal tax treatment of any gain realized upon redemption. However,
if the redemption was made within a 30 day period of the repurchase and if the redemption resulted in a loss, some or all of the
loss, depending on the amount reinvested, may not be allowed for federal income tax purposes.
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The
terms of this privilege may vary by financial intermediary. For more information, see “Appendix A: Waivers and Discounts
Available From Certain Financial Intermediaries” in the Fund’s prospectus.
CONTINGENT
DEFERRED SALES CHARGE (CDSC)
Class
A. Investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and sell these shares within 12
months of purchase are subject to a 1% CDSC. (Note: For Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. only, investors who
purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and then sell these shares within 18 months of purchase are subject to a 0.50% CDSC).
Class
B. Redemptions of Class B shares will be subject to a CDSC declining from 5% to zero over a six-year
period (or a four-year period in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.).
Class
C. Class C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase will be subject to a 1% CDSC. The CDSC
will be deducted from the redemption proceeds and reduce the amount paid to you.
Waiver
of CDSC. The Class A, Class B, or Class C CDSC is waived if the shares are sold:
■ |
After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders as well as shares held in joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability, |
■ |
To provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, |
■ |
To withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, and |
■ |
On certain redemptions effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (Class B shares only). |
If
you purchase Class Z shares (see “Qualifying for Class Z Shares” in the Prospectus) within 5 days of redemption of
your Class A shares that you had purchased directly through the Fund's transfer agent, we will credit your account with the appropriate
number of shares to reflect any CDSC you paid on the reinvested portion of your redemption proceeds.
Calculation
of CDSC. The CDSC will be imposed on any redemption that reduces the current value of your Class
A, Class B or Class C shares to an amount which is lower than the amount of all payments by you for shares during the preceding
12 months in the case of Class A shares (in certain cases), 6 years in the case of Class B shares (or four years in the case
of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. Class B shares), and 12 months in the case of Class C shares. A CDSC will
be applied on the lesser of the original purchase price or the current value of the shares being redeemed. Increases in the value
of your shares or shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions are not subject to a CDSC. The amount of any
CDSC will be paid to and retained by the Distributor. If you purchased or hold your shares through a broker, third party administrator
or other authorized entity that maintains subaccount recordkeeping, any applicable CDSC that you will pay will be calculated and
reported to PMFS by such broker, administrator or other authorized entity.
The
amount of the CDSC, if any, will vary depending on the number of years from the time of payment for the purchase of shares until
the time of redemption of such shares. The CDSC will be calculated from the date of the initial purchase, excluding the time shares
were held in Class B or Class C shares of a money market fund. See “Shareholder Services—Exchange Privileges”
below.
In
determining whether a CDSC is applicable to a redemption, the calculation will be made in a manner that results in the lowest possible
rate. It will be assumed that the redemption is made first of amounts representing shares acquired pursuant to the reinvestment
of dividends and distributions; then of amounts representing the increase in NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase
of Class A shares made during the preceding 12 months (in certain cases), 6 years for Class B shares (four years in the case
of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.) and 12 months for Class C shares; then of amounts representing the cost
of shares held beyond the applicable CDSC period; and finally, of amounts representing the cost of shares held for the longest
period of time within the applicable CDSC period.
For
example, assume you purchased 100 Class B shares at $10 per share for a cost of $1,000. Subsequently, you acquired 5 additional
Class B shares through dividend reinvestment. During the second year after the purchase you decided to redeem $500 of your investment.
Assuming at the time of the redemption the NAV had appreciated to $12 per share, the value of your Class B shares would be $1,260
(105 shares at $12 per share). The CDSC would not be applied to the value of the reinvested dividend shares and the amount which
represent appreciation ($260). Therefore, $240 of the $500 redemption proceeds ($500 minus $260) would be charged at a rate of
4% (the applicable rate in the second year after purchase) for a total CDSC of $9.60.
For
federal income tax purposes, the amount of the CDSC will reduce the gain or increase the loss, as the case may be, on the amount
recognized on the redemption of shares.
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As
noted above, the CDSC will be waived in the case of a redemption following the death or permanent disability of a shareholder or,
in the case of a trust account, following the death or permanent disability of the grantor. The waiver is available for total or
partial redemptions of shares owned by a person, either individually or in joint tenancy at the time of death or initial determination
of permanent disability, provided that the shares were purchased prior to death or permanent disability.
The
CDSC will be waived in the case of a total or partial redemption in connection with certain distributions under the Code from a
tax-deferred retirement plan, an IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account. For distributions from an IRA or 403(b) custodial account,
the shareholder must submit a copy of the distribution form from the custodial firm indicating (i) the date of birth of the shareholder
and (ii) that the shareholder is over age 70 1⁄2.
The distribution form must be signed by the shareholder.
SYSTEMATIC
WITHDRAWAL PLAN. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on certain redemptions of Class B shares
effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. On an annual basis, up to 12% of the total dollar amount subject to the CDSC may
be redeemed without charge. PMFS will calculate the total amount available for this waiver annually on the anniversary date of
your purchase. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on redemptions until this threshold of 12% is reached. The Systematic Withdrawal
Plan is not available to participants in certain retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
In
addition, the CDSC will be waived on redemptions of shares held by Board Members of the Funds.
You
must notify PMFS either directly or through your broker, at the time of redemption that you are entitled to a waiver of the CDSC
and provide PMFS or your broker with such supporting documentation as it may deem appropriate. The waiver will be granted subject
to confirmation of your entitlement.
PMFS
reserves the right to request such additional documents as it may deem appropriate.
AUTOMATIC
CONVERSION OF CLASS B SHARES. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares on
a quarterly basis approximately seven years after purchase.
Note:
Class B shares of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. will automatically convert to Class A shares on a quarterly basis
approximately five years after purchase.
The
number of Class B shares eligible to convert to Class A shares will be the total number of shares that have completed their aging
schedule (including any time spent at 0% liability), plus all shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends for Class B
shares.
Since
annual distribution-related fees are lower for Class A shares than Class B shares, the per share NAV of the Class A shares may
be higher than that of the Class B shares at the time of conversion. Thus, although the aggregate dollar value will be the same,
you may receive fewer Class A shares than Class B shares converted.
For
purposes of calculating the applicable holding period for conversions, for Class B shares previously exchanged for shares of a
money market fund, the time period during which such shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded for the Class B shares.
For example, Class B shares held in a money market fund for one year would not convert to Class A shares until approximately eight
years. Class B shares acquired through exchange will convert to Class A shares after expiration of the conversion period applicable
to the original purchaser of such shares.
The
conversion feature may be subject to the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the conversion
of shares does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. The automatic conversion of Class B shares into
Class A shares may be suspended if such opinions or rulings are no longer available. If such conversions are suspended, Class B
shares of the Fund will continue to be subject, possibly indefinitely, to their higher annual distribution and service fee. Shareholders
should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the conversion or exchange of shares.
EXCHANGE
OF SHARE CLASSES WITHIN THE FUND. Within the Fund, investors or their financial intermediaries
may wish to exchange investments in one share class of the Fund to another share class offered by the same Fund. For certain exchanges,
subject to the discretion of the Manager and or its affiliates, the Fund may need to waive applicable sales charges in the share
class that the shareholder is receiving and/or waive CDSC on the redeemed shares, as applicable.
Such
exchanges may be subject to the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the exchange of shares
does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. If such opinions or rulings are no longer available, then
the exchange may be a taxable event. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the exchange
of shares.
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Please
contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details on such exchanges.
NET
ASSET VALUE
The
price an investor pays for a Fund share is based on the share value. The share value—known as the net asset value per share
or NAV—is determined by subtracting Fund liabilities from the value of Fund assets and dividing the remainder by the number
of outstanding shares. NAV is calculated separately for each class. The Fund will compute its NAV once each business day at the
close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. For purposes of computing NAV, the Fund will value futures
contracts generally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The Fund may not compute its NAV on days on which
no orders to purchase, sell or exchange shares of the Fund have been received or on days on which changes in the value of the Fund's
portfolio securities do not materially affect NAV. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading as
a closure of the NYSE and will price its shares as of 4:00 p.m., if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. Please
see the NYSE website (www.nyse.com) for a specific list of the holidays on which the NYSE is closed.
In
accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the value of investments listed on a securities exchange and NASDAQ System securities
(other than options on stock and stock indices) are valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation or, if there was no sale
on such day, the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day, or at the bid price on such day in the absence of an asked
price, as provided by a pricing service or principal market marker. Securities included on the NASDAQ Market are valued at the
NASDAQ Official Closing Price (NOCP) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP, at the last sale price. NASDAQ Market Securities
for which there was no NOCP or last sale price are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on the day of valuation,
or the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Corporate bonds (other than convertible debt securities) and US Government
securities that are actively traded in the OTC market, including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by
the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be over-the-counter, are valued on the basis of valuations provided by an independent
pricing agent which uses information with respect to transactions in bonds, quotations from bond dealers, agency ratings, market
transactions in comparable securities and various relationships between securities in determining value. Convertible debt securities
that are actively traded in the over-the-counter market, including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by
the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be OTC, are valued on the day of valuation at an evaluated bid price provided
by an independent pricing agent, or, in the absence of valuation provided by an independent pricing agent, at the bid price provided
by a principal market maker or primary market dealer.
OTC
options on stock and stock indices traded on an exchange are valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked
prices on the respective exchange and futures contracts and options thereon are valued at their last sale prices as of the close
of trading on the applicable commodities exchange or if there was no sale on the applicable commodities exchange on such day, at
the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on such exchange or at the last bid price in the absence of an asked
price. Quotations of non-US securities in a non-US currency are converted to US dollar equivalents at the current rate obtained
from a recognized bank, dealer or independent service, and forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the current cost of
covering or offsetting such contacts. Should an extraordinary event, which is likely to affect the value of the security, occur
after the close of an exchange on which a portfolio security is traded, such security will be valued at fair value considering
factors determined in good faith by the subadviser or Manager under procedures established by and under the general supervision
of the Fund's Board.
Under
the 1940 Act, the Board is responsible for determining in good faith the fair value of securities of the Fund. Portfolio securities
for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the pricing agent or principal market maker does not
provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of the Manager or subadviser (or
Valuation Committee or Board) does not represent fair value (Fair Value Securities), are valued by the Valuation Committee or Board
in consultation with the subadviser or Manager, as applicable, including, as applicable, their portfolio managers, traders, research
and credit analysts, and legal and compliance personnel, on the basis of the following factors: the nature of any restrictions
on disposition of the securities; assessment of the general liquidity/illiquidity of the securities; the issuer's financial condition
and the markets in which it does business; the cost of the investment; the size of the holding and the capitalization of issuer;
the prices of any recent transactions or bids/offers for such securities or any comparable securities; any available analyst, media
or other reports or information deemed reliable by the Manager or subadviser regarding the issuer or the markets or industry in
which it operates; other analytical data; consistency with valuation of similar securities held by other PGIM Investments mutual
funds; and such other factors as may be determined by the subadviser, Manager, Board or Valuation Committee to materially affect
the value of the security. Fair Value Securities may include, but are not limited to, the following: certain private placements
and restricted securities that do not have an active trading market; securities whose trading has been suspended or for which market
quotes are no longer available; debt securities that have recently gone into default and for which there is no current market;
securities whose prices are stale; securities affected by significant events; and securities that the subadviser or Manager believes
were priced incorrectly.
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A
“significant event” (which includes, but is not limited to, an extraordinary political or market event) is an event
that the subadviser or Manager believes with a reasonably high degree of certainty has caused the closing market prices of portfolio
securities to no longer reflect their value at the time of the NAV calculation. On a day that the Manager determines that one or
more portfolio securities constitute Fair Value Securities, the Manager’s Fair Valuation Committee may determine the fair
value of these securities if the fair valuation of each security results in a change of less than $0.01 to the Fund's NAV and/or
the fair valuation of the securities in the aggregate results in a change of less than one half of one percent of the Fund's daily
net assets and the Fair Valuation Committee presents these valuations to the Board for its ratification. In the event that the
fair valuation of a security results in a NAV change of $0.01 or more per share and/or in the aggregate results in a change of
one half of one percent or more of the daily NAV, the Board shall promptly be notified, in detail, of the fair valuation, and the
fair valuation will be reported on and presented for ratification at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Also, the Board
receives, on an interim basis, reports of the meetings of the Valuation Committee that occur between regularly scheduled Board
meetings.
In
addition, the Fund uses a service provided by a pricing vendor to fair value non-US Fair Value Securities, which are securities
that are primarily traded in non-US markets and subject to a valuation adjustment upon the reaching of a valuation “trigger”
determined by the Board. The fair value prices of non-US Fair Value Securities reflect an adjustment to closing market prices that
is intended to reflect the causal link between movements in the US market and the non-US market on which the securities trade.
The
use of fair value pricing procedures involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security
may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if the security were sold at approximately the same
time at which the NAV per share is determined.
Generally,
we will value the Fund's futures contracts at the close of trading for those contracts (normally 15 minutes after the close of
regular trading on the NYSE). If, in the judgment of the subadviser or Manager, the closing price of a contract is materially different
from the contract price at the NYSE close, a fair value price for the contract will be determined.
If
dividends are declared daily, the NAV of each class of shares will generally be the same. It is expected, however, that the dividends,
if any, will differ by approximately the amount of the distribution and/or service fee expense accrual differential among the classes.
SHAREHOLDER
SERVICES
Upon
the initial purchase of Fund shares, a Shareholder Investment Account is established for each investor under which a record of
the shares is maintained by PMFS. Share certificates are no longer issued for shares of the Fund. The Fund furnishes to shareholders
the following privileges and plans:
AUTOMATIC
REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS AND/OR DISTRIBUTIONS. For the convenience of investors, all dividends
and distributions are automatically reinvested in full and fractional shares of the Fund at NAV per share. An investor may direct
PMFS in writing not less than five full business days prior to the record date to have subsequent dividends and/or distributions
sent in cash rather than reinvested. In the case of recently purchased shares for which registration instructions have not been
received by the record date, cash payment will be made directly to the broker. Any shareholder who receives dividends or distributions
in cash may subsequently reinvest any such dividend or distribution at NAV by returning the check or the proceeds to PMFS within
30 days after the payment date. Such reinvestment will be made at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the check
or the proceeds by PMFS. Shares purchased with reinvested dividends and/or distributions will not be subject to any CDSC upon redemption.
EXCHANGE
PRIVILEGES. The Fund furnishes to shareholders the privilege of exchanging their shares of the
Fund for shares of certain other PGIM Investments mutual funds, as disclosed in each Fund’s Prospectus, including one or
more specified money market funds, subject in each case to the minimum investment requirements of such funds. Shares of such other
PGIM Investments mutual funds may also be exchanged for shares of the Fund. All exchanges are made on the basis of the relative
NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. An exchange will be treated as a redemption and purchase for federal
income tax purposes. Shares may be exchanged for shares of another fund only if shares of such fund may legally be sold under applicable
state laws. For retirement and group plans having a limited menu of PGIM Investments mutual funds, the exchange privilege is available
for those funds eligible for investment in the particular program.
It
is contemplated that the exchange privilege may be applicable to new PGIM Investments mutual funds, the shares of which may be
distributed by the Distributor.
In
order to exchange shares by telephone, you must authorize telephone exchanges on your initial application form or by written notice
to PMFS and hold shares in non-certificated form. Thereafter, you may call the Fund at (800) 225-1852 to execute a telephone exchange
of shares, on weekdays, except holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. For your protection and
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to prevent fraudulent
exchanges, your telephone call will be recorded and you will be asked to authenticate your account. A written confirmation of the
exchange transaction will be sent to you. Neither the Fund nor its agents will be liable for any loss, liability or cost which
results from acting upon instructions reasonably believed to be genuine under the foregoing procedures. All exchanges will be made
on the basis of the relative NAV of the two funds next determined after the request is received in good order.
If
you hold shares through a brokerage firm, you must exchange your shares by contacting your financial adviser.
If
you hold share certificates, the certificates must be returned in order for the shares to be exchanged. See “Purchase, Redemption
and Pricing of Fund Shares—Sale of Shares” above.
You
may also exchange shares by mail by writing to PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940.
In
periods of severe market or economic conditions the telephone exchange of shares may be difficult to implement and you should make
exchanges by mail by writing to PMFS at the address noted above.
Class
A shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class A shares for Class A shares of certain
other PGIM Investments mutual funds and shares of the money market funds specified below. No fee or sales load will be imposed
upon the exchange. Shareholders of money market funds who acquired such shares upon exchange of Class A shares may use the exchange
privilege only to acquire Class A shares of the PGIM Investments mutual funds participating in the exchange privilege.
The
following money market fund participates in the Class A exchange privilege: Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. (Class
A shares).
Participants
in certain programs sponsored by broker-dealers, investment advisers and financial planners who have agreements with Prudential,
or whose programs are available through financial intermediaries that have agreements with Prudential relating to mutual fund “wrap”
or asset allocation programs or mutual fund “supermarket” programs, for which the Fund is an available option, may
have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged for Class Z shares of the Fund, if available as an investment option, when they elect
to have those assets become a part of the program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), such Class Z shares (and,
to the extent provided for in the program, Class Z shares acquired through participation in the program) may be exchanged for Class
A shares of the Fund at NAV if Class Z shares are not available to the shareholder as an investment option outside the program.
Contact your program sponsor or financial intermediary with any questions.
Class
B and Class C shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class B and Class C shares
of the Fund for Class B and Class C shares, respectively, of other PGIM Investments mutual funds. No CDSC will be payable upon
such exchange, but a CDSC may be payable upon the redemption of the Class B and Class C shares acquired as a result of an exchange.
The applicable sales charge will be that imposed by the fund in which shares were initially purchased and the purchase date will
be deemed to be the date of the initial purchase, rather than the date of the exchange, excluding any time Class B or Class C shares
were held in a money market fund.
Class
B and Class C shares may also be exchanged for shares of Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. without imposition of any
CDSC at the time of exchange. Upon subsequent redemption from such money market fund or after re-exchange into a Fund, such shares
will be subject to the CDSC calculated without regard to the time such shares were held in the money market fund. For purposes
of calculating the seven year holding period applicable to the Class B conversion feature, the time period during which Class B
shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded.
At
any time after acquiring shares of other funds participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege, a shareholder may again
exchange those shares (and any reinvested dividends and distributions) for Class B or Class C shares of a Fund without subjecting
such shares to any CDSC. Shares of any fund participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege that were acquired through
reinvestment of dividends or distributions may be exchanged for Class B or Class C shares of other funds without being subject
to any CDSC.
Class
Q shares: Class Q shares may be exchanged for Class Q shares of other PGIM Investments mutual
funds.
Class
R shares: Class R shares may be exchanged for Class R shares of other PGIM Investments mutual
funds.
Class
Z shares: Class Z shares may be exchanged for Class Z shares of other PGIM Investments mutual
funds.
Shareholders
who qualify to purchase Class Z shares may have their Class B and Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC and their Class
A shares exchanged for Class Z shares upon notification. Eligibility for this exchange privilege will be calculated on the business
day prior to the date of the exchange. Amounts representing Class B or Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC include
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the following:
(1) amounts representing Class B or Class C shares acquired pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions,
(2) amounts representing the increase in the NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class B or Class C shares
and (3) amounts representing Class B or Class C shares held beyond the applicable CDSC period. Class B and Class C shareholders
must notify PMFS either directly or through Wells Fargo Advisors, Pruco Securities, LLC or another broker that they are eligible
for this special exchange privilege.
Participants
in any fee-based program for which the Fund is an available option may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to
have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged for Class Z shares when they elect to have those assets become a part of the fee-based
program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), the participant may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper
to have such Class Z shares acquired through participation in the program exchanged for Class A shares at NAV. Similarly, participants
in Wells Fargo Advisors' 401(k) Plan for which the Fund's Class Z shares are an available option and who wish to transfer their
Class Z shares out of the Wells Fargo Advisors 401(k) Plan following separation from service (i.e., voluntary or involuntary termination
of employment or retirement) may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to have their Class Z shares exchanged for
Class A shares at NAV.
Additional
details about the exchange privilege and prospectuses for each of the PGIM Investments mutual funds are available from PMFS, the
Distributor or your broker. The special exchange privilege may be modified, terminated or suspended on sixty days' notice, and
the Fund, or the Distributor, has the right to reject any exchange application relating to the Fund's shares.
AUTOMATIC
INVESTMENT PLAN (AIP). Under AIP, an investor may arrange to have a fixed amount automatically
invested in shares of the Fund by authorizing his or her bank account or brokerage account to be debited to invest specified dollar
amounts in shares of the Fund. The investor's bank must be a member of the Automated Clearing House System.
Further
information about this program and an application form can be obtained from PMFS, the Distributor or your broker.
SYSTEMATIC
WITHDRAWAL PLAN. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan is available to shareholders through the PMFS or
your broker. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual redemptions in any amount, except
as provided below, up to the value of the shares in the shareholder's account. Systematic withdrawals of Class A (in certain instances),
Class B and Class C shares may be subject to a CDSC. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan is not available to participants in certain
retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
PMFS,
the Distributor or your broker acts as an agent for the shareholder in redeeming sufficient full and fractional shares to provide
the amount of the systematic withdrawal payment. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time.
Systematic
withdrawals should not be considered as dividends, yield or income. If systematic withdrawals continuously exceed reinvested dividends
and distributions, the shareholder's original investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately exhausted.
Furthermore,
each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of shares, and any gain or loss realized must be recognized for federal income tax purposes.
In addition, withdrawals made concurrently with purchases of additional shares are inadvisable because of the sales charges applicable
to (i) the purchase of Class A shares and (ii) the redemption of Class A (in certain instances), Class B and Class C shares. Each
shareholder should consult his or her own tax adviser with regard to the tax consequences of the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, particularly
if used in connection with a retirement plan.
MUTUAL
FUND PROGRAMS. From time to time, the Fund may be included in a mutual fund program with other
PGIM Investments mutual funds. Under such a program, a group of portfolios will be selected and thereafter marketed collectively.
Typically, these programs are marketed with an investment theme, such as pursuit of greater diversification, protection from interest
rate movements or access to different management styles. In the event such a program is instituted, there may be a minimum investment
requirement for the program as a whole. The Fund may waive or reduce the minimum initial investment requirements in connection
with such a program.
The
mutual funds in the program may be purchased individually or as a part of a program. Since the allocation of portfolios included
in the program may not be appropriate for all investors, investors should consult their financial adviser concerning the appropriate
blends of portfolios for them. If investors elect to purchase the individual mutual funds that constitute the program in an investment
ratio different from that offered by the program, the standard minimum investment requirements for the individual mutual funds
will apply.
TAX-DEFERRED
RETIREMENT PROGRAMS. Various tax-deferred retirement plans, including a 401(k) plan, self-directed
individual retirement accounts and “tax-deferred accounts” under Section 403(b)(7) of the Code are available through
the Distributor. These plans are for use by both self-employed individuals and corporate employers. These plans permit either self-direction
of accounts by participants or a pooled account arrangement. Information regarding the establishment of these plans, their administration,
custodial fees and other details is available from the Distributor or PMFS.
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Investors
who are considering the adoption of such a plan should consult with their own legal counsel and/or tax adviser with respect to
the establishment and maintenance of any such plan.
TAXES,
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The
following is a summary of certain tax considerations generally affecting each Fund and its shareholders. This section is based
on the Code, Treasury Regulations, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to
change, possibly on a retroactive basis. Please consult your own tax adviser concerning the consequences of investing in a Fund
in your particular circumstances under the Code and the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
QUALIFICATION
AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY. Each Fund has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment
company under Subchapter M of the Code and intends to meet all other requirements that are necessary for it to be relieved of federal
taxes on income and gains it distributes to shareholders. As a regulated investment company, a Fund is not subject to federal income
tax on the portion of its net investment income (i.e., investment company taxable income, as that term is defined in the Code,
without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss) that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its net tax-exempt income
and investment company taxable income for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”), and satisfies certain other requirements
of the Code that are described below.
Net
capital gains of a Fund that are available for distribution to shareholders will be computed by taking into account any applicable
capital loss carryforward. If a Fund has a capital loss carryforward, the amount and duration of any such capital loss carryforward
will be set forth at the end of this section.
In
addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, each Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest,
certain payments with respect to loans of stock and securities, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities or non-US
currencies and other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect
to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a “qualified
publicly traded partnership” (as such term is defined in the Code).
Each
Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test on a quarterly basis. Failure to do so may result in a Fund being subject
to penalty taxes, being required to sell certain of its positions, and may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment
company. Under this asset diversification test, at the close of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year, (1) 50% or more of
the value of the Fund’s assets must be represented by cash, United States government securities, securities of other regulated
investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not
greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not
more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities of (x) any one issuer (other than United States
government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or two or more issuers (other than securities of
other regulated investment companies) of which the Fund owns 20% or more of the voting stock and which are engaged in the same,
similar or related trades or businesses or (y) one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as such term is
defined in the Code) and commonly referred to as “master limited partnerships.”
A
Fund may be able to cure a failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings
in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or by paying a tax and disposing of assets. If,
in any taxable year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, the Fund will be taxed in the same manner
as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income.
Although
in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated
investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. A Fund’s
investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state,
local or non-US income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
If
for any year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, or fails to meet the Distribution Requirement, all of its
taxable income (including its net capital gain) will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions
to shareholders. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, a Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the
Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, will be taxable
to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends will be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in
the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders.
Moreover, if a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated
in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment
company for a period greater than two taxable years,
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the Fund may be
subject to taxation on any net built-in-gains (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate
loss that would have been realized if the Fund had been liquidated) recognized for a period of ten years, or, under certain circumstances,
may have to recognize and pay tax on such net built-in-gain, in order to qualify as a regulated investment company in a subsequent
year.
EXCISE
TAX ON REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANIES. A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on a regulated
investment company to the extent that it distributes income in such a way that it is taxable to shareholders in a calendar year
other than the calendar year in which a Fund earned the income. Specifically, the excise tax will be imposed if a Fund fails to
distribute in each calendar year an amount equal to 98% of ordinary taxable income, including qualified dividend income, for the
calendar year and 98.2% of capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year (or, at the
election of a regulated investment company having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year). The
balance of such income must be distributed during the next calendar year. For the foregoing purposes, a regulated investment company
is treated as having distributed otherwise retained amounts if it is subject to income tax on those amounts for any taxable year
ending in such calendar year.
Each
Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its qualified dividend income, ordinary income and capital
gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax. However, investors should note that
a Fund may in certain circumstances be required to borrow money or liquidate portfolio investments to make sufficient distributions
to avoid excise tax liability.
FUND
INVESTMENTS. Each Fund may make investments or engage in transactions that affect the character,
amount and timing of gains or losses realized by a Fund. A Fund may make investments that produce income that is not matched by
a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund. Any such income would be treated as income earned by the Fund and therefore would be
subject to the Distribution Requirement. Such investments may require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in
order to comply with those requirements. Each Fund may also make investments that prevent or defer the recognition of losses or
the deduction of expenses. These investments may likewise require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in order
to comply with the Distribution Requirement. Additionally, a Fund may make investments that result in the recognition of ordinary
income rather than capital gain, or that prevent the Fund from accruing a long-term holding period. These investments may prevent
the Fund from making capital gain distributions as described below. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, will make the
appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it makes any such investments in
order to mitigate the effect of these rules. The foregoing concepts are explained in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Gains
or losses on sales of stock or securities by a Fund generally will be treated as long-term capital gains or losses if the stock
or securities have been held by it for more than one year, except in certain cases where the Fund acquires a put or writes a call
or otherwise holds an offsetting position, with respect to the stock or securities. Other gains or losses on the sale of stock
or securities will be short-term capital gains or losses.
In
certain situations, a Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its net capital loss realized after October (or if
there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) and its late-year ordinary loss (defined as the
sum of the excess of post-October non-US currency and passive non-US investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October
non-US currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next
taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such
realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the
tax character of shareholder distributions.
If
an option written by a Fund on securities lapses or is terminated through a closing transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund
of the option from its holder, the Fund will generally realize short-term capital gain or loss. If securities are sold by the Fund
pursuant to the exercise of a call option written by it, the Fund will include the premium received in the sale proceeds of the
securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale. Gain or loss on the sale, lapse or other termination
of options acquired by a Fund on stock or securities and on narrowly-based stock indexes will be capital gain or loss and will
be long-term or short-term depending on the holding period of the option.
Certain
Fund transactions may be subject to wash sale, short sale, constructive sale, conversion transaction, constructive ownership transaction
and straddle provisions of the Code that may, among other things, require a Fund to defer recognition of losses or convert long-term
capital gain into ordinary income or short-term capital gain taxable as ordinary income.
As
a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund may also make or receive a payment
when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments
will generally constitute taxable ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain
or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With
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certain types of
swaps, a Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect
under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. Periodic net payments
that would otherwise constitute ordinary deductions but are allocable under the Code to exempt-interest dividends will not be allowed
as a deduction but instead will reduce net tax-exempt income.
In
general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when a Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender,
not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally capital gain or loss to the extent that the
property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in a Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations
where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules
would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding
period of “substantially identical property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a
long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by a Fund
for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities
for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Debt
securities acquired by a Fund may be subject to original issue discount and market discount rules which, respectively, may cause
the Fund to accrue income in advance of the receipt of cash with respect to interest or cause gains to be treated as ordinary income
subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above. Market discount generally is the excess, if any, of the principal amount
of the security (or, in the case of a security issued at an original issue discount, the adjusted issue price of the security)
over the price paid by the Fund for the security. Original issue discount that accrues in a taxable year is treated as income earned
by a Fund and therefore is subject to the Distribution Requirement. Because the original issue discount income earned by a Fund
in a taxable year may not be represented by cash income, the Fund may have to borrow money or dispose of other securities and use
the proceeds to make distributions to satisfy the Distribution Requirement.
Certain
futures contracts and certain listed options (referred to as Section 1256 contracts) held by the Funds will be required to be “marked
to market” for federal income tax purposes at the end of a Fund’s taxable year, that is, treated as having been sold
at the fair market value on the last business day of the Fund’s taxable year. Except with respect to certain non-US currency
forward contracts, sixty percent of any gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales and on actual dispositions will be treated
as long-term capital gain or loss, and forty percent will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any net mark-to-market
gains may be subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above, even though a Fund may receive no corresponding cash amounts,
possibly requiring the disposition of portfolio securities or borrowing to obtain the necessary cash.
Gains
or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between the time a Fund accrues interest or other receivables
or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-US currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables
or pays such liabilities are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on non-US currency forward contracts
or dispositions of debt securities denominated in a non-US currency that are attributable to fluctuations in the value of the non-US
currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition thereof generally also are treated
as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as “Section 988” gains or losses, increase
or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary
income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund’s net capital gain. If Section 988 losses exceed other
investment company taxable income during a taxable year, a Fund would not be able to make any ordinary dividend distributions from
current earnings and profits, and distributions made before the losses were realized could be recharacterized as a return of capital
to shareholders, rather than as an ordinary dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.
If
the Fund holds (directly or indirectly) one or more “tax credit bonds” (defined below) on one or more specified dates
during the Fund’s taxable year, and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect for US federal
income tax purposes to pass through to shareholders tax credits otherwise allowable to the Fund for that year with respect to such
bonds. A tax credit bond is defined in the Code as a “qualified tax credit bond” (which includes a qualified forestry
conservation bond, a new clean renewable energy bond, a qualified energy conservation bond, a qualified zone academy bond, or a
qualified school construction bond, each of which must meet certain requirements specified in the Code), a “build America
bond” or certain other specified bonds. If the Fund were to make an election, a shareholder of the Fund would be required
to include in gross income an amount equal to such shareholder’s proportionate share of the interest income attributable
to such credits and would be entitled to claim as a tax credit an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of
such credits. Certain limitations may apply on the extent to which the credit may be claimed.
A
Fund may make investments in equity securities of non-US issuers. If a Fund purchases shares in PFICs, the Fund may be subject
to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such non-US corporation, including any gain from
the disposition of such shares, even if such income is distributed by the Fund to its shareholders. In addition, certain interest
charges may be imposed on
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the Fund as a result
of such distributions. If a Fund were to invest in an eligible PFIC and elected to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund
(a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include each year in its income and
distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, a pro rata portion of the QEF’s ordinary earnings
and net capital gain, whether or not distributed by the QEF to the Fund. A Fund may not be able to make this election with respect
to many PFICs because of certain requirements that the PFICs would have to satisfy.
Alternatively,
a Fund generally will be permitted to “mark to market” any shares it holds in a PFIC. If a Fund made such an election,
with such election being made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund, the Fund would be required to include in income each
year and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of
the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year over the adjusted basis of such stock at that time.
A Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the PFIC stock over its fair market value
as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains with respect to the stock included
by the Fund for prior taxable years. A Fund will make appropriate basis adjustments in the PFIC stock to take into account the
mark-to-market amounts.
Notwithstanding
any election made by a Fund, dividends attributable to distributions from a non-US corporation will not be eligible for the special
tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income if the non-US corporation is a PFIC either in the taxable year of the distribution
or the preceding taxable year, but instead will be taxable at rates applicable to ordinary income.
A
Fund may invest in REITs. Such Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income
not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities
in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold (including when it is not advantageous to do so). A Fund’s
investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s
earnings; if the Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for
federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will generally not constitute qualified dividend income.
REITs will generally be able to pass through the tax treatment of tax-qualified dividends they receive.
Some
of the REITs in which the Funds may invest will be permitted to hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits
(“REMICs”). Under Treasury regulations not yet issued, but that may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s
income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC (referred to in the Code as an “excess
inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. These regulations are expected to provide that excess inclusion
income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company
in proportion to the dividends received by shareholders, with the same consequences as if shareholders held the related REMIC residual
interest directly.
In
general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception
for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a qualified pension
plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business
income, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and that otherwise might not be
required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-US shareholder,
will not qualify for any reduction in US federal withholding tax.
Under
current law, if a charitable remainder trust (defined in Section 664 of the Code) realizes any unrelated business taxable income
for a taxable year, it will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of such unrelated business taxable income. In addition, if
at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (as defined in the Code) is a record holder of a
share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of
its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest
federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Funds do not intend to invest directly in residual interests in REMICs or
to invest in REITs in which a substantial portion of the assets will consist of residual interests in REMICs.
FUND
DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its net investment income
for each taxable year. Dividends of net investment income paid to a non-corporate US shareholder that are reported as qualified
dividend income will generally be taxable to such shareholder at capital gain income tax rates. The amount of dividend income that
may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will generally be limited to the aggregate of the eligible dividends received
by the Fund. In addition, a Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the shares on which the Fund received
the eligible dividends, and the non-corporate US shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the
Fund shares. Dividends of net investment income that are not reported as qualified dividend income or exempt-interest dividends
and dividends of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates. Dividends paid by a Fund
with respect to a taxable year will qualify for the 70% dividends
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received deduction
generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of dividends received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations
for the taxable year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the US federal income tax consequences of distributions made
(or deemed made) during the year, including the portion of dividends paid that qualify for the reduced tax rate.
Ordinarily,
shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by a Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made.
However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by a Fund in October, November or December as of a record
date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the
year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than the year paid.
Dividends
paid by a Fund that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax. Dividends
paid by a Fund will be exempt from federal income tax (though not necessarily exempt from state and local taxation) to the extent
of the Fund’s tax-exempt interest income as long as 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets at the end of each
quarter is invested in (1) state, municipal and other bonds that are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes
or (2) interests in other regulated investment companies, and, in each case, as long as the Fund properly reports such dividends
as exempt-interest dividends. Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state, or its political
subdivisions, are generally exempt from income tax in that state. However, income from municipal securities from other states generally
will not qualify for tax-free treatment.
Interest
on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of a Fund will not be deductible for US federal income tax
purposes to the extent it relates to exempt-interest dividends received by a shareholder. If a shareholder receives exempt-interest
dividends with respect to any share of a Fund (other than a Fund that declares income dividends daily and pays such dividends at
least as frequently as monthly) and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or
exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. In addition, the Code may require a shareholder
that receives exempt-interest dividends to treat as taxable income a portion of certain otherwise non-taxable social security and
railroad retirement benefit payments. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by a Fund that represents income
derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a
shareholder who is a “substantial user” of a facility financed by such bonds, or a “related person” thereof.
In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from a Fund may affect a non-US corporate shareholder’s federal “branch
profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of a shareholder of an S corporation.
Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to whether they are (i) “substantial users” with respect to a
facility or “related” to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to the federal “branch profits”
tax, or the federal “excess net passive income” tax.
A
Fund may either retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain (i.e., excess net long-term capital gain over net short-term
capital loss) for each taxable year. Each Fund currently intends to distribute any such amounts. If net capital gain is distributed
and reported as a “capital gain dividend,” it will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless
of the length of time the shareholder has held its shares or whether such gain was recognized by the Fund prior to the date on
which the shareholder acquired its shares. Conversely, if a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed
thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected
that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a
distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata
share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of
tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution
less the tax credit.
Distributions
by a Fund that exceed the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the
extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares; any distribution in excess of such tax basis will
be treated as gain from the sale of its shares, as discussed below. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s minimum distribution
requirements but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will be taxable to shareholders and will not constitute
nontaxable returns of capital. A Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any, carried from taxable years beginning before 2011
do not reduce current earnings and profits, even if such carryforwards offset current year realized gains. In the event that the
Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject
to limitation.
Distributions
by a Fund will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested
in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). Shareholders receiving a distribution in the form of additional shares will
be treated as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash that could have been received. In addition, prospective
investors in a Fund should be aware that distributions from the Fund will, all other things being equal, have the effect of reducing
the NAV of the Fund’s shares by the amount of the distribution. If the NAV is reduced below a shareholder’s cost, the
distribution will
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nonetheless be
taxable as described above, even if the distribution effectively represents a return of invested capital. Investors should consider
the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution, when the price of shares may reflect the amount of the forthcoming
distribution.
SALE
OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES. A shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss on the sale or redemption
of shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale or redemption and the shareholder’s adjusted
tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder acquires other shares
of the Fund or substantially identical stock or securities within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before such disposition,
such as pursuant to reinvestment of a dividend in shares of the Fund. Additionally, if a shareholder disposes of shares of a Fund
within 90 days following their acquisition, and the shareholder subsequently re-acquires Fund shares (1) before January 31 of the
calendar year following the calendar year in which the original stock was disposed of, (2) pursuant to a reinvestment right received
upon the purchase of the original shares and (3) at a reduced load charge (i.e., sales or additional charge), then any load charge
incurred upon the acquisition of the original shares will not be taken into account as part of the shareholder’s basis for
computing gain or loss upon the sale of such shares, to the extent the original load charge does not exceed any reduction of the
load charge with respect to the acquisition of the subsequent shares. To the extent the original load charge is not taken into
account on the disposition of the original shares, such charge shall be treated as incurred in connection with the acquisition
of the subsequent shares. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares
of a Fund will be considered capital gain or loss and will be long term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than
one year. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as
a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of long-term capital gain dividends received on (or undistributed long-term
capital gains credited with respect to) such shares.
Capital
gain of a non-corporate US shareholder is generally taxed at a federal income tax rate of up to 15% for individuals with incomes
below approximately $418,000 ($471,000 if married filing jointly), adjusted annually for inflation, and 20% for any income above
such levels that is generally net long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income, where the property is held by the shareholder
for more than one year. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
Cost
Basis Reporting. Mutual funds must report cost basis information to you and the IRS when you sell
or exchange shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 in your non-retirement accounts. The cost basis regulations do not affect
retirement accounts, money market funds, and shares acquired before January 1, 2012. The regulations also require mutual funds
to report whether a gain or loss is short-term (shares held one year or less) or long-term (shares held more than one year) for
all shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 that are subsequently sold or exchanged. To calculate the gain or loss on shares
sold, you need to know the cost basis of the shares. Cost basis is the original value of an asset for tax purposes (usually the
gross purchase price), adjusted for stock splits, reinvested dividends, and return of capital distributions. This value is used
to determine the capital gain (or loss), which is the difference between the cost basis of the shares and the gross proceeds when
the shares are sold. The Fund’s Transfer Agent supports several different cost basis methods from which you may select a
cost basis method you believe best suited to your needs. If you decide to elect the Transfer Agent’s default method, which
is average cost, no action is required on your part. For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, if you change your cost basis
method, the new method will apply to all shares in the account if you request the change prior to the first redemption. If, however,
you request the change after the first redemption, the new method will apply to shares acquired on or after the date of the change.
Keep in mind that the Fund’s Transfer Agent is not required to report cost basis information to you or the IRS on shares
acquired before January 1, 2012. However, the Transfer Agent will provide this information to you, as a service, if its cost basis
records are complete for such shares. This information will be separately identified on the Form 1099-B (Proceeds from Broker and
Barter Exchange Transactions) sent to you by the Transfer Agent and not transmitted to the IRS.
BACKUP
WITHHOLDING. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the US Treasury
28% of all dividends and capital gain dividends, and the proceeds of redemption of shares, paid to any shareholder (1) who has
provided the Fund with either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to backup withholding
by the IRS for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly or (3) who has failed to certify to the Fund
that it is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other exempt recipient. In addition, dividends and
capital gain dividends made to corporate United States holders may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against a shareholder’s
federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
If
a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10
million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct
shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders
of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect
the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax
advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
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MEDICARE
CONTRIBUTION TAX. A US person that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall
into a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, is subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the US person’s
“net investment income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the US person’s modified adjusted
gross income for the taxable year over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). A Fund shareholder’s net investment
income will generally include, among other things, dividend income from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares,
unless such dividend income or net gains are derived in the ordinary course of the conduct of a trade or business (other than a
trade or business that consists of certain passive or trading activities). If you are a US person that is an individual, estate
or trust, you are urged to consult your tax advisers regarding the applicability of the Medicare contribution tax to your income
and gains in respect of your investment in the Fund shares.
NON-US
SHAREHOLDERS. Dividends paid to a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident
alien individual, non-US trust or estate, non-US corporation, or non-US partnership (“non-US shareholder”) will be
subject to US withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on the gross amount of the dividend. Such a
non-US shareholder would generally be exempt from US federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale
of shares of a Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported
as undistributed capital gains.
The
foregoing applies when the non-US shareholder’s income from a Fund is not effectively connected with a US trade or business.
If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with a US trade or business carried on by a non-US shareholder, then ordinary
income dividends, qualified dividend income, net capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains credited to such shareholder
and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of the Fund will be subject to US federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable
to US citizens or domestic corporations.
Distributions
that a Fund reports as “short-term capital gain dividends” or “long-term capital gain dividends” will not
be treated as such to a recipient non-US shareholder if the distribution is attributable to a REIT’s distribution to a Fund
of a gain from the sale or exchange of US real property or an interest in a US real property holding corporation and a Fund’s
direct or indirect interests in US real property exceed certain levels. Instead, if the non-US shareholder has not owned more than
5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions
will be subject to 30% withholding by a Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the non-US shareholder; if the non-US
shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of
the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the
non-US shareholder to US filing requirements. Additionally, if a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in US real property
were to exceed certain levels, a non-US shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from a Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding
tax and US filing requirements unless more than 50% of a Fund’s shares were owned by US persons at such time or unless the
non-US person had not held more than 5% of a Fund’s outstanding shares throughout either such person’s holding period
for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.
The
rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation
in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.
Provided
that 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s stock is held by US shareholders, distributions of US real property interests
(including securities in a US real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established
securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending
on the date of distribution), in redemption of a non-US shareholder’s shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize
gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests
over the Fund’s adjusted bases to the extent of the greatest non-US ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year
period ending on the date of redemption.
In
the case of non-US non-corporate shareholders, a Fund may be required to backup withhold US federal income tax on distributions
that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their non-US
status.
A
30% withholding tax is currently imposed on US-source dividends, interest and other income items, and will be imposed on proceeds
from the sale of property producing US-source dividends and interest paid after December 31, 2018, to (i) non-US financial institutions
including non-US investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect
US account holders and (ii) certain other non-US entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect
US owners. To avoid withholding, non-US financial institutions will need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that
they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect
US account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of US accounts, report to the IRS certain
information with respect to US accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant non-US financial
institutions
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or to account holders,
or (ii) in the event that an intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities
with similar account holder information. Other non-US entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification
number of each substantial US owner or certifications of no substantial US ownership unless certain exceptions apply.
The
tax consequences to a non-US shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those
described herein. Non-US shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences
to them of an investment in a Fund, the procedure for claiming the benefit of a lower treaty rate and the applicability of non-US
taxes.
NON-US
TAXES. A Fund may be subject to non-US withholding taxes or other non-US taxes with respect to
income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gain) received from sources within non-US countries. So long as more than 50%
by value of the total assets of the Fund (1) at the close of the taxable year, consists of stock or securities of non-US issuers,
or (2) at the close of each quarter, consists of interests in other regulated investment companies, the Fund may elect to treat
any non-US income taxes paid by it as paid directly by its shareholders.
If
the Fund makes the election, each shareholder will be required to (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received,
its pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating US taxable income) or credit
(in calculating US federal income tax) its pro rata share of the Fund’s income taxes. A non-US tax credit may not exceed
the US federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the non-US source income. For this purpose, each shareholder must treat
as non-US source gross income (i) its proportionate share of non-US taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any actual dividend
paid by the Fund which represents income derived from non-US sources; the gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated
as US source income and certain non-US currency gains and losses likewise will be treated as derived from US sources. This non-US
tax credit limitation is, with certain exceptions, applied separately to separate categories of income; dividends from the Fund
will be treated as “passive” or “general” income for this purpose. The effect of this limitation may be
to prevent shareholders from claiming as a credit the full amount of their pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes.
In addition, shareholders will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax credit with respect to non-US income taxes paid by the Fund
unless certain holding period requirements are met at both the Fund and the shareholder levels. For purposes of foreign tax credits
for US shareholders of the Fund, foreign capital gains taxes may not produce associated foreign source income, limiting the availability
of such credits for US persons.
A
Fund will make such an election only if it deems it to be in the best interest of its shareholders. A shareholder not subject to
US tax may prefer that this election not be made. The Fund will notify shareholders in writing each year if it makes the election
and of the amount of non-US income taxes, if any, to be passed through to the shareholders and the amount of non-US taxes, if any,
for which shareholders of the Fund will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax credit because the holding period requirements (described
above) have not been satisfied.
Shares
of a Fund held by a non-US shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the US estate
tax.
STATE
AND LOCAL TAX MATTERS. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions
may also be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend income, ordinary income
dividends and capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies and other items may differ from federal income tax
rules. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules
affecting investment in a Fund.
CAPITAL
LOSS CARRYFORWARDS. As of February 28, 2017, Prudential Government Income Fund had no capital
loss carryforwards.
DISCLOSURE
OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The
Board of each Fund in the Prudential mutual fund complex has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of
portfolio securities owned by each Fund and to authorize certain arrangements to make available information about portfolio holdings.
These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosures of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are made consistently
with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties of each Fund and each Fund adviser. The policy
is designed to ensure that disclosures of nonpublic portfolio holdings to selected third parties are made only when the Fund has
legitimate business purposes for doing so and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to
trade on the nonpublic information.
The
Board has authorized PGIM Investments, as the investment manager of each Fund, to administer these policies and procedures and
to enter into confidentiality agreements on behalf of the Funds that provide that all information disclosed shall be treated as
confidential and that the recipient will not trade on the nonpublic information. No material, non-public information, including
but not limited to portfolio holdings, may be disseminated to third parties except in compliance with these policies and procedures.
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The
Custodian Bank (Bank of New York Mellon) is authorized to facilitate, under the supervision of PGIM Investments, the release of
portfolio holdings.
Regulatory
Filings. Portfolio holdings for each Fund will be made public at the time of quarterly public
regulatory filings via Forms N-CSR and/or N-Q unless noted otherwise herein.
Annual
and semi-annual reports for each Fund are filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR and mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the
end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. Annual and semi-annual shareholder reports for a Fund may be accessed at the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov and at the website for the PGIM Investments mutual funds (www.pgiminvestments.com).
Portfolio
holdings for each Fund are filed with the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the first and third fiscal quarters.
Filings on Form N-Q may be accessed at www.sec.gov.
Public
Disclosures—Fund Holdings and Characteristics. Each Fund may post on the PGIM Investments
mutual funds website a detailed list of its portfolio holdings and characteristics derived from the portfolio holdings as of the
end of each calendar month approximately 15 days after the end of the month, unless noted otherwise herein.
Any
portfolio holdings and characteristics information that is posted to the Fund’s website and third-party databases but not
contained in regulatory filings may be distributed at or after posting to financial advisors, investment consultants, broker-dealers,
registered investment advisers, plan sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases.
Public
Disclosures—Other Time Periods. Where a Fund has recently commenced operations or adopted
significant changes to its investment policies (a “repositioning”), it may make available in the manner described above
the same portfolio holdings and characteristics information, but as of other relevant period-ends besides month-end, with such
information made available and posted to the website approximately 15 days after the commencement of the Fund’s operations
or the date of the repositioning (“Effective Date”), and any portfolio holdings or characteristics information may
be distributed after posting to financial advisors, investment consultants, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, plan
sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases. The Fund may release this information until the first quarter-end
or the first month-end following the Effective Date, as applicable.
Other
than as set forth above, the release of holdings and characteristics information will normally occur 15 days after the end of the
month: the release of holdings and characteristics information other than 15 days after the end of the month will be determined
based on procedures approved by the Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, when authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer and
another officer of the PGIM Investments mutual funds, portfolio holdings information may be publicly disseminated more frequently
or at different periods than as described above.
Ongoing
Nonpublic Disclosure Arrangements. Each Fund has entered into ongoing arrangements to make available
nonpublic information about its portfolio holdings, subject to the conditions, restrictions and requirements set forth below. Parties
receiving this information may include intermediaries that distribute Fund shares, third-party providers of auditing, custody,
proxy voting and other services for the Funds, rating and ranking organizations, and certain affiliated persons of each Fund, as
described below. The procedures utilized to determine eligibility are set forth below:
All
requests from third parties for portfolio holdings shall require the following steps:
■ |
A request for release of portfolio holdings shall be prepared setting forth a legitimate business purpose for such release which shall specify the Fund(s), the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of detail, staleness). Such request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Fund and the investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Fund(s). |
■ |
The request shall be forwarded to PGIM Investments’ Product Development Group and to the Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate for review and approval. |
■ |
A confidentiality agreement in the form approved by a Fund officer must be executed by the recipient of the portfolio holdings. |
■ |
A Fund officer shall approve the release and the agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PGIM Investments’ Law Department. |
■ |
Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group to arrange the release of portfolio holdings. |
■ |
PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group shall arrange the release by the Custodian Bank. |
Requests
for disclosure to PGIM Investments or its employees shall follow the procedures noted above other than the execution of a confidentiality
agreement.
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Set
forth below are the authorized ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI:
1.
Traditional External Recipients/Vendors
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), Broadridge and Glass, Lewis & Co. (proxy voting administrator/agents) at the end of each day; |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims administrator) at the end of each day; |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to a Fund's Subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian (if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed) at the end of each day. When a Fund has more than one Subadviser, each Subadviser receives holdings information only with respect to the “sleeve” or segment of the Fund for which the Subadviser has responsibility; |
■ |
Full holdings to a Fund's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as practicable following the Fund's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis; and |
■ |
Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a Fund's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period-ends. |
2.
Analytical Service Providers
■ |
Fund trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following a Fund's fiscal quarter-end; |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet Research Systems, Inc. (investment research provider) at the end of each day; |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to FT Interactive Data (a fair value information service) at the end of each day; |
■ |
Full holdings on a quarterly basis to Frank Russell Company (investment research provider) when made available ; |
■ |
Full holdings on a monthly basis to Fidelity Advisors (wrap program provider) approximately five days after the end of each month (Prudential Jennison Growth Fund and certain other selected PGIM Investments Funds only); |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to IDC, Markit and Thompson Reuters (securities valuation); |
■ |
Full holdings on a daily basis to Standard & Poor’s Corporation (securities valuation); |
■ |
Full holdings on a monthly basis to FX Transparency (foreign exchange/transaction analysis) when made available. |
In
each case, the information disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended
to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information (except for legitimate business purposes).
In
addition, certain authorized employees of PGIM Investments receive portfolio holdings information on a quarterly, monthly or daily
basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PGIM Investments employees are subject to the requirements
of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential, which prohibits employees from trading on or further disseminating confidential
information, including portfolio holdings information.
Also,
affiliated shareholders may, subject to execution of a non-disclosure agreement, receive current portfolio holdings for the sole
purpose of enabling a Fund to effect the payment of the redemption price to such shareholder in whole or in part by a distribution
in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the SEC and procedures
adopted by the Board. For more information regarding the payment of the redemption price by a distribution in kind of securities
from the investment portfolio of the Fund, see “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Fund Shares—Redemption in Kind”
in the SAI.
PGIM
Investments’ Law Department and the Chief Compliance Officer shall review the arrangements with each recipient on an annual
basis. The Board shall, on a quarterly basis be advised of any revisions to the list of recipients of portfolio holdings and the
reason for such disclosure. These policies and procedures will be reviewed for adequacy and effectiveness in connection with the
Funds’ compliance program under Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act.
A
listing of the parties who will receive portfolio holdings pursuant to these procedures is maintained by PGIM Investments Compliance.
There
can be no assurance that the policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information will protect a Fund from the potential misuse
of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of the information.
PROXY
VOTING
The
Board has delegated to the Manager the responsibility for voting any proxies and maintaining proxy recordkeeping with respect to
the Fund. The Manager is authorized by the Fund to delegate, in whole or in part, its proxy voting authority to the investment
subadviser(s) or third party vendors consistent with the policies set forth below. The proxy voting process shall remain subject
to the supervision of the Board, including any committee thereof established for that purpose.
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The
Manager and the Board view the proxy voting process as a component of the investment process and, as such, seek to ensure that
all proxy proposals are voted with the primary goal of seeking the optimal benefit for the Fund. Consistent with this goal, the
Board views the proxy voting process as a means to encourage strong corporate governance practices and ethical conduct by corporate
management. The Manager and the Board maintain a policy of seeking to protect the best interests of the Fund should a proxy issue
potentially implicate a conflict of interest between the Fund and the Manager or its affiliates.
The
Manager delegates to the Fund's Subadviser(s) the responsibility for voting proxies. The Subadviser is expected to identify and
seek to obtain the optimal benefit for the Fund, and to adopt written policies that meet certain minimum standards, including that
the policies be reasonably designed to protect the best interests of the Fund and delineate procedures to be followed when a proxy
vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Subadviser or its affiliates. The Manager and
the Board expect that the Subadviser will notify the Manager and Board at least annually of any such conflicts identified and confirm
how the issue was resolved. In addition, the Manager expects that the Subadviser will deliver to the Manager, or its appointed
vendor, information required for filing the Form N-PX with the SEC. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to
its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge on the Fund's website
at www.pgiminvestments.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
A
summary of the proxy voting policies of the Subadviser(s) is set forth in its respective Appendix to this SAI.
CODES
OF ETHICS
The
Board has adopted a Code of Ethics. In addition, the Manager, investment subadviser(s) and Distributor have each adopted a Code
of Ethics. The Codes of Ethics apply to access persons (generally, persons who have access to information about the Fund's investment
program) and permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased
or held by the Fund. However, the protective provisions of the Codes of Ethics prohibit certain investments and limit such personnel
from making investments during periods when the Fund is making such investments. The Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and
are available from, the SEC.
APPENDIX
I: PROXY VOTING POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISER
PGIM,
INC.
The
policy of each of PGIM’s asset management units is to vote proxies in the best interests of their respective clients based
on the clients’ priorities. Client interests are placed ahead of any potential interest of PGIM or its asset management units.
Because
the various asset management units manage distinct classes of assets with differing management styles, some units will consider
each proxy on its individual merits while other units may adopt a pre-determined set of voting guidelines. The specific voting
approach of each unit is noted below.
Relevant
members of management and regulatory personnel oversee the proxy voting process and monitor potential conflicts of interest. In
addition, should the need arise, senior members of management, as advised by Compliance and Law, are authorized to address any
proxy matter involving an actual or apparent conflict of interest that cannot be resolved at the level of an individual asset management
business unit.
VOTING
APPROACH OF PGIM ASSET MANAGEMENT UNITS
PGIM
Fixed Income. PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Fixed Income’s policy
is to vote proxies in the best economic interest of its clients. In the case of pooled accounts, the policy is to vote proxies
in the best economic interest of the pooled account. The proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety
of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines reflect PGIM Fixed Income’s judgment of how to further the
best economic interest of its clients through the shareholder or debt-holder voting process.
PGIM
Fixed Income invests primarily in debt securities, thus there are few traditional proxies voted by it. PGIM Fixed Income generally
votes with management on routine matters such as the appointment of accountants or the election of directors. From time to time,
ballot issues arise that are not addressed by the policy or circumstances may suggest a vote not in accordance with the established
guidelines. In these cases, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis by the applicable portfolio manager taking into consideration
the potential economic impact of the proposal. If a security is held in multiple accounts and two or more portfolio managers are
not in agreement with respect to a particular vote, PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting committee will determine the vote. Not
all ballots are received by PGIM Fixed Income in advance of voting deadlines, but when ballots are received in a timely fashion,
PGIM Fixed Income strives to meet its voting obligations. It cannot, however, guarantee that every proxy will be voted prior to
its deadline.
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With
respect to non-US holdings, PGIM Fixed Income takes into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair its
ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse economic consequences. PGIM Fixed Income generally votes non-US
securities on a best efforts basis if it determines that voting is in the best economic interest of its clients.
Occasionally,
a conflict of interest may arise in connection with proxy voting. For example, the issuer of the securities being voted may also
be a client of PGIM Fixed Income. When PGIM Fixed Income identifies an actual or potential conflict of interest between the firm
and its clients with respect to proxy voting, the matter is presented to senior management who will resolve such issue in consultation
with the compliance and legal departments.
Any
client may obtain a copy of PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures, as well as the proxy voting
records for that client’s securities, by contacting the client service representative responsible for the client’s
account.
PGIM
Real Estate. PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Real Estate's proxy voting policy
contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines reflect PGIM
Real Estate's judgment of how to further the best long-range economic interest of our clients (i.e. the mutual interest of clients
in seeing the appreciation in value of a common investment over time) through the shareholder voting process. PGIM Real Estate’s
policy is generally to vote proxies on social or political issues on a case by case basis. Additionally, where issues are not addressed
by our policy, or when circumstances suggest a vote not in accordance with our established guidelines, voting decisions are made
on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the potential economic impact of the proposal. With respect to international
holdings, we take into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair our ability to trade those securities
or have other potentially adverse economic consequences, and generally vote foreign securities on a best efforts basis in accordance
with the recommendations of the issuer's management if we determine that voting is in the best economic interest of our clients.
PGIM
Real Estate utilizes the services of a third party proxy voting facilitator, and upon receipt of proxies will direct the voting
facilitator to vote in a manner consistent with PGIM Real Estate's established proxy voting guidelines described above (assuming
timely receipt of proxy materials from issuers and custodians). In accordance with its obligations under the Advisers Act, PGIM
Real Estate provides full disclosure of its proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures to its clients upon their request, and
will also provide to any client, upon request, the proxy voting records for that client's securities.
69
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APPENDIX
II: DESCRIPTIONS OF SECURITY RATINGS
MOODY'S
INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (MOODY'S)
Debt
Ratings
Aaa:
Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally
referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal
is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa:
Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are
generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large
as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which
make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.
A:
Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations.
Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility
to impairment some time in the future.
Baa:
Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may
be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact
have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba:
Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the
protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times
over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B:
Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments
or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa:
Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect
to principal or interest.
Ca:
Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have
other marked shortcomings.
C:
Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects
of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Moody's
applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating category from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer
is in the higher end of its letter rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; the modifier 3 indicates that
the issuer is in the lower end of the letter ranking category.
Short-Term
Ratings
Moody's
short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor senior financial obligations and contracts. Such obligations
generally have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
PRIME-1:
Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations.
Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
■ |
Leading market positions in well-established industries. |
■ |
High rates of return on funds employed. |
■ |
Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection. |
■ |
Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation. |
■ |
Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. |
PRIME-2:
Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This
normally will be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios,
while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by
external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 70
Table
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MIG
1: This designation denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established cash flows,
superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG
2: This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large
as in the preceding group.
STANDARD
& POOR'S RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)
Long-Term
Issue Credit Ratings
AAA:
An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation is extremely strong.
AA:
An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A:
An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than
obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still
strong.
BBB:
An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances
are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB:
An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties
or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet
its financial commitment on the obligation.
B:
An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's
capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC:
An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic
conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or
economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC:
An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C:
The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but
payments on this obligation are being continued.
Plus
(+) or Minus (–): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus
or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Commercial
Paper Ratings
A-1:
This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely
strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.
A-2:
Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high
as for issues designated A-1.
Notes
Ratings
An
S&P notes rating reflects the liquidity factors and market risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely
receive a notes rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria
will be used in making that assessment.
■ |
Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
■ |
Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Note
rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1:
Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given
a plus (+) designation.
71
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SP-2:
Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the
term of the notes.
FITCH
RATINGS LTD.
International
Long-Term Credit Ratings
AAA:
Highest Credit Quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally
strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable
events.
AA:
Very High Credit Quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely
payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A:
High Credit Quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments
is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions
than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB:
Good Credit Quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment
of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely
to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.
BB:
Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic
change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities
rated in this category are not investment grade.
B:
Highly Speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial
commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business
and economic environment.
CCC,
CC, C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments
is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating indicates that default of some kind
appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.
International
Short-Term Credit Ratings
F1:
Highest Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+”
to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2:
Good Credit Quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great
as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3:
Fair Credit Quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could
result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
B:
Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial
and economic conditions.
C:
High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained,
favorable business and economic investment.
Plus
(+) or Minus (–): Plus or minus signs may be appended to a rating to denote relative status
within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA long-term rating category, to categories below CCC, or to
short-term ratings other than F1.
Prudential
Government Income Fund 72
PGIM
INVESTMENTS | Bringing you the investment managers of Prudential Financial, Inc.
PRUDENTIAL
GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION | April 26, 2017
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) of
Prudential Government Income Fund (the “Fund”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Fund dated April 26, 2017. This SAI has been incorporated by reference into
the Fund’s Prospectus. The Prospectus can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 225-1852 or by writing to Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940. This SAI has been
incorporated by reference into each Fund’s current Prospectus.
Prudential Government Income Fund
is a series of Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 has one other series, Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, which is currently offered pursuant to a separate prospectus and a separate SAI.
The information presented in this SAI applies only to Prudential Government Income Fund.
The Fund's audited financial
statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Fund’s 2017 Annual Report (File No. 811-03712). You may request a copy of the Annual Report at no charge by calling (800) 225-1852 between 8:00 a.m.
and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on any business day.
PRUDENTIAL GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
|
A: PGVAX
|
B: PBGPX
|
C: PRICX
|
Q: PGIQX
|
R: JDRVX
|
Z: PGVZX
|
|
|
|
To enroll in e-delivery, go to
pgiminvestments.com/edelivery
MF128B
PART I
INTRODUCTION
This SAI sets forth information
about Prudential Government Income Fund (the Fund), which is one of the mutual funds which together comprise Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc. 14 (PIP 14). PIP 14 is an open-end management investment company. It
provides information about certain of the securities, instruments, policies and strategies that are used by the Fund in seeking to achieve its objective. This SAI also provides additional information about PIP
14’s Board of Directors, the advisory services provided to and the management fees paid by the Fund, information about other fees paid by and services provided to the Fund, and other information.
Information about PIP 14’s
other series, which is Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, is set forth in a separate prospectus and a separate SAI.
Before reading the SAI, you should
consult the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI:
GLOSSARY
Term
|
Definition
|
ADR
|
American Depositary Receipt
|
ADS
|
American Depositary Share
|
Board
|
Fund’s Board of Directors or Trustees
|
Board Member
|
A trustee or director of the Fund’s Board
|
CEA
|
Commodity Exchange Act, as amended
|
CFTC
|
US Commodity Futures Trading Commission
|
Code
|
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
|
CMO
|
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation
|
ETF
|
Exchange-Traded Fund
|
EDR
|
European Depositary Receipt
|
Fannie Mae
|
Federal National Mortgage Association
|
FDIC
|
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
|
Fitch
|
Fitch Ratings, Inc.
|
Freddie Mac
|
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
|
GDR
|
Global Depositary Receipt
|
Ginnie Mae
|
Government National Mortgage Association
|
IPO
|
Initial Public Offering
|
IRS
|
Internal Revenue Service
|
1933 Act
|
Securities Act of 1933, as amended
|
1934 Act
|
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
|
1940 Act
|
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
|
1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions
|
Exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations,
collectively
|
LIBOR
|
London Interbank Offered Rate
|
Manager or PGIM Investments
|
PGIM Investments LLC
|
Moody’s
|
Moody’s Investor Services, Inc.
|
NASDAQ
|
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System
|
NAV
|
Net Asset Value
|
NRSRO
|
Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
|
NYSE
|
New York Stock Exchange
|
OTC
|
Over the Counter
|
Prudential
|
Prudential Financial, Inc.
|
PMFS
|
Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC
|
REIT
|
Real Estate Investment Trust
|
Term
|
Definition
|
RIC
|
Regulated Investment Company, as the term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended
|
S&P
|
Standard & Poor’s Corporation
|
SEC
|
US Securities & Exchange Commission
|
World Bank
|
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
|
FUND CLASSIFICATION, INVESTMENT
Objectives & POLICIES
The investment objective of
Prudential Government Income Fund is to seek high current return. Prudential Government Income Fund is diversified. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
The following section discusses
certain types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use, including explanations of these investments and investment strategies, as well as the risks and considerations associated with these
investments and investment strategies. The Fund also may invest from time to time in certain types of investments and investment strategies that are not discussed below. In seeking to achieve its objectives, the Fund
may from time to time also use the securities, instruments, policies and non-principal strategies that are further described in the following section. Certain of the investments and investment strategies discussed in
the following section are subject to the limitations set forth below.
Consistent with its objective, the
Fund seeks investments that provide investors with a current return in excess of the Fund’s benchmark. The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective of high current return primarily by investing in US
Government securities, including US Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, strips and other debt securities issued by the US Treasury, and obligations including mortgage-related securities, issued or guaranteed by US
Government agencies or instrumentalities. These guarantees apply only to the payment of principal and interest on these securities and do not extend to the securities' yield or value, which are likely to vary with
fluctuations in interest rates, nor do the guarantees extend to the yield or value of the Fund's shares. Some of the US Government securities and mortgage-related securities in which the Fund will invest are
guaranteed by the US Government, while securities issued by other government entities that may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, in which the Fund may invest, are not guaranteed by the United States and
must rely on their own resources to repay the debt. The Fund will also write covered call options and covered put options and purchase put and call options, for purposes of hedging and/or improving the Fund's
returns.. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the investable assets of the Fund will be invested in US Government securities. The term “investable assets” in this SAI refers to the Fund's net
assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes. The Fund's investable assets will be less than its total assets to the extent that it has borrowed money for non-investment purposes, such as to meet anticipated
redemptions. US Government securities which are purchased pursuant to repurchase agreements or on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis will be treated as US Government securities for purposes of this
calculation.
High current return means the
return received from interest income from US Government and other debt securities and from net gains realized from sales of portfolio securities. The Fund may also realize income from premiums from covered put and
call options written by the Fund on US Government securities as well as options on futures contracts on US Government securities, options on securities indexes and net gains from closing purchase and sales
transactions with respect to these options. The writing of options on US Government securities, options on futures contracts on US Government securities and options on securities indexes may limit the Fund's potential
for capital gains on its portfolio.
Most, if not all, of the
Fund’s debt securities are “investment-grade.” This means major rating services, like S&P or Moody’s, have rated the securities within one of their four highest quality grades. Debt
obligations in the fourth highest grade are regarded as investment-grade, but have speculative characteristics and are riskier than higher rated securities. A rating is an assessment of the likelihood of timely
repayment of interest and principal and can be useful when comparing different debt obligations. These ratings are not a guarantee of quality. The opinions of the rating agencies do not reflect market risk and they
may at times lag behind the current financial conditions of an issuer. The Fund also may invest in obligations that are not rated, but that the investment subadviser believes are of comparable quality to the
obligations described above. In the event that a security receives different ratings from different NRSROs, the Fund will treat the security as being rated in the highest rating category received from an NRSRO. A
description of securities ratings is an appendix to this SAI.
INVESTMENT RISKS AND
CONSIDERATIONS
Set forth below are descriptions of
some of the types of investments and investment strategies that the Fund may use and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please also see the Prospectus of the Fund
and the “Fund Classification, Investment Objective & Policies” section of this SAI.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 4
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. Asset-backed securities directly or indirectly represent a participation interest in, or are secured by and payable from, a stream of payments generated by particular assets such as motor
vehicle or credit card receivables. Payments of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with
the entities issuing the securities. Asset-backed securities may be classified as pass-through certificates or collateralized obligations.
Pass-through certificates are
asset-backed securities which represent an undivided fractional ownership interest in an underlying pool of assets. Pass-through certificates usually provide for payments of principal and interest received to be
passed through to their holders, usually after deduction for certain costs and expenses incurred in administering the pool. Because pass-through certificates represent an ownership interest in the underlying assets,
the holders thereof bear directly the risk of any defaults by the obligors on the underlying assets not covered by any credit support.
Asset-backed securities issued in
the form of debt instruments include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is a trust which is
often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income securities such as high yield debt, residential
privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans,
which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated
loans. CBOs and CLOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
For CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows
from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the
trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CBO trust or CLO trust
typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses
due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a
class.
The risks of an investment in a CBO
or CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. Normally, CBOs and CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the
securities laws. As a result, investments in CBOs and CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CBOs and CLOs, allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A
transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Fund’s Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CBOs and CLOs carry
additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the possibility that the quality of the
collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that the Fund may invest in CBOs or CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the risk that the complex structure of the security may not be fully
understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
ASSET-BASED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt, preferred or convertible securities, the principal amount, redemption terms or conversion terms of which are related to the market price of some natural
resource asset such as gold bullion. These securities are referred to as “asset-based securities.” Unless otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund will purchase asset-based securities only if they
are rated, or are issued by issuers that have outstanding debt obligations rated investment grade (i.e., AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or Fitch or Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody’s or commercial paper rated A-1 by
S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s) or of issuers that the subadviser has determined to be of similar creditworthiness. Obligations ranked in the fourth highest rating category, while considered “investment
grade,” may have certain speculative characteristics. If the asset-based security is backed by a bank letter of credit or other similar facility, the subadviser may take such backing into account in determining
the creditworthiness of the issuer. While the market prices for an asset-based security and the related natural resource asset generally are expected to move in the same direction, there may not be perfect correlation
in the two price movements. Asset-based securities may not be secured by a security interest in or claim on the underlying natural resource assets and do not represent an interest in the referenced assets. Certain
asset-based securities may be illiquid.
The asset-based securities in which
the Fund may invest may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. As an example, assume gold is selling at a market price of $300 per ounce and an issuer sells a
$1,000 face amount gold-related note with a seven-year maturity, payable at maturity at the greater of either $1,000 in cash or the then market price of three ounces of gold. If at maturity, the market price of gold
is $400 per ounce, the amount payable on the note would be $1,200. Certain asset-based securities may be payable at maturity in cash at the stated principal amount or, at the option of the holder, directly in a
stated amount of the asset to which it is related.
In such instance, because the Fund does not presently intend to invest directly in natural resource assets, the Fund may sell the asset-based security in the secondary market, to the extent one exists, prior to
maturity if the value of the stated amount of the asset exceeds the stated principal amount and thereby realize the appreciation in the underlying asset.
BORROWING AND LEVERAGE. Unless noted otherwise, the Fund may borrow up to 33 1⁄3% of the value of its total assets (calculated at the time of the borrowing). The Fund may pledge up to 33 1⁄3% of its total assets to secure these borrowings. If the Fund’s asset coverage for borrowings falls below 300%, the Fund will take prompt action to reduce borrowings. If the Fund
borrows to invest in securities, any investment gains made on the securities in excess of interest paid on the borrowing will cause the NAV of the shares to rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On the other
hand, if the investment performance of the additional securities purchased fails to cover their cost (including any interest paid on the money borrowed) to the Fund, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will decrease
faster than would otherwise be the case. This is the speculative factor known as “leverage.” In addition, the Fund may use certain investment management techniques (collectively, “effective
leverage”), such as certain derivatives, that may provide leverage and are not subject to the borrowing limitation noted above.
The Fund may borrow from time to
time, at the discretion of the subadviser, to take advantage of investment opportunities, when yields on available investments exceed interest rates and other expenses of related borrowing, or when, in the
subadviser's opinion, unusual market conditions otherwise make it advantageous for the Fund to increase its investment capacity. The Fund will only borrow when there is an expectation that it will benefit the Fund
after taking into account considerations such as interest income and possible losses upon liquidation. Borrowing by the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income but, at the same time, creates risks,
including the fact that leverage may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the yield on the Fund. Unless otherwise stated, the Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase
agreements.
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. The FDIC, an independent agency of the US Government, provides deposit insurance on all types of deposits, including certificates of deposit, received at an FDIC-insured bank or savings
association (“insured depository institutions”) up to applicable limits. The standard deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor (including principal and accrued interest) for each insurable
capacity of such depositor, per insured depository institution, which is backed by the full faith and credit of the US Government. All of a depositor’s deposits in the same insurable capacity at the same insured
depository institution are aggregated for purposes of the $250,000 insurance limit, including deposits held directly in the depositor’s name and for the depositor’s benefit by intermediaries. Any amounts
in excess of the $250,000 deposit insurance limit may be uninsured.
CORPORATE LOANS. Commercial banks and other financial institutions make loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure (“corporate loans”). Borrowers generally pay interest on
corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the LIBOR or the prime rate of US banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally responsive to
shifts in market interest rates. Because the trading market for corporate loans is less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, the Fund may experience difficulties from time to time in selling its
corporate loans. Borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations. Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a
“syndicate.” The syndicate's agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, the Fund may not recover its
investment, or there might be a delay in the Fund’s recovery. By investing in a corporate loan, the Fund becomes a member of the syndicate.
As in the case of junk bonds, the
corporate loans in which the Fund may invest can be expected to provide higher yields than higher-rated fixed-income securities but may be subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest. There are, however,
some significant differences between corporate loans and junk bonds. Corporate loans are frequently secured by pledges of liens and security interests in the assets of the borrower, and the holders of corporate loans
are frequently the beneficiaries of debt service subordination provisions imposed on the borrower's bondholders. These arrangements are designed to give corporate loan investors preferential treatment over junk bond
investors in the event of a deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer. Even when these arrangements exist, however, there can be no assurance that the principal and interest owed on the corporate loans will be
repaid in full. Corporate loans generally bear interest at rates set at a margin above a generally recognized base lending rate that may fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, in the case of the prime rate of a US bank, or
that may be adjusted on set dates, typically 30 days but generally not more than one year, in the case of LIBOR. Consequently, the value of corporate loans held by the Fund may be expected to fluctuate significantly
less than the value of fixed rate junk bond instruments as a result of changes in the interest rate environment. On the other hand, the secondary dealer market for corporate loans is not as well developed as the
secondary dealer market for junk bonds, and therefore presents increased market risk relating to liquidity and pricing concerns.
The Fund may acquire interests in
corporate loans by means of a novation, assignment or participation. In a novation, the Fund would succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a contracting party under the credit
agreement with respect to the debt obligation. As an alternative, the Fund may purchase an assignment, in which case the Fund may be required to rely
Prudential Government Income
Fund 6
on the assigning institution to demand payment and
enforce its rights against the borrower but would otherwise typically be entitled to all of such assigning institution's rights under the credit agreement. Participation interests in a portion of a debt obligation
typically result in a contractual relationship only with the institution selling the participation interest and not with the borrower. In purchasing a loan participation, the Fund generally will have no right to
enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in
which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation to the Fund.
The Fund’s ability to receive
payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans (whether through participations, assignments or otherwise) will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by
the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan because of a default, bankruptcy or any other reason would adversely affect the income of the Fund and would likely reduce the value of its
assets. Even with loans secured by collateral, there is the risk that the value of the collateral may decline, may be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower, or be difficult to liquidate. In the event of
a default, the Fund may have difficulty collecting on any collateral and would not have the ability to collect on any collateral for an uncollateralized loan. Further, the Fund’s access to collateral, if any,
may be limited by bankruptcy laws. Due to the nature of the private syndication of senior loans, including, for example, lack of publicly-available information, some senior loans are not as easily purchased or sold as
publicly-traded securities. In addition, loan participations generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell loan participations in secondary markets. As a result,
it may be difficult for the Fund to value loans or sell loans at an acceptable price when it wants to sell them. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through
standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions,
present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund’s ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in the Prospectus. In some instances, loans and loan participations are not rated
by independent credit rating agencies; in such instances, a decision by the Fund to invest in a particular loan or loan participation could depend exclusively on the investment subadviser’s credit analysis of
the borrower, or in the case of a loan participation, of the intermediary holding the portion of the loan that the Fund has purchased. To the extent the Fund invests in loans of non-US issuers, the risks of investing
in non-US issuers are applicable.
Loans may not be considered to be
“securities” and as a result may not benefit from the protections of the federal securities laws, including anti-fraud protections and those with respect to the use of material non-public information, so
that purchasers, such as the Fund, may not have the benefit of these protections. If the Fund is in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of its investment in such borrower’s
loan, the Fund may not be able to enter into a transaction with respect to a publicly-traded security of the borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.
CUSTODIAL RECEIPTS. Obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the US Government, foreign governments or semi-governmental entities may be acquired by the Fund in the form of custodial
receipts that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain notes or bonds. Typically, custodial receipts have their unmatured interest coupons separated
(“stripped”) by their holder. Having separated the interest coupons from the underlying principal of the government securities, the holder will resell the stripped securities in custodial receipt programs
with a number of different names, including “Treasury Income Growth Receipts” (“TIGRs”) and “Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities” (“CATS”). The stripped
coupons are sold separately from the underlying principal, which is usually sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any
rights to periodic interest (cash) payments. CATS and TIGRs are not considered US Government securities by the staff of the SEC. Such notes and bonds are held in custody by a bank or a brokerage firm on behalf of the
owners.
CYBER SECURITY RISK. With the increasing use of technology and computer systems in general and, in particular, the Internet to conduct necessary business functions, the Fund is susceptible to operational,
information security and related risks. These risks, which are often collectively referred to as “cyber security” risks, may include deliberate or malicious attacks, as well as unintentional events and
occurrences. Cyber security is generally defined as the technology, operations and related protocol surrounding and protecting a user’s computer hardware, network, systems and applications and the data
transmitted and stored therewith. These measures ensure the reliability of a user’s systems, as well as the security, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data assets.
Deliberate cyber attacks can
include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to computer systems in order to misappropriate and/or disclose sensitive or confidential information; deleting, corrupting or modifying data; and causing
operational disruptions. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (in order to prevent access to
computer networks). In addition to deliberate breaches engineered by external actors, cyber security risks can also result from the conduct of malicious, exploited or careless insiders, whose actions may result in the
destruction, release or disclosure of confidential or proprietary information stored on an organization’s systems.
Cyber security failures or
breaches, whether deliberate or unintentional, arising from the Fund’s third-party service providers (e.g., custodians, financial intermediaries, transfer agents), subadviser, shareholder usage of unsecure
systems to access personal accounts, as well as breaches suffered by the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may cause significant disruptions in the business operations of the Fund. Potential impacts may
include, but are not limited to, potential financial losses for the Fund and the issuers’ securities, the inability of shareholders to conduct transactions with the Fund, an inability of the Fund to calculate
NAV, and disclosures of personal or confidential shareholder information.
In addition to direct impacts on
Fund shareholders, cyber security failures by the Fund and/or its service providers and others may result in regulatory inquiries, regulatory proceedings, regulatory and/or legal and litigation costs to the Fund, and
reputational damage. The Fund may incur reimbursement and other expenses, including the costs of litigation and litigation settlements and additional compliance costs. The Fund may also incur considerable expenses in
enhancing and upgrading computer systems and systems security following a cyber security failure.
The rapid proliferation of
technologies, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, and others continue to pose new and significant cyber security threats. Although the Fund and its service
providers and subadviser may have established business continuity plans and risk management systems to mitigate cyber security risks, there can be no guarantee or assurance that such plans or systems will be
effective, or that all risks that exist, or may develop in the future, have been completely anticipated and identified or can be protected against. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control or assure the efficacy of the
cyber security plans and systems implemented by third-party service providers, the subadviser, and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
DEBT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as bonds, that involve credit risk. This is the risk that the issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. The degree of
credit risk depends on the issuer's financial condition and on the terms of the bonds. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of the
Fund’s investment in that issuer. Credit risk is reduced to the extent the Fund invests its assets in US Government securities. All debt securities, however, are subject to interest rate risk. This is the risk
that the value of the security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market
price of shorter-term securities. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk since the US Federal Reserve Board has ended its quantitative easing program and may continue to raise rates. The Fund may
lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply or in a manner not anticipated by the subadviser.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. The Fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not
necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. ADRs and ADSs are receipts or shares typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence
ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. GDRs are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a
similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs and ADSs, in registered form, are designed for use in the US securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable
both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.
The Fund may invest in unsponsored
Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such
issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they
evidence or into which they may be converted or exchanged.
DERIVATIVES. The Fund may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a
currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more
quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes. The Fund may also use derivatives to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is
speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. When the Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes, the Fund will be fully exposed to the
risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative's cost. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that the Fund would be prohibited by its
investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
A discussion of the risk factors
relating to derivatives is set out in the sub-section entitled “Risk Factors Involving Derivatives.”
Prudential Government Income
Fund 8
HEDGING. Hedging is a strategy in which a derivative or security is used to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. Losses on the other investment may be substantially reduced by
gains on a derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements. While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a different manner than
anticipated by the Fund or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Hedging also involves the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged
as expected by the Fund, in which case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may be increased. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the
Fund’s ability to hedge effectively its portfolio. There is also a risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in an
option, a futures contract or a related option.
There can be no assurance that the
Fund’s hedging strategies will be effective or that hedging transactions will be available to the Fund. The Fund is not required to engage in hedging transactions and the Fund may choose not to do so from time
to time.
INDEXED AND INVERSE SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based on an index or interest rate. As an illustration, the Fund may invest in a security whose value is based on changes
in a specific index or that pays interest based on the current value of an interest rate index, such as the prime rate. The Fund may also invest in a debt security that returns principal at maturity based on the level
of a securities index or a basket of securities, or based on the relative changes of two indices. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based inversely on the change in an
index or interest rate (that is, a security the value of which will move in the opposite direction of changes to an index or interest rate). For example, the Fund may invest in securities that pay a higher rate of
interest when a particular index decreases and pay a lower rate of interest (or do not fully return principal) when the value of the index increases. Investing in such securities may subject the Fund to reduced or
eliminated interest payments or loss of principal in the event of an adverse movement in the relevant interest rate, index or indices. Indexed and inverse securities may involve credit risk, and certain indexed and
inverse securities may involve leverage risk, liquidity risk and currency risk. The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging
purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. (Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of such an adverse movement, the Fund may be required to pay
substantial additional margin to maintain the position.)
SWAP AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into swap transactions, including, but not limited to, equity, interest rate, index, credit default, total return and, to the extent that it invests in foreign
currency-denominated securities, currency exchange rate swap agreements. In addition, the Fund may enter into options on swap agreements (swap options). These swap transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain
a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return. Swap transactions are a type
of derivative. Derivatives are further discussed in the sub-sections entitled “Derivatives” and “Risk Factors Involving Derivatives.”
Swap agreements are two party
contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on or
calculated with respect to particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are
generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” that is, the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a “basket” of
securities representing a particular index or other investments or instruments. Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net
basis.” Consequently the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values
of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and
any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the segregation of liquid assets.
To the extent that the Fund enters
into swaps on other than a net basis, the segregated amount maintained will be the full amount of the Fund’s obligations, if any, with respect to such swaps, accrued on a daily basis. Inasmuch as segregated
accounts are established for these hedging transactions, the subadviser and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the
Fund’s borrowing restrictions. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction. Since swaps are
individually negotiated, the Fund expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its rights to receive a return on its portfolio securities and its rights and obligations to receive and pay a return
pursuant to swaps. The Fund will enter into swaps only with counterparties meeting certain creditworthiness standards (generally, such counterparties would have to be eligible counterparties under the terms of the
Fund’s repurchase agreement guidelines approved by the Board).
Some swaps will be subject to
mandatory or optional clearing through derivatives clearing organizations. While this is expected to better protect collateral, margin and other applicable requirements may increase the financial and operational costs
for such transactions.
Recent legislation requires certain
swaps to be executed through a centralized exchange or regulated facility and be cleared through a regulated clearinghouse. Although this clearing mechanism is generally expected to reduce counterparty credit risk, it
may disrupt or limit the swap market and may not result in swaps being easier to trade or value. As swaps become more standardized, the Fund may not be able to enter into swaps that meet its investment needs. The Fund
also may not be able to find a clearinghouse willing to accept a swap for clearing. In a cleared swap, a central clearing organization will be the counterparty to the transaction. The Fund will assume the risk that
the clearinghouse may be unable to perform its obligations. The Fund will be required to maintain its positions with a clearing organization through one or more clearing brokers. The clearing organization will require
the Fund to post margin and the broker may require the Fund to post additional margin to secure the Fund’s obligations. The amount of margin required may change from time to time. In addition, cleared
transactions may be more expensive to maintain than OTC transactions and may require the Fund to deposit larger amounts of margin. The Fund may not be able to recover margin amounts if the broker has financial
difficulties. Also, the broker may require the Fund to terminate a derivatives position under certain circumstances. This may cause the Fund to lose money.
CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP AGREEMENTS AND
SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements and similar agreements. The credit default swap agreement or similar instrument may have as reference obligations one or more
securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front or a periodic stream of
payments over the term of the contract provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value”
(full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if
the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund recovers nothing if the swap is held through its termination date.
However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no
value. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an up-front payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must
pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value.
Credit default swaps and similar
instruments involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly, since, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit
risk. The Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements and similar instruments only with counterparties that are rated investment grade quality by at least one credit rating agency at the time of entering into
such transaction or whose creditworthiness is believed by the subadviser to be equivalent to such rating. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with
the up-front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund. When acting as a seller of a credit default swap or a
similar instrument, the Fund is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage since, if a credit event occurs, the seller may be required to pay the buyer the full notional value of the contract net of any amounts
owed by the buyer related to its delivery of deliverable obligations.
TOTAL RETURN SWAP AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into total return swap agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of
the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the
total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market. Total return swap
agreements may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return
swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Fund thereunder. Swap agreements also bear the risk that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the
counterparty. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two
payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of cash or liquid
instruments having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated by the Fund. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the
Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities
under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total
return swap agreement.
Segregation and other requirements
pertaining to total return swap agreements are subject to change in the event of future changes in applicable laws or regulations. It is possible that any such changes in laws or regulations could require
modifications to the operation of the Fund.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 10
OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES
INDEXES.
TYPES OF OPTIONS. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets of securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rate (an “index”),
such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges and in OTC markets. In general, exchange-traded options have
standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the
exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to greater credit
risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. See “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.”
CALL OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments in which it may invest. A call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell,
the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather
than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the index
upon which the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.
The Fund may only write (i.e.,
sell) covered call options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest and enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to certain of such options, provided such options are “covered,”
as defined herein. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund owns the underlying security or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security, without additional consideration (or for additional
consideration held in a segregated account by its custodian), upon conversion or exchange of other securities currently held in its portfolio or with respect to which the Fund holds cash or other liquid assets
segregated within the Fund’s account at the custodian or in a separate segregation account at the custodian. The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of
premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, the Fund gives up the opportunity, while the option is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the
underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, the Fund’s ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase
transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has
written. Covered call options also serve as a partial hedge to the extent of the premium received against a decline in the price of the underlying security. Also, with respect to call options written by the Fund that
are covered only by segregated portfolio securities, the Fund is exposed to the risk of loss equal to the amount by which the price of the underlying securities rises above the exercise price.
PUT OPTIONS. The Fund may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell such
underlying securities or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount
of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a
put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction
costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. The
Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
The Fund may write (i.e., sell) put
options on the types of securities or instruments that may be held by the Fund, provided that such put options are covered (as described above, covered options are secured by cash or other liquid assets held in a
segregated account or the referenced security). The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund’s return.
FUTURES. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures and options thereon. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts which obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make
delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Rather, upon purchasing or selling a futures contract the Fund is
required to deposit collateral (“margin”) equal to a percentage (generally less than 10%) of the contract value. Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the Fund will pay additional
margin representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. Futures
involve substantial leverage risk.
The sale of a futures contract
limits the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract prior to the futures contract's expiration date. In the event the market value of
the portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract increases rather than decreases, however, the Fund will realize a loss on the futures position and a lower return on the portfolio holdings than would have
been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.
The purchase of a futures contract
may protect the Fund from having to pay more for securities as a consequence of increases in the market value for such securities during a period when the Fund was attempting to identify specific securities in which
to invest in a market the Fund believes to be attractive. In the event that such securities decline in value or the Fund determines not to complete an anticipatory hedge transaction relating to a futures contract,
however, the Fund may realize a loss relating to the futures position.
The Fund is also authorized to
purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts including financial futures and stock indices in connection with its hedging activities. Generally, these strategies would be used under the same market and
market sector conditions (i.e., conditions relating to specific types of investments) in which the Fund entered into futures transactions. The Fund may purchase put options or write (i.e., sell) call options on
futures contracts and stock indices rather than selling the underlying futures contract in anticipation of a decrease in the market value of its securities. Similarly, the Fund can purchase call options, or write put
options on futures contracts and stock indices, as a substitute for the purchase of such futures to hedge against the increased cost resulting from an increase in the market value of securities which the Fund intends
to purchase.
The Fund may only write
“covered” put and call options on futures contracts. The Fund will be considered “covered” with respect to a call option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns the assets that are
deliverable under the futures contract or an option to purchase that futures contract having a strike price equal to or less than the strike price of the “covered” option and having an expiration date not
earlier than the expiration date of the “covered” option, or if it holds segregated in an account with its custodian for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to
the mark-to-market value of the futures contract on which the option was written. The Fund will be considered “covered” with respect to a put option written on a futures contract if the Fund owns an option
to sell that futures contract having a strike price equal to or greater than the strike price of the “covered” option, or if the Fund holds segregated in an account with its custodian for the term of the
option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to the exercise price of the put (less any initial margin deposited by the Fund with its futures custody manager or as otherwise permitted by applicable
law with respect to such option). There is no limitation on the amount of the Fund’s assets that can be segregated. Segregation requirements may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or
make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close out a derivatives position at a disadvantageous time or price. Segregation
requirements may impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or close
out a derivatives position at a disadvantageous time or price.
The Manager has filed a notice of
exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5 and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation with respect to the Fund under the CEA.
In order for the Manager to claim exclusion from registration as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA, the Fund is limited in its ability to trade instruments subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction,
including commodity futures (which include futures on broad-based securities indexes, interest rate futures and currency futures), options on commodity futures, certain swaps or other investments (whether directly or
indirectly through investments in other investment vehicles). Under this exclusion, the Fund must satisfy one of the following two trading limitations whenever it enters into a new commodity trading position: (1) the
aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in CFTC-regulated instruments may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for
unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of
the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Fund would not be required to consider its exposure to such instruments if
they were held for “bona fide hedging” purposes, as such term is defined in the rules of the CFTC. In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a
commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the markets for CFTC-regulated instruments.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may engage in spot and forward foreign exchange transactions and currency swaps, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures and related options
thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) for purposes of hedging against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the US dollar or to seek to enhance returns.
Such transactions could be effected with respect to hedges on non-US dollar denominated securities owned by the Fund, sold by the Fund but not yet delivered, or committed or anticipated to be purchased by the
Fund.
As an illustration, the Fund may
use such techniques to hedge the stated value in US dollars of an investment in a yen-denominated security. In such circumstances, for example, the Fund may purchase a foreign currency put option enabling the Fund to
sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date. To the extent the hedge is successful, a loss in the value of the yen relative to the dollar will tend to be offset by an increase in
the value of the put option. To offset, in whole or in part, the cost of acquiring such a put option, the Fund may also sell a call option which, if exercised, requires the Fund to sell a specified amount of yen for
dollars at a specified price by a future date (a technique called a “straddle”). By selling such a call option in this illustration, the Fund gives up
Prudential Government Income
Fund 12
the opportunity to profit without limit from
increases in the relative value of the yen to the dollar. Straddles of the type that may be used by the Fund are considered to constitute hedging transactions and are consistent with the policies described above. The
Fund will not attempt to hedge all of its foreign portfolio positions.
FORWARD FOREIGN EXCHANGE
TRANSACTIONS. Forward foreign exchange transactions are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at the
time of the contract. Spot foreign exchange transactions are similar but require current, rather than future, settlement. The Fund will enter into foreign exchange transactions for purposes of hedging either a
specific transaction or a portfolio position, or to seek to enhance returns. The Fund may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a specific transaction by, for example, purchasing a currency
needed to settle a security transaction or selling a currency in which the Fund has received or anticipates receiving a dividend or distribution.
The Fund may enter into a foreign
exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a portfolio position by selling forward a currency in which a portfolio position of the Fund is denominated or by purchasing a currency in which the Fund anticipates
acquiring a portfolio position in the near future. The Fund may also hedge portfolio positions through currency swaps, which are transactions in which one currency is simultaneously bought for a second currency on a
spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward basis. Forward foreign exchange transactions involve substantial currency risk, and also involve credit and liquidity risk.
CURRENCY FUTURES. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency through use of currency futures or options thereon. Currency futures are similar to forward
foreign exchange transactions except that futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts. See the sub-section entitled “Futures.” Currency futures involve substantial currency risk, and also involve
leverage risk.
CURRENCY OPTIONS. The Fund may seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency against the US dollar through the use of currency options. Currency options are similar to
options on securities, but in consideration for an option premium the writer of a currency option is obligated to sell (in the case of a call option) or purchase (in the case of a put option) a specified amount of a
specified currency on or before the expiration date for a specified amount of another currency. The Fund may engage in transactions in options on currencies either on exchanges or OTC markets. See “Types of
Options” and “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives” in this SAI. Currency options involve substantial currency risk, and may also involve credit,
leverage or liquidity risk.
JUNK BONDS. Junk bonds are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by a NRSRO or are unrated securities that the subadviser believes are of comparable quality. Although junk bonds
generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, they are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. The major risks of junk bond investments include the
following:
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Junk bonds are issued by less creditworthy issuers. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer's economic condition and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to
meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing.
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The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt
obligations.
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Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations.
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Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds
with lower yields and may lose income.
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Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities.
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Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices
quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid
market.
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The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
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LIMITATIONS ON CURRENCY HEDGING. The Fund may use currency hedging instruments to seek to enhance returns. Accordingly, the Fund will not hedge a currency in excess of the aggregate market value of the securities that it
owns (including receivables for unsettled securities sales), or has committed to or anticipates purchasing, which are denominated in such currency. This limitation does not prohibit the Fund from obtaining long or
short exposure to a currency for non-hedging purposes. The Fund may, however, hedge a currency by entering into a transaction in a Currency Instrument denominated in a currency other than the currency being hedged (a
“cross-hedge”). The Fund will only enter into a cross-hedge if the subadviser believes that (i) there is a demonstrable high correlation
between the currency in which the cross-hedge is
denominated and the currency being hedged, and (ii) executing a cross-hedge through the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated will be significantly more cost-effective or provide substantially greater
liquidity than executing a similar hedging transaction by means of the currency being hedged.
RISK FACTORS IN HEDGING FOREIGN
CURRENCY. Hedging transactions involving Currency Instruments have substantial risks, including correlation risk. While the Fund’s use of Currency Instruments to effect hedging strategies is
intended to reduce the volatility of the NAV of the Fund’s shares, the NAV of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate. Moreover, although Currency Instruments will be used with the intention of hedging against
adverse currency movements, transactions in Currency Instruments involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that the Fund’s hedging strategies will be ineffective.
To the extent that the Fund hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur, the Fund may realize losses and decrease its total return as the result of its hedging transactions. Furthermore, the Fund
will only engage in hedging activities from time to time and may not be engaging in hedging activities when movements in currency exchange rates occur.
In connection with its trading in
forward foreign currency contracts, the Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency.
There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or
dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to
sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. With respect to its trading of forward contracts, if any, the Fund will be subject to the risk of bank or dealer failure
and the inability of, or refusal by, a bank or dealer to perform with respect to such contracts. Any such default would deprive the Fund of any profit potential or force the Fund to cover its commitments for resale,
if any, at the then market price and could result in a loss to the Fund.
It may not be possible for the Fund
to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, even if correctly anticipated, in the event that (i) the currency exchange rate movement is so generally anticipated that the Fund is not able to enter into a hedging
transaction at an effective price, or (ii) the currency exchange rate movement relates to a market with respect to which Currency Instruments are not available and it is not possible to engage in effective foreign
currency hedging. The cost to the Fund of engaging in foreign currency transactions varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing.
Since transactions in foreign currency exchange usually are conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.
RISK FACTORS INVOLVING
DERIVATIVES. Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:
Counterparty Risk—the risk that the counterparty on a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation to the Fund.
Currency Risk—the risk that changes in the exchange rate between two currencies will adversely affect the value (in US dollar terms) of an investment.
Leverage Risk—the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (such as borrowing money to increase the amount of investments) that relatively small market movements may
result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Liquidity Risk—the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently
worth.
Regulatory Risk—the risk that new regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their availability, or may otherwise affect their value or performance. In December 2015, the SEC
proposed a new rule that would change the regulation of the use of derivatives by regulated investment companies. If adopted as proposed, the rule could require changes to the Fund’s use of
derivatives.
The use of derivatives for hedging
purposes involves correlation risk. If the value of the derivative moves more or less than the value of the hedged instruments, the Fund will experience a gain or loss that will not be completely offset by movements
in the value of the hedged instruments.
The Fund intends to enter into
transactions involving derivatives only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such instruments or, in the case of illiquid instruments traded in OTC transactions, such instruments satisfy the criteria
set forth below under “Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives.” However, there can be no assurance that, at any specific time, either a liquid secondary
market will exist for a derivative or the Fund will otherwise be able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may therefore not be possible to close a position in a derivative without incurring substantial
losses, if at all.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 14
Certain transactions in derivatives
(such as futures transactions or sales of put options) involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses, which exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. When the Fund engages in
such a transaction, the Fund will deposit in a segregated account at its custodian liquid securities or cash and cash equivalents with a value at least equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to
the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). Such segregation will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction, but will not limit the
Fund’s exposure to loss.
ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS OF OTC
TRANSACTIONS; LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF OTC DERIVATIVES. Certain derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, certain swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity risk. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult
or impossible for the Fund to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable price. The absence of liquidity may also make it more difficult for the Fund to ascertain a market value for such instruments. The Fund
will, therefore, acquire illiquid OTC instruments (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the
subadviser anticipates the Fund can receive on each business day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer's quotation may be
used.
Because derivatives traded in OTC
markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with
its counterparties, the Fund is at risk that its counterparties will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor their obligations. The Fund will attempt to minimize the risk that a counterparty will become bankrupt or
otherwise fail to honor its obligations by engaging in transactions in derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that appear to have substantial capital or that have provided the Fund with a
third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest in foreign equity and/or debt securities. Foreign debt securities include certain foreign bank obligations and US dollar or foreign currency-denominated obligations of
foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, international agencies and supranational entities.
Foreign Market Risk. Foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than if the Fund invests only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not
always) performed differently from securities in the United States. However, such investments involve special risks not present in US investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. In
particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell
securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States.
Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of
capital, resources, and balance of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic
sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely
affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of
certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair the
Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations. Other foreign market
risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social
instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries.
Currency Risk and Exchange
Risk. Securities in which the Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the US dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the
Fund’s portfolio. Generally, when the US dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer US dollars. Conversely, when the
US dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more US dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,”
means that a stronger US dollar will reduce returns for US investors while a weak US dollar will increase those returns.
Governmental Supervision and
Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less rigorously than the United States. Some countries may not have laws to protect
investors comparable to the US securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company's securities based on
nonpublic information about that company. Accounting
standards in other countries are not necessarily
the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as US accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a
company's financial condition.
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets
Outside the United States. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to
the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if
a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the
United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to
investment companies that invest only in the United States.
Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve
certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of US investments. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be
unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these
problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling a purchase of securities, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities and
certain assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or there is a delay in settling a sale of securities, the Fund may lose money if the value of the security then
declines or, if there is a contract to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.
Dividends or interest on, or
proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thereby reducing the amount available for distribution to shareholders.
RECENT EVENTS IN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES. A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced
to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have
needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These
difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and beyond Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may
result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse
effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, the United Kingdom has voted to withdraw from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the
European Union and/or abandon the euro, the common currency of the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.
Whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the
Fund’s investments.
ILLIQUID OR RESTRICTED
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities that lack an established secondary trading market or otherwise are considered illiquid. Liquidity of a security relates to the ability to dispose easily
of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be less than would be obtained for a comparable more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from
comparable, more liquid investments. Investment of the Fund’s assets in illiquid securities may restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price as well as
its ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly acute where the Fund’s operations require cash, such as when the Fund redeems shares or pays
dividends, and could result in the Fund borrowing to meet short-term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments. The Fund may invest in securities that are not registered
(restricted securities) under the 1933 Act. The Fund is subject to a maximum of 15% of net assets invested in illiquid securities.
Restricted securities may be sold
in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither listed on an exchange nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely
transferable under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence of a public trading market, privately placed securities may be less liquid and more
difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To the extent that privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity, could be
less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection
requirements that may be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by the Fund are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more
Prudential Government Income
Fund 16
jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be
required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of the Fund’s investments in private placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may
involve greater risks. These issuers may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may be dependent on a limited management group. In making investments in such securities, the Fund may obtain
access to material nonpublic information, which may restrict the Fund’s ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.
The Fund may purchase restricted
securities that can be offered and sold to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. The Board has determined to treat as liquid Rule 144A securities that are either freely
tradable in their primary markets offshore or have been determined to be liquid in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board. The Board has adopted guidelines and delegated to the Manager the
daily function of determining and monitoring liquidity of restricted securities. The Board, however, will retain sufficient oversight and be ultimately responsible for the determinations. Since it is not possible to
predict with assurance exactly how the market for restricted securities sold and offered under Rule 144A will continue to develop, the Board will carefully monitor the Fund’s investments in these securities.
This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these securities.
INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT
COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including ETFs. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment
companies. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company and not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be
invested in securities of any single investment company.
Notwithstanding the limits
discussed above, the Fund may invest in other investment companies without regard to the limits set forth above provided that the Fund complies with Rules 12d1-1, 12d1-2 and 12d1-3 promulgated by the SEC under the
1940 Act or otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
As with other investments,
investments in other investment companies are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares in other investment companies, shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of
expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, their proportionate shares of the expenses of such investment companies (including management and advisory fees).
LIQUIDITY PUTS OR CALLS. The Fund may purchase a permissible instrument or investment together with the right to resell or purchase the instruments at an agreed-upon price or yield within a specified period prior
to the maturity date of the instruments. Such a right to resell is commonly known as a put, and such a right to purchase is commonly known as a call. The aggregate price which the Fund pays for instruments with puts
or calls may be higher than the price which otherwise would be paid for the instruments. The purpose of this practice is to permit the Fund to be fully invested while preserving the necessary liquidity to meet
unusually large redemptions and to purchase at a later date securities other than those subject to the put. The Fund may choose to exercise puts during periods in which proceeds from sales of its shares and from
recent sales of portfolio securities are insufficient to meet redemption requests or when the funds available are otherwise allocated for investment. The Fund may choose to exercise calls during periods in which funds
are available for investment. In determining whether to exercise puts or calls prior to their expiration date and in selecting which puts or calls to exercise in such circumstances, the subadviser considers, among
other things, the amount of cash available to the Fund, the expiration dates of the available puts or calls, any future commitments for securities purchases, the yield, quality and maturity dates of the underlying
securities, alternative investment opportunities and the desirability of retaining the underlying securities in the Fund.
MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may invest in money market instruments. Money market instruments include cash equivalents and short-term obligations of US banks, non-US government securities, certificates of
deposit and short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government or its agencies. Money market instruments also include bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and Eurodollar
obligations issued or guaranteed by bank holding companies in the US, their subsidiaries and non-US branches, by non-US banking institutions, and by the World Bank and other multinational instrumentalities, as well as
commercial paper and other short-term obligations of, and variable amount master demand notes, variable rate notes and funding agreements issued by, US and non-US corporations.
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Investing in mortgage-backed securities involves certain unique risks in addition to those generally associated with investing in fixed-income securities and in the real estate industry in
general. These unique risks include the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows.
Mortgage-backed securities are “pass-through” securities, meaning that principal and interest payments made by the borrower on the underlying mortgages are passed through to the Fund. The value of
mortgage-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed-income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, mortgage-backed securities differ from
traditional fixed-income securities because of their potential for prepayment without penalty. The price paid by the Fund for its mortgage-backed securities, the yield the Fund expects to receive from such securities
and the average life
of the securities are based on a number of factors,
including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying mortgages. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying mortgages more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the
yield to maturity and the average life of the mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, when the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, the likely rate of interest received will be lower than
the rate on the security that was prepaid.
Mortgage-backed securities,
including CMOs, can be collateralized by either fixed-rate mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgage securities are collateralized by fixed-rate mortgages and tend to have high prepayment rates when
the level of prevailing interest rates declines significantly below the interest rates on the mortgages. Thus, under those circumstances, the securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate movements than
lower coupon fixed-rate mortgages. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans or private mortgage pass-through securities, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through
securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
Generally, adjustable rate mortgage
securities (ARMs) have a specified maturity date and amortize principal over their life. In periods of declining interest rates, there is a reasonable likelihood that ARMs will experience increased rates of prepayment
of principal. However, the major difference between ARMs and fixed-rate mortgage securities (FRMs) is that the interest rate and the rate of amortization of principal of ARMs can and do change in accordance with
movements in a particular, pre-specified, published interest rate index. The amount of interest on an ARM is calculated by adding a specified amount, the “margin,” to the index, subject to limitations on
the maximum and minimum interest that is charged during the life of the mortgage or to maximum and minimum changes to that interest rate during a given period.
The underlying mortgages which
collateralize the ARMs in which the Fund invests will frequently have caps and floors which limit the maximum amount by which the loan rate to the residential borrower may change up or down (1) per reset or adjustment
interval and (2) over the life of the loan. Some residential mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower's monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest
rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization.
To the extent that the Fund
purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and principal prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled
payments of principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a
period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying mortgages may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was
considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Since long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term
securities, maturity extension risk could increase the inherent volatility of the Fund. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios, the Fund may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed
securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee.
Most mortgage-backed securities are
issued by federal government agencies such as Ginnie Mae, or by government sponsored enterprises such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Principal and interest payments on mortgage-backed securities issued by the federal
government and some federal agencies, such as Ginnie Mae, are guaranteed by the federal government and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgage-backed securities issued by other government
agencies or government sponsored enterprises are backed only by the credit of the government agency or enterprise and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are
authorized to borrow from the US Treasury to meet their obligations. Private mortgage-backed securities are issued by private corporations rather than government agencies and are subject to credit risk and interest
rate risk.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are
stockholder-owned companies chartered by Congress. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee the securities they issue as to timely payment of principal and interest, but such guarantee is not backed by the full faith and
credit of the United States. In September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship by their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship, which
remains ongoing as of the date of this SAI, will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Although the US Government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there
can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in the future.
The Fund may purchase certain
mortgage-backed securities, the underlying investments of which consist of loans issued and/or serviced by an affiliated entity.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. The Fund may, from time to time, invest in municipal bonds, which may be general obligation or revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its faith,
credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest, whereas revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the
proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 18
The Fund may invest in municipal
notes including tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes which are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. The Fund may invest in municipal asset-backed securities, which are debt obligations, often issued
through a trust or other investment vehicles that are backed by municipal debt obligations and accompanied by a liquidity facility. The Fund may invest in municipal securities with the right to resell such securities
to the seller at an agreed-upon price or yield within a specified period prior to the maturity date. Such a right to resell is commonly referred to as a “put” or “tender option.”
Municipal securities include notes
and bonds issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and the District of Columbia, the interest on which is
generally eligible for exclusion from federal income tax and, in certain instances, applicable state or local income and personal property taxes. Interest from municipal securities received by the Fund will not be
eligible from exclusion from federal income tax when distributed to shareholders. Such securities are traded primarily in the OTC market.
The interest rates payable on
certain municipal bonds and municipal notes are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. Municipal bonds and notes of this type are called “variable rate” obligations. The interest
rate payable on a variable rate obligation is adjusted either at pre-designated intervals or whenever there is a change in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate payable is based. Other features may
include the right whereby the Fund may demand prepayment of the principal amount of the obligation prior to its stated maturity (a demand feature) and the right of the issuer to prepay the principal amount prior to
maturity. The principal benefit of a variable rate obligation is that the interest rate adjustment minimizes changes in the market value of the obligation. As a result, the purchase of variable rate obligations should
enhance the ability of the Fund to maintain a stable NAV per share and to sell an obligation prior to maturity at a price approximating the full principal amount of the obligation.
Variable rate securities provide
for a specific periodic adjustment in the interest rate based on prevailing market rates and generally would allow the Fund to demand payment of the obligation on short notice at par plus accrued interest, which
amount may, at times, be more or less than the amount the Fund paid for them.
An inverse floater is a debt
instrument with a floating or variable interest rate that moves in the opposite direction of the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. Changes in the interest rate on the other security or index
inversely affect the residual interest rate paid on the inverse floater, with the result that the inverse floater's price will be considerably more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Generally, income from
inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when short-term interest rates increase, and will increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing investment leverage, since
they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed-rate, long-term, tax-exempt
securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities generally will be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate tax-exempt securities.
REAL ESTATE RELATED SECURITIES. Although the Fund may not invest directly in real estate, the Fund may invest in securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry. Therefore, an investment by
the Fund is subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks
related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage; market illiquidity; extended
vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and
liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural
disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and unfavorable changes
in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying the Fund’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Fund may be subject to certain of the foregoing
risks to a greater extent.
Investments by the Fund in
securities of companies providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancings and their impact on servicing rights. In addition, if the Fund receives rental income or income from the
disposition of real property acquired as a result of a default on securities the Fund owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to retain its federal income tax status as a RIC
because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with parties meeting creditworthiness standards as set forth in the
Fund’s repurchase agreement procedures.
Under such agreements, the other
party agrees, upon entering into the contract with the Fund, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price in a specified currency, thereby determining the yield during the term of the agreement.
This results in a fixed rate of return insulated from market fluctuations during such period, although such return may be affected by currency fluctuations. In the case of repurchase agreements, the prices at which
the trades are conducted do not reflect accrued interest on the underlying obligation. Such agreements usually cover short periods, such as under one week. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized
loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser.
In the case of a repurchase
agreement, as a purchaser, the Fund will require all repurchase agreements to be fully collateralized at all times by cash or other liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the resale price. The seller is required
to provide additional collateral if the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase price at any time during the term of the repurchase agreement. In the event of default by the seller under a repurchase
agreement construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities are not owned by the Fund but only constitute collateral for the seller's obligation to pay the repurchase price. Therefore, the Fund may
suffer time delays and incur costs or possible losses in connection with disposition of the collateral.
The Fund may participate in a joint
repurchase agreement account with other investment companies managed by the Manager pursuant to an order of the SEC. On a daily basis, any uninvested cash balances of the Fund may be aggregated with those of such
investment companies and invested in one or more repurchase agreements. The Fund participates in the income earned or accrued in the joint account based on the percentage of its investment.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND
DOLLAR ROLLS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a portfolio-eligible security by the Fund, coupled with its agreement to
repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. See “Repurchase Agreements.” The Fund’s investments in these instruments are subject to the Fund’s restrictions on borrowing.
The Fund may enter into dollar
rolls. In a dollar roll, the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date from
the same party. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sale price and the forward price for the future
purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund will segregate cash or other liquid assets, marked to market daily, having a value equal to
the obligations of the Fund in respect of dollar rolls.
Dollar rolls involve the risk that
the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities sold by the Fund but which the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of
securities under a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver,
whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Cash proceeds from dollar rolls may be invested in cash or other liquid assets.
SECURITIES LENDING. Unless otherwise noted, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions subject to applicable regulatory requirements and guidance,
including the requirements that: (1) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Fund; (2) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral
consisting of cash having at all times a value of not less than 102% of the value of the securities lent; and (3) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time. Securities Finance Trust Company
(eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund’s securities lending program. As compensation for these services, eSecLending receives a portion of any
amounts earned by the Fund through lending securities.
Cash collateral is invested in an
affiliated prime money market fund and will be subject to market depreciation or appreciation. The Fund will be responsible for any loss that results from this investment of collateral. The affiliated prime money
market fund in which cash collateral is invested may impose liquidity fees or temporary gates on redemptions if its weekly liquid assets fall below a designated threshold. If this were to occur, the Fund may lose
money on its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated prime money market fund, or the Fund may not be able to redeem its investment of cash collateral in the affiliated prime money market fund, which might
cause the Fund to liquidate other holdings in order to return the cash collateral to the borrower upon termination of a securities loan. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
On termination of the loan, the
borrower is required to return the securities to the Fund, and any gain or loss in the market price during the loan would inure to the Fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities lent
because of insolvency or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities lent or in gaining access to the collateral. In such situations, the Fund may sell the collateral and
purchase a replacement investment in the market. There is a risk that the value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 20
During the time portfolio
securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund an amount equivalent to any dividend or interest paid on such securities. Voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower.
However, all loans may be terminated at any time to facilitate the exercise of voting or other consent rights with respect to matters considered to be material. The Fund bears the risk that there may be a delay in the
return of the securities which may impair the Fund’s ability to exercise such rights.
SHORT SALES AND SHORT SALES
AGAINST-THE-BOX. The Fund may make short sales of securities, either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Fund does not
own declines in value. Because making short sales in securities not owned by the Fund exposes the Fund to the risks associated with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if
the Fund makes short sales in securities that increase in value, the Fund will likely underperform similar mutual funds that do not make short sales in securities they do not own. The Fund will incur a loss as a
result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in
price between those dates. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular time or at a desired price. Although the Fund’s gain is limited to the price
at which the Fund sold the security short, its potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and may, theoretically, be unlimited. There
is also a risk that a borrowed security will need to be returned to the broker/dealer on short notice. If the request for the return of a security occurs at a time when other short sellers of the security are
receiving similar requests, a “short squeeze” can occur, meaning that the Fund might be compelled, at the most disadvantageous time, to replace the borrowed security with a security purchased on the open
market, possibly at prices significantly in excess of the proceeds received earlier.
The Fund has a short position in
the securities sold short until it delivers to the broker/dealer the securities sold, at which time the Fund receives the proceeds of the sale. In addition, the Fund is required to pay to the broker/dealer the amount
of any dividends or interest paid on shares sold short. The Fund will normally close out a short position by purchasing on the open market and delivering to the broker/dealer an equal amount of the securities sold
short.
The Fund may also make short sales
against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Fund owns an equal amount of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further
consideration, such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to such consideration, must be segregated on
the Fund’s records or with its Custodian.
SOVEREIGN DEBT. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal
and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its
cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the
governmental entity's policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements
from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such
disbursements may be conditioned on the implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of
economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability
or willingness to timely service its debts. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to
extend further loans to governmental entities. In the event of a default by a governmental entity, there may be few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt.
STRIPPED SECURITIES. Stripped securities are created when the issuer separates the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled
to receive the interest payments on the underlying assets (the interest only or “IO” security) and the other to receive the principal payments (the principal only or “PO” security). Some
stripped securities may receive a combination of interest and principal payments. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are sensitive to the expected or anticipated rate of principal payments (including prepayments)
on the related underlying assets, and principal payments may have a material effect on yield to maturity. If the underlying assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may not fully
recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be adversely affected. Stripped securities may be highly
sensitive to changes in interest rates and rates of prepayment.
STRUCTURED NOTES / STRUCTURED
SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in structured notes and other types of structured securities, including participation notes, structured notes, low exercise price warrants and other related
instruments. These securities are generally privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest or value of the structured security is determined by reference to
the performance of a specific asset, benchmark
asset, market or interest rate (“reference instrument”). Issuers of structured securities include corporations and banks. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption
may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the value of the reference instrument. The terms of a structured security may provide that, in certain circumstances, no principal is due at maturity and, therefore,
may result in a loss of invested capital by the Fund. Receipt of the reference instrument is also, in certain circumstances, exchanged upon maturity of the security.
A structured security may be
positively, negatively, or both positively and negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value or interest rate
may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured security may be calculated as a
multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s); therefore, the value of such structured security may be very volatile. Additionally, caps can be placed
on the amount of appreciation with regard to the reference instrument.
Structured securities may entail a
greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to
accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities. The secondary market for structured securities could be illiquid, making them difficult to sell when the Fund determines to sell them.
The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for structured securities and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell a structured security could expose the Fund to losses and could make structured securities more
difficult for the Fund to value accurately.
In addition, because structured
securities generally are traded over-the-counter, structured securities are subject to the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the structured security, and their values may decline substantially if the
counterparty's creditworthiness deteriorates.
SUPRANATIONAL ENTITIES. The Fund may invest in debt securities of supranational entities. Examples include the World Bank, the European Steel and Coal Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American
Development Bank. The government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions
if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS. The Fund may temporarily invest without limit in money market instruments, including commercial paper of US corporations, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other
obligations of domestic banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the US Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities, as part of a temporary defensive strategy.
The Fund may invest in money market
instruments to maintain appropriate liquidity to meet anticipated redemptions. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. The Fund also may
temporarily hold cash or invest in money market instruments pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Fund shares or during periods of portfolio restructuring.
WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES, DELAYED
DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS. The Fund may purchase or sell securities that the Fund is entitled to receive on a when-issued basis. The Fund may also purchase or sell securities on a delayed delivery basis or through a
forward commitment. These transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The Fund enters into these transactions to
obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. The Fund has not established any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be committed in connection with
these transactions. When the Fund purchases securities in these transactions, the Fund segregates liquid securities in an amount equal to the amount of its purchase commitments.
There can be no assurance that a
security purchased on a when-issued basis will be issued or that a security purchased or sold through a forward commitment will be delivered. The value of securities in these transactions on the delivery date may be
more or less than the Fund’s purchase price. The Fund may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security in these transactions and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security
during the commitment period.
US GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in adjustable rate and fixed rate US Government securities. US Government securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by the US Treasury or by an agency or
instrumentality of the US Government. US Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or the Fund’s shares. Not all US Government securities are backed by the full faith and credit
of the United States. Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 22
US Treasury securities include
bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities issued by the US Treasury. These instruments are direct obligations of the US Government and, as such, are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They
differ primarily in their interest rates, the lengths of their maturities and the dates of their issuances.
Securities issued by agencies of
the US Government or instrumentalities of the US Government, including those which are guaranteed by Federal agencies or instrumentalities, may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Obligations of Ginnie Mae, the Farmers Home Administration and the Small Business Administration are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and
credit of the United States, the Fund must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States if the agency or
instrumentality does not meet its commitments.
The Fund may also invest in
component parts of US Government securities, namely either the corpus (principal) of such obligations or one or more of the interest payments scheduled to be paid on such obligations. These obligations may take the
form of (1) obligations from which the interest coupons have been stripped; (2) the interest coupons that are stripped; (3) book-entries at a Federal Reserve member bank representing ownership of obligation components;
or (4) receipts evidencing the component parts (corpus or coupons) of US Government obligations that have not actually been stripped. Such receipts evidence ownership of component parts of US Government obligations
(corpus or coupons) purchased by a third party (typically an investment banking firm) and held on behalf of the third party in physical or book-entry form by a major commercial bank or trust company pursuant to a
custody agreement with the third party. The Fund may also invest in custodial receipts held by a third party that are not US Government securities.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES, PAY-IN-KIND
SECURITIES AND DEFERRED PAYMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest payments are not made during the life of
the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity on the particular interest payment date at a rate of interest reflecting the
market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the par value of the security. While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities
are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. To the extent a distribution is paid, there may be uncertainty about the source of
the distribution. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during
the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at
the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing
market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation increases the longer the period to maturity. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to
meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash. Because these securities do not pay current cash income, their price can be volatile when
interest rates fluctuate and an investment in these securities generally has a greater potential for complete loss of principal and/or return than an investment in debt securities that make periodic interest payments.
Such investments are more vulnerable to the creditworthiness of the issuer and any other parties upon which performance relies. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not obtain any return on its investment. These
securities may be subject to less liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparably rated securities that pay cash interest at regular intervals. The Fund accrues income with respect to these
securities for federal income tax and accounting purposes prior to the receipt of cash payments.
Pay-in-kind securities are
securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Deferred payment securities are securities that
remain a zero coupon security until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals. Pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities may be
subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparable rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals.
In addition to the above described
risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less
liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Fund’s investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are
held in the Fund’s portfolio. Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Fund is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may
have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate the cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash to satisfy these distributions, as they relate to the
distribution of phantom income and the value of the paid-in-kind interest. The required distributions will result in an increase in the Fund’s exposure to such securities.
ADJUSTABLE AND FLOATING RATE
SECURITIES. Adjustable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations provide that interest rates are
adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such
as based on a change in the prime rate.
The interest rate on a floating
rate debt instrument (“floaters”) is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate, such as a corporate bond index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater resets periodically,
typically every six months. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters may provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rising interest rates, the Fund will participate in any declines
in interest rates as well.
A floater may be considered to be
leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index rate of interest. The higher degree of leverage inherent in some floaters is associated with
greater volatility in their market values.
Such instruments may include
variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary in addition to providing for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. The absence of an active secondary market with respect to
particular variable and floating rate instruments could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a variable or floating rate note if the issuer defaulted on its payment obligation or during periods that the Fund
is not entitled to exercise its demand rights, and the Fund could, for these or other reasons, suffer a loss with respect to such instruments.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the
restrictions listed below as fundamental policies. Under the 1940 Act, a fundamental policy is one that cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting
securities. A “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” when used in this SAI, means the lesser of (i) 67% of the voting shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the
outstanding voting shares are present in person or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares.
The Fund may not:
1. Purchase the securities of any
issuer if, as a result, the Fund would fail to be a diversified company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as each may be amended from time to time, except to the
extent that the Fund may be permitted to do so by exemptive order, SEC release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations (collectively, the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions).
2. Issue senior securities or
borrow money or pledge its assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. For purposes of this restriction, the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery
basis, reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, short sales, derivative and hedging transactions such as interest rate swap transactions, and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and transactions similar
to any of the foregoing and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and obligations of the Fund to Directors pursuant to deferred compensation arrangements are not deemed to be a pledge of assets or the issuance
of a senior security.
3. Buy or sell real estate, except
that investment in securities of issuers that invest in real estate and investments in mortgage-backed securities, mortgage participations or other instruments supported or secured by interests in real estate are not
subject to this limitation, and except that the Fund may exercise rights relating to such securities, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement
until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
4. Buy or sell physical commodities
or contracts involving physical commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell (i) derivative, hedging and similar instruments such as financial futures contracts and options thereon, and (ii) securities or instruments
backed by, or the return from which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward currency exchange contracts, and the Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to
enforce security interests and to hold physical commodities and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby until they can be
liquidated in an orderly manner.
5. Act as underwriter except to the
extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
6. Purchase any security if as a
result more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same group of industries, except for defensive purposes, and except that
this limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the US Government its agencies or instrumentalities.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 24
7. The Fund may make loans,
including loans of assets of the Fund, repurchase agreements, trade claims, loan participations or similar investments, or as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. The acquisition of bonds,
debentures, other debt securities or instruments, or participations or other interests therein and investments in government obligations, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances or instruments
similar to any of the foregoing will not be considered the making of a loan, and is permitted if consistent with the Fund's investment objective.
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 1, the Fund will currently not purchase any security (other than obligations of the US Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result, with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets,
(i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets (determined at the time of investment) would be invested in securities of a single issuer and (ii) the Fund would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of any single issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its total assets, the Fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund cannot change its classification from
diversified to non-diversified without shareholder approval.
With respect to Investment
Restriction 2 above, the 1940 Act permits the Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets
from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (A Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain an
“asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, provided that in the event that the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its
borrowings so that it meets the 300% asset coverage threshold within three days (not including Sundays and holidays). Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the Fund’s total assets (including amounts
borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.” Borrowing, especially when used
for leverage, may cause the value of the Fund’s shares to be more volatile than if the Fund did not borrow. This is because borrowing tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the
Fund’s portfolio holdings. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater gains, but also greater losses. To repay borrowings, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time and at a price that is
unfavorable to the Fund. There also are costs associated with borrowing money, and these costs would offset and could eliminate the Fund’s net investment income in any given period. Investment Restriction 2 will
be interpreted to permit the Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but
are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy. In addition, Investment Restriction 2 will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures
contracts or other derivatives, the posting of initial or variation margin or the Fund’s deferred compensation arrangements with the Trustees.
Investment Restriction 3 prohibits
the Fund from buying or selling real estate. The Fund may invest in real estate-related companies, companies whose businesses consist in whole or in part of investing in real estate, instruments (like mortgages and
mortgage participations) that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or REIT securities. The Fund may exercise rights relating to real estate securities, including the right to enforce security interests and
to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.
Investment Restriction 4 prohibits
the Fund from buying or selling physical commodities (such as oil or grains) or contracts involving physical commodities. The Fund may purchase and sell derivative, hedging and similar instruments such as financial
futures contracts and options thereon (such as futures or options on market indexes, currencies, interest rates or some other benchmark, and swap agreements) and securities or instruments backed by, or the return from
which is linked to, physical commodities or currencies, such as forward currency exchange contracts. In addition, the Fund may exercise rights relating to such instruments, including the right to enforce security
interests and to hold physical commodities and contracts involving physical commodities acquired as a result of the Fund’s ownership of instruments supported or secured thereby until they can be liquidated in an
orderly manner.
Investment Restriction 5 prohibits
the Fund from acting as underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws. A Fund engaging
in transactions involving disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Under the 1933 Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an
issuer’s registration statement or prospectus. Securities purchased from an issuer and not registered for sale under the 1933 Act are considered restricted securities. There may be a limited market for these
securities. If these securities are registered under the 1933 Act, they may then be eligible for sale but participating in the sale may subject the seller to underwriter liability. These risks could apply to a Fund
investing in restricted securities. The Fund may purchase restricted securities without limit (except to the extent that restricted securities are subject to the limitation on investment in illiquid securities).
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 6, the Fund utilizes the Bloomberg Barclays methodology of industry classifications.
With respect to Investment
Restriction 6 relating to concentration, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s
total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could
change in the future. A fund that invests a significant percentage of its total assets in a single industry may be particularly susceptible to adverse events affecting that industry and may be more risky than a fund
that does not concentrate in an industry. The policy in Investment Restriction 6 will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time. Investment without limit in securities
of the US Government and its agencies or instrumentalities is permitted by the restriction. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry. In addition, although
the Fund does not concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries, it may, for temporary defensive purposes, do so. If this occurs, the Fund would, on a temporary basis, be subject to risks
that may be unique or pronounced relating to a particular industry or group of industries. These risks could include greater sensitivity to inflationary pressures or supply and demand for a particular product or
service.
For purposes of Investment
Restriction 7, the Fund will currently lend up to 33 1⁄3% of the value of its total assets.
With respect to Investment
Restriction 7, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase
of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon
date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) Investment Restriction 7 permits the Fund to lend its portfolio securities. While lending securities may
be a source of income to the Fund, as with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the underlying securities should the borrower fail financially. Additionally,
losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that decline in value, default, or do not perform as well as expected. Investment Restriction 5 also permits the
Fund to make loans of money, including loans of money to other PGIM Investments Funds pursuant to an SEC order for exemptive relief. Investment Restriction 7 will be interpreted not to prevent a Fund from purchasing
or investing in debt obligations and loans.
Whenever any fundamental investment
policy or investment restriction states a maximum percentage of the Fund's assets, it is intended that, if the percentage limitation is met at the time the investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting
from changing total asset values will not be considered a violation of such policy.
The Fund’s fundamental
investment restrictions will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations and
modifications of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a restriction provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the
restriction will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.
Although not fundamental, the Fund
has the following additional investment restrictions.
The Fund may not:
1. Make investments for the purpose
of exercising control or management.
2. Invest in securities of other
registered investment companies, except by purchases in the open market involving only customary brokerage commissions and as a result of which not more than 10% of its total assets (determined at the time of
investment) would be invested in such securities, or except as part of a merger, consolidation or other acquisition.
In addition, the Fund may not
acquire securities of other investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act so long as it is a fund in which one or more of the
Prudential Asset Allocation Funds (which are series of The Prudential Investment Portfolios, Inc., Registration Nos. 33-61997; 811-7343) may invest.
3. Purchase warrants if as a result
the Fund would then have more than 5% of its total assets (determined at the time of investment) invested in warrants.
The Fund also follows the following
additional non-fundamental investment policies:
■
|
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in privately issued asset-backed securities.
|
■
|
Up to 20% of the Fund's investable assets may be committed to investments other than US Government securities.
|
Prudential Government Income
Fund 26
■
|
The Fund may, under normal circumstances, invest up to 20% of its investable assets in high-quality money market instruments, including commercial paper of domestic companies, certificates of deposit, bankers'
acceptances and other obligations of domestic and foreign banks.
|
■
|
The Fund may invest in foreign securities (including securities issued by foreign governments, supranational organizations, foreign branches of US banks, or non-governmental foreign issuers such as banks or
corporations) denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies which may or may not be hedged to the US dollar, as long as such securities are rated at least single A by Moody's or S&P (or if unrated, of comparable
quality in the subadviser’s judgment), and only if, after making that investment, all such investments would make up less than 10% of the Fund's investable assets (determined at the time of investment).
|
■
|
The Fund will not enter into foreign currency forward contracts to purchase or sell currency if, as a result, the net market value of all such contracts exceeds 20% of the Fund's net assets.
|
■
|
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its investable assets in zero coupon US Government securities.
|
■
|
The Fund may engage in short sales up to 25% of net assets (determined at the time of the short sale), as well as short sales “against-the-box.” Short sales “against-the-box” are not subject
to the 25% net asset limit. The Fund will cover short sales (other than short sales against-the-box) by segregating liquid assets on its records or with its custodian bank with a market value equal to the market value
of the security sold short.
|
■
|
The Fund may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase agreements.
|
■
|
The Fund's net obligations in respect of all swap agreements (i.e., the aggregate net amount owned by the Fund) is limited to 25% of its net assets.
|
INFORMATION ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS
AND OFFICERS
Information about Board Members and
Officers of the Fund is set forth below. Board Members who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Board Members.”
Board Members who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Fund are referred to as “Interested Board Members.” The Board Members are responsible for the overall supervision of the
operations of the Fund and perform the various duties imposed on the directors of investment companies by the 1940 Act. The Board in turn elects the Officers, who are responsible for administering the day-to-day
operations of the Fund.
Independent Board Members(1)
|
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Ellen S. Alberding (59)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
President and Board Member, The Joyce Foundation (charitable foundation) (since 2002);
Vice Chair, City Colleges of Chicago (community college system) (since 2011); Trustee, Skills for America’s Future (national initiative to connect employers to community colleges) (since 2011); Trustee, National
Park Foundation (charitable foundation for national park system) (since 2009); Trustee, Economic Club of Chicago (since 2009).
|
None.
|
Kevin J. Bannon (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Retired; Managing Director (April 2008-May 2015) and Chief Investment Officer (October
2008-November 2013) of Highmount Capital LLC (registered investment adviser); formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (April 1993-August 2007) of Bank of New York Company; President (May
2003-May 2007) of BNY Hamilton Family of Mutual Funds.
|
Director of Urstadt Biddle Properties (equity real estate investment trust) (since September 2008).
|
Linda W. Bynoe (64)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
President and Chief Executive Officer (since March 1995) and formerly Chief Operating
Officer (December 1989-February 1995) of Telemat Ltd. (management consulting); formerly Vice President (January 1985-June 1989) at Morgan Stanley & Co. (broker-dealer).
|
Director of Simon Property Group, Inc. (retail real estate) (May 2003-May 2012); Director of Anixter
International, Inc. (communication products distributor) (since January 2006); Director of Northern Trust Corporation (financial services) (since April 2006); Trustee of Equity Residential (residential real estate)
(since December 2009).
|
Keith F. Hartstein (60)
Board Member & Independent Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Retired; Member (since November 2014) of the Governing Council of the Independent
Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors); formerly President and Chief Executive Officer (2005-2012), Senior Vice President (2004-2005), Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
(1997-2004), and various executive management positions (1990-1997), John Hancock Funds, LLC (asset management); Chairman, Investment Company Institute’s Sales Force Marketing Committee (2003-2008).
|
None.
|
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (71)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Retired (since February 2005); formerly Senior Managing Director (July 2001-February
2005) of Bear Stearns & Co, Inc.; Global Partner, INVESCO (1999-2001); Managing Director and President of Salomon Brothers Asset Management (1989-1999).
|
None.
|
Independent Board Members(1)
|
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Richard A. Redeker (73)
Board Member & Independent Vice Chair
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Retired Mutual Fund Senior Executive (47 years); Management Consultant; Director, Mutual
Fund Directors Forum (since 2014); Independent Directors Council (organization of independent mutual fund directors)-Executive Committee, Chair of Policy Steering Committee, Governing Council.
|
None.
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn (73)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Chairman (since July 2011), President and Chief Executive Officer (since June 1996) of
Frontline Medical Communications (publishing company); formerly President (June 1995-June 1996) of Argus Integrated Media, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Managing Director (January 1993-1995) of Cowles Business Media;
Senior Vice President of Fairchild Publications, Inc. (1975-1989).
|
None.
|
Interested Board Members(1)
|
Name, Address, Age
Position(s)
Portfolios Overseen
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held During Past Five Years
|
Stuart S. Parker (54)
Board Member & President
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
President of PGIM Investments LLC (formerly known as Prudential Investments LLC) (since
January 2012); Executive Vice President of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (since December 2012); Executive Vice President of Jennison Associates LLC and Head of Retail Distribution of PGIM Investments
LLC (June 2005-December 2011).
|
None.
|
Scott E. Benjamin (43)
Board Member & Vice President
Portfolios Overseen: 88
|
Executive Vice President (since June 2009) of PGIM Investments LLC; Executive Vice
President (June 2009-June 2012) and Vice President (since June 2012) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; Executive Vice President (since September 2009) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice
President of Product Development and Marketing, PGIM Investments (since February 2006); Vice President of Product Development and Product Management, Prudential Investments (2003-2006).
|
None.
|
Grace C. Torres*
(57)
Board Member
Portfolios Overseen: 86
|
Retired; formerly Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the PGIM
Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, Prudential Variable Contract Accounts and The Prudential Series Fund (1998-June 2014); Assistant Treasurer (March 1999-June 2014) and Senior Vice President
(September 1999-June 2014) of PGIM Investments LLC; Assistant Treasurer (May 2003-June 2014) and Vice President (June 2005-June 2014) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer
(May 2003-June 2014) of Prudential Annuities Advisory Services, Inc.
|
Director (since July 2015) of Sun Bancorp, Inc. N.A. and Sun National Bank
|
* Note: Prior to her
retirement in 2014, Ms. Torres was employed by PGIM Investments LLC. Due to her prior employment, she is considered to be an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. Ms. Torres is a Non-Management
Interested Board Member.
(1) The year that each Board Member joined the Fund's Board is as follows:
Ellen S. Alberding, 2013; Kevin J. Bannon,
2008; Linda W. Bynoe, 2005; Keith F. Hartstein, 2013; Michael S. Hyland, 2008; Richard A. Redeker, 1993; Stephen G. Stoneburn, 2003; Grace C. Torres, 2014; Stuart S. Parker, Board Member and President since 2012;
Scott E. Benjamin, Board Member since 2010 and Vice President since 2009.
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
Raymond A. O’Hara (61)
Chief Legal Officer
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since July 2010) of Prudential Insurance Company of
America (Prudential); Vice President (March 2011-Present) of Pruco Life Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey; Vice President and Corporate Counsel (March 2011-Present) of Prudential
Annuities Life Assurance Corporation; Chief Legal Officer of PGIM Investments LLC (since June 2012); Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since June 2012) and Corporate Counsel of AST Investment
Services, Inc. (since June 2012); formerly Assistant Vice President and Corporate Counsel (September 2008-July 2010) of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.; formerly Associate (September 1980-December 1987)
and Partner (January 1988–August 2008) of Blazzard & Hasenauer, P.C. (formerly, Blazzard, Grodd & Hasenauer, P.C.).
|
Since 2012
|
Prudential Government Income
Fund 28
Fund Officers(a)
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
Position with Fund
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
Length of
Service as Fund Officer
|
Chad A. Earnst (42)
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Chief Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of PGIM Investments LLC; Chief
Compliance Officer (September 2014-Present) of the PGIM Investments Funds, Target Funds, Advanced Series Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High
Yield Income Fund, Inc., Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc. and Prudential Jennison MLP Income Fund, Inc.; formerly Assistant Director (March 2010-August 2014) of the Asset Management Unit, Division of
Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission; Assistant Regional Director (January 2010-August 2014), Branch Chief (June 2006–December 2009) and Senior Counsel (April 2003-May 2006) of the Miami Regional
Office, Division of Enforcement, US Securities & Exchange Commission.
|
Since 2014
|
Deborah A. Docs (59)
Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2001) of Prudential; Vice President
(since December 1996) and Assistant Secretary (since March 1999) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
|
Since 2004
|
Jonathan D. Shain (58)
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since August 1998) of Prudential; Vice President
and Assistant Secretary (since May 2001) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since February 2001) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary
(May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
|
Since 2005
|
Claudia DiGiacomo (42)
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2005) of Prudential; Vice President
and Assistant Secretary of PGIM Investments LLC (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004).
|
Since 2005
|
Andrew R. French (54)
Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since February 2010) of Prudential; formerly
Director and Corporate Counsel (2006-2010) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PGIM Investments LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of Prudential
Mutual Fund Services LLC.
|
Since 2006
|
Theresa C. Thompson (54)
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer
|
Vice President, Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (since April 2004); and Director,
Compliance, PGIM Investments LLC (2001-2004).
|
Since 2008
|
Charles H. Smith (43)
Anti-Money Laundering
Compliance Officer
|
Vice President, Corporate Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering Unit (since January 2015) of
Prudential; committee member of the American Council of Life Insurers Anti-Money Laundering and Critical Infrastructure Committee (since January 2016); formerly Global Head of Economic Sanctions Compliance at AIG
Property Casualty (February 2007 – December 2014); Assistant Attorney General at the New York State Attorney General's Office, Division of Public Advocacy. (August 1998 —January 2007).
|
Since 2016
|
M. Sadiq Peshimam (53)
Treasurer and Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer
|
Vice President (since 2005) of PGIM Investments LLC; formerly Assistant Treasurer of
funds in the Prudential Mutual Fund Complex (2006-2014).
|
Since 2006
|
Peter Parrella (58)
Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2004-2007) within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration; formerly Tax Manager at SSB Citi Fund Management LLC (1997-2004).
|
Since 2007
|
Lana Lomuti (49)
Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2005-2007), within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration; formerly Assistant Treasurer (December 2007-February 2014) of The Greater China Fund, Inc.
|
Since 2014
|
Linda McMullin (55)
Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President (since 2011) and Director (2008-2011) within Prudential Mutual Fund
Administration.
|
Since 2014
|
Kelly A. Coyne (48)
Assistant Treasurer
|
Director, Investment Operations of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (since 2010).
|
Since 2015
|
(a) Excludes Mr. Parker and Mr. Benjamin, interested Board Members who also serve as President and Vice President, respectively.
Explanatory Notes to Tables:
■
|
Board Members are deemed to be “Interested,” as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with PGIM Investments LLC and/or an affiliate of PGIM Investments LLC.
|
■
|
Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Board Members and Officers is c/o PGIM Investments LLC, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410.
|
■
|
There is no set term of office for Board Members or Officers. The Board Members have adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Board Members on December 31 of the year in which they
reach the age of 75.
|
■
|
“Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the 1934 Act (that is, “public companies”) or other
investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.
|
■
|
“Portfolios Overseen” includes all investment companies managed by PGIM Investments LLC. The investment companies for which PGIM Investments LLC serves as manager include the PGIM
Investments Mutual Funds, The Prudential Variable Contract Accounts, Target Mutual Funds, Prudential Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc., The Prudential Series
Fund, Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc. and the Advanced Series Trust.
|
COMPENSATION OF BOARD MEMBERS AND
OFFICERS. Pursuant to a management agreement with the Fund, the Manager pays all compensation of Fund Officers and employees as well as the fees and expenses of all Interested Board
Members.
The Fund pays each Independent
Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member annual compensation in addition to certain out-of-pocket expenses. Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members who serve on Board
Committees may receive additional compensation. The amount of annual compensation paid to each Independent Board Member and Non-Management Interested Board Member may change as a result of the introduction of
additional funds on whose Boards the Board Member may be asked to serve.
Independent Board Members and
Non-Management Interested Board Members may defer receipt of their fees pursuant to a deferred fee agreement with the Fund. Under the terms of the agreement, the Fund accrues deferred Board Members' fees daily which,
in turn, accrue interest at a rate equivalent to the prevailing rate of 90-day US Treasury Bills at the beginning of each calendar quarter or at the daily rate of return of any mutual fund managed by PGIM Investments
chosen by the Board Member. Payment of the interest so accrued is also deferred and becomes payable at the option of the Board Member. The obligation to make payments of deferred Board Members' fees, together with
interest thereon, is a general obligation of the Fund. The Fund does not have a retirement or pension plan for Board Members.
The following table sets forth the
aggregate compensation paid by the Fund for the most recently completed fiscal year to the Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members for service on the Board, and the Board of any other
investment company in the Fund Complex for the most recently completed calendar year. Board Members and officers who are “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) (with the exception of
Non-Management Interested Board Members) do not receive compensation from PGIM Investments-managed funds and therefore are not shown in the following table.
Compensation Received by Independent & Non-Management Interested Board Members
|
Name
|
Aggregate Fiscal Year
Compensation from Fund
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from Fund
and Fund Complex for Most
Recent Calendar Year
|
Ellen S. Alberding
|
$2,177
|
None
|
None
|
$249,000 (32/88)*
|
Kevin J. Bannon
|
$2,147
|
None
|
None
|
$255,000 (32/88)*
|
Linda W. Bynoe**
|
$2,113
|
None
|
None
|
$243,000 (32/88)*
|
Keith F. Hartstein**
|
$2,170
|
None
|
None
|
$249,000 (32/88)*
|
Michael S. Hyland
|
$2,140
|
None
|
None
|
$255,000 (32/88)*
|
Richard A. Redeker**
|
$2,473
|
None
|
None
|
$313,000 (32/88)*
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn**
|
$2,090
|
None
|
None
|
$244,000 (32/88)*
|
Grace C. Torres ‡
|
$1,947
|
None
|
None
|
$218,562 (30/86)*
|
‡ Ms. Torres serves as a non-management Interested Board Member. Non-management Interested Board Members receive compensation from the Fund for their service on the Board.
Explanatory Notes to Board Member Compensation
Table
* Compensation relates to portfolios that
were in existence for any period during 2016. Number of funds and portfolios represent those in existence as of December 31, 2016, and excludes funds that have merged or liquidated during the year. Additionally, the
number of funds and portfolios includes those which are approved as of December 31, 2016, but may commence operations after that date. No compensation is paid out from such funds/portfolios.
** Under the deferred fee agreement for
the PGIM Investments-managed funds, certain Board Members have elected to defer all or part of their total compensation. The total amount of deferred compensation accrued during the calendar year ended December 31,
2016, including investment results during the year on cumulative deferred fees, amounted to $64,545, $45,725, $(2,253), and $169,627 for Ms. Bynoe, Mr. Hartstein, Mr. Redeker, and Mr. Stoneburn, respectively.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established three standing committees in connection with Fund governance—Audit, Nominating and Governance, and Investment. Information on the membership of each
standing committee and its functions is set forth below.
Audit Committee: The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to
assist the Board in overseeing the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, accounting policies and procedures and other areas relating to the Fund's auditing processes. The Audit Committee is responsible
for pre-approving all audit services and any permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm directly to the Fund. The Audit Committee is also responsible for
pre-approving permitted services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to (1) the Manager and (2) any entity in a control relationship with the Manager that provides ongoing services to
the Fund, provided that the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm relates directly to the operation and financial reporting of the Fund. The scope of the Audit Committee's responsibilities is
oversight. It is management's responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting and internal control and the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility to plan and carry out an audit in
accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The number of Audit Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the
table below.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 30
The membership of the Audit
Committee is set forth below:
Kevin J. Bannon (Chair)
Michael S. Hyland, CFA
Richard A. Redeker
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Nominating and Governance
Committee: The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for nominating Board Members and making recommendations to the Board concerning Board composition, committee structure
and governance, director education, and governance practices. The Board has determined that each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee is not an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act.
The number of Nominating and Governance Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below. The Nominating and Governance Committee Charter is available on
the Fund's website.
The membership of the Nominating
and Governance Committee is set forth below:
Linda W. Bynoe (Chair)
Ellen S. Alberding
Keith F. Hartstein (ex-officio)
Richard A. Redeker (ex-officio)
Investment Committees: The Board of each fund in the Prudential retail mutual funds complex has formed joint committees to review the performance of each Fund in the Fund Complex. The Gibraltar Investment
Committee reviews the performance of each Fund that is subadvised by Jennison Associates LLC and Quantitative Management Associates LLC. The Dryden Investment Committee reviews the performance of each Fund that is
subadvised by PGIM Fixed Income and PGIM Real Estate (each of which is a business unit of PGIM, Inc.). In addition, the Dryden Investment Committee reviews the performance of the closed-end funds. Each committee meets
at least four times per year and reports the results of its review to the full Board of each Fund at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. Every Independent Board Member sits on one of the two committees. The
Non-Management Interested Board Member sits on one of the two committees.
The number of Gibraltar Investment
Committee or Dryden Investment Committee meetings, as applicable, held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.
The membership of the Gibraltar
Investment Committee and the Dryden Investment Committee is set forth below:
Gibraltar Investment Committee
Ellen S. Alberding (Chair)
Kevin J. Bannon
Keith F. Hartstein
Richard A. Redeker
Dryden Investment Committee
Michael S. Hyland, CFA (Chair)
Linda W. Bynoe
Stephen G. Stoneburn
Grace C. Torres
Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year)
|
Audit Committee
|
Nominating & Governance Committee
|
Dryden Investment Committee
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND
QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS. The Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund. The Fund has engaged the Manager to manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board oversees the Manager and certain other principal
service providers in the operations of the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten members, seven of whom are Independent Board Members. The Board meets in-person at regularly scheduled meetings four times
throughout the year. In addition, the Board Members may meet in-person or by telephone at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. As described above, the Board has established three standing
committees—Audit, Nominating and Governance, and Investment—and may establish ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The
Independent Board Members have also engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities.
The Board is chaired by an
Independent Board Member. As Chair, this Independent Board Member leads the Board in its activities. Also, the Chair acts as a member or as an ex-officio member of each standing committee and any ad hoc committee of
the Board. The Board Members have determined that the Board's leadership and committee structure is appropriate because the Board believes it sets the proper tone to the relationships between the Fund, on the one
hand, and the Manager, the subadviser(s) and certain other principal service providers, on the other, and facilitates the exercise of the Board's independent judgment in evaluating and managing the relationships. In
addition, the structure efficiently allocates responsibility among committees.
The Board has concluded that, based
on each Board Member's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Board Members, each Board Member should serve as a Board Member. Among other
attributes common to all Board Members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the various service providers to the Fund, and
to exercise reasonable business judgment in the performance of their duties as Board Members. In addition, the Board has taken into account the actual service and commitment of the Board Members during their tenure in
concluding that each should continue to serve. A Board Member's ability to perform his or her duties effectively may have been attained through a Board Member's educational background or professional training;
business, consulting, public service or academic positions; experience from service as a Board Member of the Fund, other funds in the Fund Complex, public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations; or
other experiences. Set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Board Member that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a Board
Member.
Messrs. Redeker and Stoneburn have
each served as a Board Member of mutual funds in the Fund Complex for more than 15 years, including as members and/or Chairs of various Board committees. Mr. Stoneburn has more than 30 years of experience as senior
executive officer of operating companies and/or as a director of public companies. Mr. Redeker has more than 50 years of experience as a senior executive in the mutual fund industry. Ms. Bynoe has been a Board Member
of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2005, having served on the boards of other mutual fund complexes since 1993. She has worked in the financial services industry over 11 years, has approximately 20
years of experience as a management consultant and serves as a Director of financial services and other complex global corporations. Messrs. Bannon and Hyland joined the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund
Complex in 2008. Each has held senior executive positions in the financial services industry, including serving as senior executives of asset management firms, for over 17 years. Ms. Alberding and Mr. Hartstein joined
the Board of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex in 2013. Ms. Alberding has 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector, including over 20 years as the president of a charitable foundation, where she
oversees multiple investment managers. Ms. Alberding also served as a Trustee of the Aon Funds from 2000 to 2003. Mr. Hartstein has worked in the asset management industry for almost 30 years and served as a senior
executive in an asset management firm. Mr. Parker, who has served as an Interested Board Member and President of the Fund and the other funds in the Fund Complex since 2012, is President, Chief Operating Officer and
Officer-in-Charge of PGIM Investments and several of its affiliates that provide services to the Fund and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2005. Mr. Benjamin, an Interested Board Member of the Fund
and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2010, has served as a Vice President of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex since 2009 and has held senior positions in PGIM Investments since 2003. Ms. Torres, a
Non-Management Interested Board Member of the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex, formerly served as Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer for the Fund and other funds in the Fund Complex for
16 years and held senior positions with the Manager from 1999 to 2014. In addition, Ms. Torres is a certified public accountant (CPA). Specific details about each Board Member's professional experience appear in the
professional biography tables, above.
Risk Oversight. Investing in general and the operation of a mutual fund involve a variety of risks, such as investment risk, compliance risk, and operational risk, among others. The Board oversees risk as
part of its oversight of the Fund. Risk oversight is addressed as part of various regular Board and committee activities. The Board, directly or through its committees, reviews reports from among others, the Manager,
subadvisers, the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, counsel, and internal auditors of the Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the
Fund and the risk management programs of the Manager and certain service providers. The actual day-to-day risk management with respect to the Fund resides with the Manager and other service providers to the Fund.
Although the risk management policies of the Manager and the service providers are designed to be effective, those policies and their implementation vary among service providers and over time, and there is no
guarantee that they will be effective. Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and some risks are simply
beyond any control of the Fund or the Manager, its affiliates or other service providers.
Selection of Board Member
Nominees. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for considering nominees for Board Members at such times as it considers electing new members to the Board. The Nominating and
Governance Committee may consider recommendations by business and personal contacts of current Board Members, and by executive search firms which the Committee may engage from time to time and will also consider
shareholder recommendations. The Nominating and Governance Committee has not established specific, minimum qualifications that it believes must be met by a nominee. In evaluating nominees, the Nominating and
Prudential Government Income
Fund 32
Governance Committee considers, among other things,
an individual's background, skills, and experience; whether the individual is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the individual would be deemed an “audit committee
financial expert” within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers whether the individual's background, skills, and experience will complement the background,
skills, and experience of other nominees and will contribute to the diversity of the Board. There are no differences in the manner in which the Nominating and Governance Committee evaluates nominees for the Board
based on whether the nominee is recommended by a shareholder.
A shareholder who wishes to
recommend a board member for nomination should submit his or her recommendation in writing to the Chair of the Board (Keith Hartstein) or the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee (Linda W. Bynoe), in
either case in care of the specified Fund(s), at 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. At a minimum, the recommendation should include: the name, address and business,
educational and/or other pertinent background of the person being recommended; a statement concerning whether the person is an “interested person” as defined in the 1940 Act; any other information that the
Fund would be required to include in a proxy statement concerning the person if he or she was nominated; and the name and address of the person submitting the recommendation, together with the number of Fund shares
held by such person and the period for which the shares have been held. The recommendation also can include any additional information which the person submitting it believes would assist the Nominating and Governance
Committee in evaluating the recommendation.
Shareholders should note that a
person who owns securities issued by Prudential (the parent company of the Fund's Manager) would be deemed an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. In addition, certain other relationships with
Prudential or its subsidiaries, with registered broker-dealers, or with the Fund's outside legal counsel may cause a person to be deemed an “interested person.” Before the Nominating and Governance
Committee decides to nominate an individual to the Board, Committee members and other Board Members customarily interview the individual in person. In addition, the individual customarily is asked to complete a
detailed questionnaire which is designed to elicit information which must be disclosed under SEC and stock exchange rules and to determine whether the individual is subject to any statutory disqualification from
serving on the board of a registered investment company.
Share Ownership. Information relating to each Board Member's Fund share ownership and in all registered funds in the PGIM Investments-advised funds that are overseen by the respective Board Member as of
the most recently completed calendar year is set forth in the chart below.
Name
|
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Board Member in Fund Complex
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Independent Board Members
|
Ellen S. Alberding
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Kevin J. Bannon
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Linda W. Bynoe
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Keith F. Hartstein
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Michael S. Hyland
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Richard A. Redeker
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Stephen G. Stoneburn
|
Over $100,000
|
Over $100,000
|
Board Member Share Ownership: Interested Board Members
|
Stuart S. Parker
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Scott E. Benjamin
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
Grace C. Torres
|
None
|
Over $100,000
|
None of the Independent Board
Members, or any member of his/her immediate family, owned beneficially or of record any securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or a person (other than a registered investment company)
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund as of the most recently completed calendar year.
Shareholder Communications with Board
Members. Shareholders can communicate directly with Board Members by writing to the Chair of the Board, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Shareholders can communicate directly with an individual Board Member by writing to
that Board Member, c/o the Fund, 655 Broad Street, 17th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. Such communications to the Board or individual Board Members are not screened before
being delivered to the addressee.
MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY
ARRANGEMENTS
MANAGER. The Manager’s address is 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410. The Manager serves as manager to all of the other investment companies that, together with the Fund,
comprise the PGIM Investments mutual funds. See the Prospectus for more information about PGIM Investments. As of February 28, 2017, the Manager served as the investment manager to all of the Prudential US and
offshore open-end investment companies, and as administrator to closed-end investment companies, with aggregate assets of approximately $261.7 billion.
The Manager is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of PIFM Holdco, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PGIM Holding Company LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential. PMFS, an affiliate of PGIM Investments, serves as the transfer agent
and dividend distribution agent for the PGIM Investments mutual funds and, in addition, provides customer service, record keeping and management and administrative services to qualified plans.
Pursuant to a management agreement
with PIP 14 on behalf of the Fund (the Management Agreement), PGIM Investments, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board and in conformity with the stated policies of the Fund, manages both the investment
operations of the Fund and the composition of the Fund's portfolio, including the purchase, retention, disposition and loan of securities and other assets. In connection therewith, the Manager is obligated to keep
certain books and records of the Fund. The Manager is authorized to enter into subadvisory agreements for investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. The Manager will continue to have
responsibility for all investment advisory services performed pursuant to any such subadvisory agreements. PGIM Investments will review the performance of the investment subadviser(s) and make recommendations to the
Board with respect to the retention of investment subadvisers and the renewal of contracts. The Manager also administers the Fund's corporate affairs and, in connection therewith, furnishes the Fund with office
facilities, together with those ordinary clerical and bookkeeping services which are not being furnished by the Fund's custodian (the Custodian) and PMFS. The management services of PGIM Investments to the Fund are
not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and PGIM Investments is free to, and does, render management services to others.
PGIM Investments may from time to
time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total return. These voluntary waivers may be
terminated at any time without notice. To the extent that PGIM Investments agrees to waive its fee or subsidize the Fund's expenses, it may enter into a relationship agreement with the subadviser to share the economic
impact of the fee waiver or expense subsidy.
In connection with its management
of the corporate affairs of the Fund, PGIM Investments bears the following expenses:
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|
the salaries and expenses of all of its and the Fund's personnel except the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members;
|
■
|
all expenses incurred by the Manager or the Fund in connection with managing the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, other than those assumed by the Fund as described below; and
|
■
|
the fees, costs and expenses payable to any investment subadviser pursuant to a subadvisory agreement between PGIM Investments and such investment subadviser.
|
Under the terms of the Management
Agreement, the Fund is responsible for the payment of the following expenses:
■
|
the fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets payable to the Manager;
|
■
|
the fees and expenses of Independent Board Members and Non-Management Interested Board Members;
|
■
|
the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian and transfer and dividend disbursing agent, including the cost of providing records to the Manager in connection with its obligation of maintaining required records of
the Fund and of pricing the Fund's shares;
|
■
|
the charges and expenses of the Fund's legal counsel and independent auditors and of legal counsel to the Independent Board Members;
|
■
|
brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with securities (and futures, if applicable) transactions;
|
■
|
all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies;
|
■
|
the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a member;
|
■
|
the cost of share certificates representing, and/or non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing, shares of the Fund;
|
■
|
the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and omissions insurance;
|
Prudential Government Income
Fund 34
■
|
the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of Fund shares with the SEC and paying notice filing fees under state securities laws, including the preparation and
printing of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes; allocable communications expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses of shareholders' and Board meetings and of
preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices to shareholders; and
|
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litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business and distribution and service (12b-1) fees.
|
The Management Agreement provides
that PGIM Investments will not be liable for any error of judgment by PGIM Investments or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, except a loss
resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the
1940 Act) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties. The Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in
the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by either PGIM Investments or the Fund by the Board or vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) upon
not more than 60 days', nor less than 30 days', written notice. The Management Agreement will continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date of execution only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Fees payable under the Management
Agreement are computed daily and paid monthly. The applicable fee rate and the management fees received by PGIM Investments from the Fund for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below.
Management Fee Rate
Prudential Government Income Fund:
0.50% to $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.45% next $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.35% next $1 billion of average daily net assets;
0.30% over $3 billion of average daily net assets.
Management Fees Paid by Prudential Government Income Fund
|
|
|
|
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
$2,507,009
|
$2,496,908
|
$2,555,368
|
SUBADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS. The Manager has entered into a subadvisory agreement (Subadvisory Agreement) with the Fund's investment subadviser. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that the subadviser will furnish
investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. In connection therewith, the subadviser is obligated to keep certain books and records of the Fund. Under the Subadvisory Agreement, the
subadviser, subject to the supervision of PGIM Investments, is responsible for managing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives, investment program and policies. The subadviser
determines what securities and other instruments are purchased and sold for the Fund and is responsible for obtaining and evaluating financial data relevant to the Fund. PGIM Investments continues to have
responsibility for all investment advisory services pursuant to the Management Agreement and supervises the subadviser's performance of such services.
As discussed in the Prospectus,
PGIM Investments employs the subadviser under a “manager of managers” structure that allows PGIM Investments to replace the subadviser or amend a Subadvisory Agreement without seeking shareholder approval.
The Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated by
the Fund, PGIM Investments, or the subadviser upon not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that it will continue in effect for a period of not more
than two years from its execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Any new subadvisory agreement or amendment to the
Fund’s Management Agreement or Subadvisory Agreement that directly or indirectly results in an increase in the aggregate management fee rate payable by the Fund will be submitted to the Fund’s shareholders
for their approval.
The applicable fee rate and the
subadvisory fees paid by PGIM Investments for the indicated fiscal years are set forth below. Subadvisory fees are based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, calculated and paid on a monthly basis, at the fee
rate as set forth in the Subadvisory Agreement. Subadvisory fees are deducted out of the management fee paid by the Fund.
Fund Subadviser & Fee Rate
|
Fund
|
Subadviser
|
Fee Rate
|
Prudential Government Income Fund
|
PGIM Fixed Income
|
0.25% to $1 billion;
0.2138% next $1 billion;
0.1575% next $1 billion;
0.1275% over $3 billion
|
Subadvisory Fees Paid by PGIM Investments: Prudential Government Income Fund
|
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
$1,253,489
|
$1,248,422
|
$1,277,684
|
THE FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:
INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED
The table below identifies the
number and total assets of other mutual funds and other types of investment accounts managed by each portfolio manager. For each category, the number of investment accounts and total assets in the investment accounts
whose fees are based on performance, if any, is indicated in italics typeface. Information shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, unless noted otherwise.
Other Funds and Investment Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
|
Subadviser
|
Portfolio Managers
|
Registered Investment
Companies/Total Assets
|
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles/
Total Assets
|
Other Accounts/
Total Assets
|
PGIM Fixed Income*
|
Robert Tipp, CFA
|
24/$29,178,851,997
|
21/$7,569,883,192
1/$579,850
|
87/$20,795,538,560
|
|
Craig Dewling
|
37/$8,428,221,498
|
32/$11,520,415,661
2/$1,417,944,902
|
146/$40,735,472,719
2/-$9,721,210
|
|
Erik Schiller, CFA
|
37/$12,388,028,354
|
31/$11,305,534,327
2/$1,417,944,902
|
144/$39,004,565,049
2/-$9,721,210
|
*Accounts are managed on a
team basis. If a portfolio manager is a member of a team, any account managed by that team is included in the number of accounts and total assets for such portfolio manager (even if such portfolio manager is not
primarily involved in the day-to-day management of the account).
THE FUND’S PORTFOLIO MANAGERS:
PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS
The table below identifies the
dollar value (in ranges) of investments beneficially held by, and financial interests awarded to, each portfolio manager, if any, in the Fund and in other investment accounts managed by, or which have an individual
portion or sleeve managed by, each portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, objectives and mandates similar to the Fund. Information shown below is as of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal
year, unless noted otherwise.
Personal Investments and Financial Interests of the Portfolio Managers
|
Subadviser
|
Portfolio Managers
|
Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies*
|
PGIM Fixed Income
|
Robert Tipp, CFA
|
None
|
|
Craig Dewling
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
|
Erik Schiller, CFA
|
$10,001 - $50,000
|
*“Investments and Other Financial Interests in the Fund and Similar Strategies” include direct investment in the Fund and investment in all other investment accounts which
are managed by the same portfolio manager that utilize investment strategies, investment objectives and mandates that are similar to those of the Fund. “Other financial interests” are interests related to
awards under a targeted long-term incentive plan, the value of which is subject to increase or decrease based on the performance of the Fund. “Other Investment Accounts” in similar strategies include other
Prudential mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts, and collective and commingled trusts. The dollar range of each Portfolio Manager’s direct investment in the Fund is as follows: Robert Tipp: None;
Craig Dewling: $10,001 - $50,000; Erik Schiller: $10,001 - $50,000.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS—COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Set forth below, for each portfolio manager, is an explanation of the structure of, and methods used to determine, portfolio manager compensation. Also set forth below, for each portfolio
manager, is an explanation of any material conflicts of interest that may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the Fund's investments and investments in other accounts.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 36
PGIM, Inc. (PGIM).
COMPENSATION. The base salary of an investment professional in the PGIM Fixed Income unit of PGIM (“PGIM Fixed Income”) is based on market data relative to similar positions as well as the
past performance, years of experience and scope of responsibility of the individual. Incentive compensation, including the annual cash bonus, the long-term equity grant and grants under PGIM Fixed Income’s
long-term incentive plans, is primarily based on such person’s contribution to PGIM Fixed Income’s goal of providing investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines and
risk parameters and market-based data such as compensation trends and levels of overall compensation for similar positions in the asset management industry. In addition, an investment professional’s qualitative
contributions to the organization are considered in determining incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not solely based on the performance of, or value of assets in, any single account or group of client
accounts.
An investment professional’s
annual cash bonus is paid from an annual incentive pool. The pool is developed as a percentage of PGIM Fixed Income’s operating income and may be refined by factors such as:
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|
business development initiatives, measured primarily by growth in operating income; and/or
|
■
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investment performance of portfolios: (i) relative to appropriate peer groups and/or (ii) as measured against relevant investment indices.
|
Long-term compensation consists of
Prudential Financial restricted stock, grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan. Grants under the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan are participation
interests in notional accounts with a beginning value of a specified dollar amount. The value attributed to these notional accounts increases or decreases over a defined period of time based, in part (and wholly, in
the case of targeted long-term incentive awards), on the performance of one or more investment composites or commingled investment vehicles representing a number of PGIM Fixed Income’s most frequently marketed
investment strategies. An investment composite is an aggregation of accounts with similar investment strategies. The long-term incentive plan is designed to more closely align compensation with investment performance
and the growth of PGIM Fixed Income’s business. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan is designed to align the interests of certain of its investment professionals with the
performance of a particular long-short composite or commingled investment vehicle. Both the restricted stock and participation interests are subject to vesting requirements.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Like other investment advisers, PGIM Fixed Income is subject to various conflicts of interest in the ordinary course of its business. PGIM Fixed Income strives to identify potential risks,
including conflicts of interest, that are inherent in its business, and conducts annual conflict of interest reviews. When actual or potential conflicts of interest are identified, PGIM Fixed Income seeks to address
such conflicts through one or more of the following methods:
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|
elimination of the conflict;
|
■
|
disclosure of the conflict; or
|
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management of the conflict through the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures.
|
PGIM Fixed Income follows the
policies of Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential Financial) on business ethics, personal securities trading by investment personnel, and information barriers. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a code of ethics,
allocation policies and conflicts of interest policies, among others, and has adopted supervisory procedures to monitor compliance with its policies. PGIM Fixed Income cannot guarantee, however, that its policies and
procedures will detect and prevent, or assure disclosure of, each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.
Side-by-Side Management of Accounts
and Related Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side management of multiple accounts can create conflicts of interest. Examples are detailed below, followed by a discussion of how PGIM Fixed Income
addresses these conflicts.
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Performance Fees— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts with asset-based fees alongside accounts with performance-based fees. This side-by-side management may be deemed to create an incentive for PGIM Fixed
Income and its investment professionals to favor one account over another. Specifically, PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have the incentive to favor accounts for which it receives performance fees, and
possibly take greater investment risks in those accounts, in order to bolster performance and increase its fees.
|
■
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Affiliated accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts on behalf of its affiliates as well as unaffiliated accounts. PGIM Fixed Income could be considered to have an incentive to favor accounts of affiliates
over others.
|
■
|
Large accounts—large accounts typically generate more revenue than do smaller accounts and certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s strategies have higher fees than others. As a result, a portfolio manager could
be considered to have an incentive when allocating scarce investment opportunities to favor accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PGIM Fixed Income.
|
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Long only and long/short accounts— PGIM Fixed Income manages accounts that only allow it to hold securities long as well as accounts that permit short selling. PGIM Fixed Income may, therefore,
sell a security short in some client accounts while holding the same security long in other client accounts. These short sales could reduce the value of the securities held in the long only accounts. In addition,
purchases for long only accounts could have a negative impact on the short positions.
|
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Securities of the same kind or class— PGIM Fixed Income may buy or sell for one client account securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another client at prices that may be
different. PGIM Fixed Income may also, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and in the opposite direction for another account due to differences in
investment strategy or client direction. Different strategies trading in the same securities or types of securities may appear as inconsistencies in PGIM Fixed Income’s management of multiple accounts
side-by-side.
|
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Financial interests of investment professionals— PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may invest in investment vehicles that it advises. Also, certain of these investment vehicles are options under the
401(k) and deferred compensation plans offered by Prudential Financial. In addition, the value of grants under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term incentive plan is affected by the performance of certain client
accounts. As a result, PGIM Fixed Income investment professionals may have financial interests in accounts managed by PGIM Fixed Income or that are related to the performance of certain client accounts.
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Non-discretionary accounts or models— PGIM Fixed Income provides non-discretionary investment advice and non-discretionary model portfolios to some clients and manages others on a discretionary
basis. Trades in non-discretionary accounts could occur before, in concert with, or after PGIM Fixed Income executes similar trades in its discretionary accounts. The non-discretionary clients may be disadvantaged if
PGIM Fixed Income delivers the model investment portfolio or investment advice to them after it initiates trading for the discretionary clients, or vice versa.
|
How PGIM Fixed Income Addresses
These Conflicts of Interest. PGIM Fixed Income has developed policies and procedures designed to address the conflicts of interest with respect to its different types of side-by-side management described
above.
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The head of PGIM Fixed Income and its chief investment officer periodically review and compare performance and performance attribution for each client account within its various strategies.
|
■
|
In
keeping with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, its policy with respect to trade aggregation and allocation is to treat all of its accounts fairly and equitably over time. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade
management oversight committee, which generally meets quarterly, is responsible for providing oversight with respect to trade aggregation and allocation. PGIM Fixed Income has compliance procedures with respect to its
aggregation and allocation policy that include independent monitoring by its compliance group of the timing, allocation and aggregation of trades and the allocation of investment opportunities. In addition, its
compliance group reviews a sampling of new issue allocations and related documentation each month to confirm compliance with the allocation procedures. PGIM Fixed Income’s compliance group reports the results of
the monitoring processes to its trade management oversight committee. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee reviews forensic reports of new issue allocation throughout the year so that new
issue allocation in each of its strategies is reviewed at least once during each year. This forensic analysis includes such data as: (i) the number of new issues allocated in the strategy; (ii) the size of new issue
allocations to each portfolio in the strategy; and (iii) the profitability of new issue transactions. The results of these analyses are reviewed and discussed at PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight
committee meetings. PGIM Fixed Income’s trade management oversight committee also reviews forensic reports on the allocation of trading opportunities in the secondary market. The procedures above are designed to
detect patterns and anomalies in PGIM Fixed Income’s side-by-side management and trading so that it may assess and improve its processes.
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PGIM Fixed Income has policies and procedures that specifically address its side-by-side management of long/short and long only portfolios. These policies address potential conflicts that could arise
from differing positions between long/short and long only portfolios. In addition, lending opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is demanding a slight premium rate over normal market rates are
allocated to long only accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to long/short accounts.
|
Conflicts Related to PGIM Fixed
Income’s Affiliations. As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, PGIM Fixed Income is part of a diversified, global financial services organization. PGIM Fixed Income is affiliated with many
types of U.S. and non-U.S. financial service providers, including insurance companies, broker-dealers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators and other investment advisers. Some of its employees are
officers of some of these affiliates.
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Conflicts Arising Out of Legal Restrictions. PGIM Fixed Income may be restricted by law, regulation or contract as to how much, if any, of a particular security it may purchase or sell on behalf of a client, and as
to the timing of such purchase or sale. These restrictions may apply as a result of its relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s holdings of a security on
behalf of its clients may, under some SEC rules, be aggregated with the holdings of that security by other Prudential Financial affiliates. These holdings could, on an aggregate basis, exceed certain reporting
thresholds that are monitored, and PGIM Fixed Income may restrict purchases to avoid exceeding these thresholds. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income could receive material, non-public information with respect to a
particular issuer and, as a result, be unable to execute transactions in securities of that issuer for its clients. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s bank loan team often invests in private bank loans in
connection with which the borrower provides material, non-public information, resulting in restrictions on trading securities issued by those borrowers. PGIM Fixed Income has procedures in place to carefully consider
whether to intentionally accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers. PGIM Fixed Income is generally able to avoid receiving material, non-public information from its affiliates and other
units within PGIM by maintaining information barriers. In some instances, it may create an isolated information barrier around a small number of its employees so that material, non-public information received by such
employees is not attributed to the rest of PGIM Fixed Income.
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Conflicts Related to Outside Business Activity. From time to time, certain of PGIM Fixed Income employees or officers may engage in outside business activity, including outside directorships. Any
outside business activity is subject to prior approval pursuant to PGIM Fixed Income’s personal conflicts of interest and outside business activities policy. Actual and potential conflicts of interest are
analyzed during such approval process. PGIM Fixed Income could be restricted in trading the securities of certain issuers in client
|
Prudential Government Income
Fund 38
|
portfolios in the unlikely event that an employee or officer, as a result of outside business activity, obtains material, nonpublic information regarding an issuer. The head of PGIM Fixed Income serves on the board
of directors of the operator of an electronic trading platform. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted procedures to address the conflict relating to trading on this platform. The procedures include independent monitoring by
PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer and chief compliance officer and reporting on PGIM Fixed Income’s use of this platform to the President of PGIM.
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Conflicts Related to Investment of Client Assets in Affiliated Funds. PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in funds that it manages or subadvises for an affiliate. PGIM Fixed Income may also invest cash
collateral from securities lending transactions in these funds. These investments benefit both PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliate.
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PICA General Account. Because of the substantial size of the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America (PICA), trading by PICA’s general account, including PGIM Fixed
Income’s trades on behalf of the account, may affect market prices. Although PGIM Fixed Income doesn’t expect that PICA’s general account will execute transactions that will move a market frequently,
and generally only in response to unusual market or issuer events, the execution of these transactions could have an adverse effect on transactions for or positions held by other clients.
|
Conflicts Related to Securities
Holdings and Other Financial Interests
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|
Securities Holdings. PGIM, Prudential Financial, PICA’s general account and accounts of other affiliates of PGIM Fixed Income (collectively, affiliated accounts) hold public and private debt and equity
securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as other client accounts but at different levels in the capital structure. These investments can result in conflicts between the
interests of the affiliated accounts and the interests of PGIM Fixed Income’s clients. For example: (i) Affiliated accounts can hold the senior debt of an issuer whose subordinated debt is held by PGIM Fixed
Income’s clients or hold secured debt of an issuer whose public unsecured debt is held in client accounts. In the event of restructuring or insolvency, the affiliated accounts as holders of senior debt may
exercise remedies and take other actions that are not in the interest of, or are adverse to, other clients that are the holders of junior debt. (ii) To the extent permitted by applicable law, PGIM Fixed Income may
also invest client assets in offerings of securities the proceeds of which are used to repay debt obligations held in affiliated accounts or other client accounts. PGIM Fixed Income’s interest in having the debt
repaid creates a conflict of interest. PGIM Fixed Income has adopted a refinancing policy to address this conflict. PGIM Fixed Income may be unable to invest client assets in the securities of certain issuers as a
result of the investments described above.
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Conflicts Related to the Offer and Sale of Securities. Certain of PGIM Fixed Income’s employees may offer and sell securities of, and interests in, commingled funds that it manages or subadvises. There is an
incentive for PGIM Fixed Income’s employees to offer these securities to investors regardless of whether the investment is appropriate for such investor since increased assets in these vehicles will result in
increased advisory fees to it. In addition, such sales could result in increased compensation to the employee.
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Conflicts Related to Long-Term Compensation. The performance of many client accounts is not reflected in the calculation of changes in the value of participation interests under PGIM Fixed Income’s long-term
incentive plan. In addition, the performance of only a small number of our investment strategies is covered under PGIM Fixed Income’s targeted long-term incentive plan. This may be because the composite
representing the strategy in which the account is managed is not one of the composites included in the calculation or because the account is excluded from a specified composite due to guideline restrictions or other
factors. As a result of the long-term incentive plan and targeted long-term incentive plan, PGIM Fixed Income’s portfolio managers from time to time have financial interests related to the investment performance
of some, but not all, of the accounts they manage. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, PGIM Fixed Income has procedures, including trade allocation and supervisory review procedures,
designed to confirm that each of its client accounts is managed in a manner that is consistent with PGIM Fixed Income’s fiduciary obligations, as well as with the account’s investment objectives,
investment strategies and restrictions. For example, PGIM Fixed Income’s chief investment officer formally reviews performance among similarly managed accounts with the head of PGIM Fixed Income on a quarterly
basis during meetings typically attended by members of PGIM Fixed Income’s senior leadership team, chief compliance officer and senior portfolio managers.
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Other Financial Interests. PGIM Fixed Income and its affiliates may also have financial interests or relationships with issuers whose securities it invests in for client accounts. These interests can
include debt or equity financing, strategic corporate relationships or investments, and the offering of investment advice in various forms. For example, PGIM Fixed Income may invest client assets in the securities of
issuers that are also its advisory clients.
|
In general, conflicts related to
the securities holdings and financial interests described above are addressed by the fact that PGIM Fixed Income makes investment decisions for each client independently considering the best economic interests of such
client.
Conflicts Related to Valuation and
Fees.
When client accounts hold illiquid
or difficult to value investments, PGIM Fixed Income faces a conflict of interest when making recommendations regarding the value of such investments since its management fees are generally based on the value of
assets under management. PGIM Fixed Income believes that its valuation policies and procedures mitigate this conflict effectively and enable it to value client assets fairly and in a manner that is consistent with the
client’s best interests.
Conflicts Related to Securities
Lending Fees
When PGIM Fixed Income manages a
client account and also serves as securities lending agent for the account, it could be considered to have the incentive to invest in securities that would yield higher securities lending rates. This conflict is
mitigated by the fact that PGIM Fixed Income’s advisory fees are generally based on the value of assets in a client’s account. In addition, PGIM Fixed Income’s securities lending function has a
separate reporting line to its chief operating officer (rather than its chief investment officer).
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
CUSTODIAN. The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), 225 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10281, serves as Custodian for the Fund’s portfolio securities and cash, and in that capacity, maintains
certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with the Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any non-US assets held outside the United States.
SECURITIES LENDING AGENT. Securities Finance Trust Company (eSecLending) serves as securities lending agent for the Fund, and in that role administers the Fund's securities lending program. Prior to on or about
July 6, 2016, PGIM, Inc. (PGIM) served as the securities lending agent. PGIM is an affiliate of PGIM Investments. eSecLending receives as compensation for its services a portion of the amount earned by lending
securities. The compensation received by PGIM and/or eSecLending, as applicable, for services as securities lending agent for the three most recently completed fiscal years is set forth below.
Compensation Received by the Agent for Securities Lending
|
|
|
|
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
|
$1,160
|
$7,314
|
$9,851
|
TRANSFER AGENT. PMFS, 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund. PMFS is an affiliate of the Manager. PMFS provides customary transfer
agency services to the Fund, including the handling of shareholder communications, the processing of shareholder transactions, the maintenance of shareholder account records, the payment of dividends and
distributions, and related functions. For these services, PMFS receives compensation from the Fund and is reimbursed for its transfer agent expenses which include an annual fee and certain out-of-pocket expenses
including, but not limited to, postage, stationery, printing, allocable communication expenses and other costs.
The Fund's Board has appointed BNY
Mellon Asset Servicing (US) Inc. (BNYAS), 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, as sub-transfer agent to the Fund. PMFS has contracted with BNYAS to provide certain administrative functions to PMFS. PMFS
will compensate BNYAS for such services.
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Fund incurred the following approximate amount of fees for services provided by PMFS:
Fees Paid to PMFS
|
Amount
|
Prudential Government Income Fund
|
$251,500
|
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM. KPMG LLP, 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, served as independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, and in that capacity will audit the annual financial statements
for the Fund for the next fiscal year.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES
DISTRIBUTOR. Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (PIMS or the Distributor), 655 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4410, acts as the distributor of all of the shares of the Fund. The
Distributor is a subsidiary of Prudential.
The Distributor incurs the expenses
of distributing each of the Fund's share classes pursuant to separate Distribution and Service Plans for each share class (collectively, the Plans) adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and a
distribution agreement (the Distribution Agreement). PIMS also incurs the expenses of distributing any share class offered by the Fund which is not subject to a Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plan, and none of the
expenses incurred by PIMS in distributing such share classes are reimbursed or paid for by the Fund.
The expenses incurred under the
Plans include commissions and account servicing fees paid to, or on account of, brokers or financial institutions which have entered into agreements with the Distributor, as applicable, advertising expenses, the cost
of printing and mailing prospectuses to potential investors and indirect and overhead costs of the Distributor associated with the sale of Fund shares, including sales promotion expenses.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 40
Under the Plans, the Fund is
obligated to pay distribution and/or service fees to the Distributor, as applicable, as compensation for its distribution and service activities, not as reimbursement for specific expenses incurred. If the
Distributor’s expenses exceed its distribution and service fees, the Fund will not be obligated to pay any additional expenses. If the Distributor’s expenses are less than such distribution and service
fees, then it will retain its full fees and realize a profit.
The distribution and/or service
fees may also be used by the Distributor to compensate on a continuing basis brokers in consideration for the distribution, marketing, administrative and other services and activities provided by brokers with respect
to the promotion of the sale of Fund shares and the maintenance of related shareholder accounts.
Distribution expenses attributable
to the sale of each share class are allocated to each such class based upon the ratio of sales of each such class to the combined sales of all classes of the Fund, other than expenses allocable to a particular class.
The distribution fee and sales charge of one class will not be used to subsidize the sale of another class.
Each Plan continues in effect from
year to year, provided that each such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of the Board, including a majority vote of the Board Members who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct
or indirect financial interest in any of the Plans or in any agreement related to the Plans (the Rule 12b-1 Board Members), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance. A Plan may
be terminated at any time, without penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Board Members or by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class of the Fund on not
more than 30 days' written notice to any other party to the Plan. The Plans may not be amended to increase materially the amounts to be spent for the services described therein without approval by the shareholders of
the applicable class, and all material amendments are required to be approved by the Board in the manner described above. Each Plan will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Fund will not be
contractually obligated to pay expenses incurred under any Plan if it is terminated or not continued.
Pursuant to each Plan, the Board
will review at least quarterly a written report of the distribution expenses incurred on behalf of each class of shares of the Fund by the Distributor. The report will include an itemization of the distribution
expenses and the purposes of such expenditures. In addition, as long as the Plans remain in effect, the selection and nomination of Rule 12b-1 Board Members shall be committed to the Rule 12b-1 Board Members.
Pursuant to the Distribution
Agreement, the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Distributor to the extent permitted by applicable law against certain liabilities under federal securities laws. In addition to distribution and service fees paid by the
Fund under the Plans, the Manager (or one of its affiliates) may make payments out of its own resources to dealers and other persons which distribute shares of the Fund. Such payments may be calculated by reference to
the NAV of shares sold by such persons or otherwise.
CLASS A SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION
EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class A Plan, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class A shares at an annual rate of .25% of the average daily net assets of
the Class A shares. The Class A Plan provides that (1) .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares may be used to pay for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts (service fee)
and (2) total distribution fees (including the service fee of up to .25%) may not exceed .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares of the Fund. The Prospectus for the Fund discusses any contractual or
voluntary fee waivers that may be in effect. In addition, if you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares, you are subject to a 1% CDSC (defined below) for shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase (the CDSC
is waived for purchase by certain retirement and/or benefit plans).
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class A Plan for the Fund. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class A
shares. For the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received initial sales charges and proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders upon certain redemptions of Class A
shares. The amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
CLASS B AND CLASS C SALES CHARGE AND
DISTRIBUTION EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class B and Class C Plans, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related activities with respect to Class B and Class C shares at an annual rate of 1% of the
average daily net assets of each of the Class B and Class C shares. The Class B Plan provides that (1 ) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares shall be paid as a service fee and (2 ) up to
..75% (not including the service fee) of the average daily net assets of the Class B shares up to $3 billion, .55% of the next $1 billion of such assets and .25% of such assets in excess of $4 billion (asset-based
sales charge), shall be paid for distribution-related expenses with respect to the Class B shares. The Class C Plan provides that (1) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class C shares shall be paid as a
service fee for providing personal service and/or maintaining shareholder accounts and (2) up to .75% of the average daily net assets of the Class C shares (asset-based sales charge) shall be paid for
distribution-related expenses with respect to Class C shares. The service fee (.25% of average daily net assets)
is used to pay for personal service and/or the
maintenance of shareholder accounts. The Distributor also receives contingent deferred sales charges from certain redeeming shareholders. The Prospectus discusses any voluntary or contractual fee waivers that may be
in effect. The Distributor also receives contingent deferred sales charges from certain redeeming shareholders.
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class B and C Plans. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisers and other persons who sell Class B and C
shares. For the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor also received the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders upon certain redemptions of Class B and Class C shares. The
approximate amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
CLASS R SALES CHARGE AND DISTRIBUTION
EXPENSE INFORMATION. Under the Class R Plan, the Fund may pay the Distributor for its distribution-related expenses with respect to Class R shares at an annual rate of up to .75% of the average daily net
assets of the Class R shares. The Class R Plan provides that (1) up to .25% of the average daily net assets of the Class R shares may be used as a service fee and (2) total distribution fees (including the service fee
of .25%) may not exceed .75% of the average daily net assets of the Class R shares. There is no CDSC for the redemption of Class R shares. The Prospectus discusses any contractual or voluntary fee waivers that may be
in effect. For the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor received payments under the Class R Plan. These amounts were expended primarily for payments of account servicing fees to financial advisors and
other persons who sell Class R shares. The amounts received and spent by the Distributor are detailed in the tables below.
Payments Received by Distributor
|
CLASS A CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC)
|
$22
|
CLASS A DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
|
$884,307
|
CLASS A INITIAL SALES CHARGES
|
$154,765
|
CLASS B CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC)
|
$5,885
|
CLASS B DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
|
$28,020
|
CLASS C CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES (CDSC)
|
$1,899
|
CLASS C DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
|
$125,705
|
CLASS R DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12B-1) FEES
|
$81,279
|
For the most recently completed
fiscal year, the Distributor spent the following amounts on behalf of the Fund:
Amounts Spent by Distributor: Prudential Government Income Fund
|
Share Class
|
Printing & Mailing of
Prospectuses to Other than
Current Shareholders
|
Compensation to Broker/Dealers for
Commissions to Representatives and
Other Expenses*
|
Overhead Costs**
|
Total Amount
Spent by Distributor
|
CLASS A
|
$0
|
$785,327
|
$480,442
|
$1,265,769
|
CLASS B
|
$0
|
$6,948
|
$3,057
|
$10,005
|
CLASS C
|
$0
|
$114,218
|
$13,585
|
$127,803
|
CLASS R
|
$0
|
$11,242
|
$47,014
|
$58,256
|
* Includes amounts paid to
affiliated broker/dealers.
** Including sales promotion expenses.
FEE WAIVERS AND SUBSIDIES. PGIM Investments may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund. In addition, the Distributor may
from time to time waive a portion of the distribution (12b-1) fees as described in the Prospectus. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase the Fund's total return.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES
FIRMS. As described in the Fund's Prospectus, the Manager or certain of its affiliates (but not the Distributor) have entered into revenue sharing or other similar arrangements with financial
services firms, including affiliates of the Manager. These revenue sharing arrangements are intended to promote the sale of Fund shares or to compensate the financial services firms for marketing or marketing support
activities in connection with the sale of Fund shares.
The list below includes the names
of the firms (or their affiliated broker/dealers) that received from the Manager, and/or certain of its affiliates, revenue sharing payments of more than $10,000 in calendar year 2016 for marketing and product support
of the Fund and other PGIM Investments funds as described above.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 42
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|
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
|
■
|
Ameriprise Financial Services Inc.
|
■
|
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc.
|
■
|
Raymond James
|
■
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
|
■
|
Fidelity
|
■
|
UBS Financial Services Inc.
|
■
|
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
|
■
|
LPL Financial
|
■
|
Principal Life Insurance Company
|
■
|
GWFS Equities, Inc.
|
■
|
Commonwealth Financial Network
|
■
|
Cetera
|
■
|
Matrix Financial Solutions
|
■
|
Nationwide Financial Services Inc.
|
■
|
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
|
■
|
American United Life Insurance Company
|
■
|
AIG Advisor Group
|
■
|
Ascensus
|
■
|
Voya Financial
|
■
|
Massachusetts Mutual
|
■
|
Hartford Life
|
■
|
JH
Trust Co
|
■
|
Reliance Trust Company
|
■
|
MidAtlantic Capital Corp.
|
■
|
Vanguard Group, Inc.
|
■
|
Hewitt Associates LLC
|
■
|
TIAA Cref
|
■
|
Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC
|
■
|
Standard Insurance Company
|
■
|
John Hancock USA
|
■
|
TD
Ameritrade Trust Company
|
■
|
T.
Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services
|
■
|
Cambridge
|
■
|
The Ohio National Life Insurance Company
|
■
|
RBC Capital Markets Corporation
|
■
|
VALIC Retirement Services Company
|
■
|
Northwestern
|
■
|
Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc.
|
■
|
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
|
■
|
Janney Montgomery & Scott, Inc.
|
■
|
Citigroup
|
■
|
Securities America, Inc.
|
■
|
Xerox HR Solutions LLC
|
■
|
Newport Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
|
■
|
Genworth
|
■
|
Mercer HR Services, LLC
|
■
|
1st Global Capital Corp.
|
■
|
United Planners Financial Services of America
|
■
|
Oppenheimer & Co.
|
■
|
Securities Service Network
|
■
|
Triad Advisors Inc.
|
■
|
Investacorp
|
■
|
Northern Trust
|
COMPUTATION OF OFFERING PRICE
PER SHARE
Using the NAV at February 28, 2017,
the offering prices of Fund shares were as follows:
Offering Price Per Share
|
|
Prudential
Government
Income Fund
|
Class A
|
|
NAV and redemption price per Class A share
|
$9.55
|
Maximum initial sales charge (4.50% of the public offering price)
|
0.45
|
Maximum offering price to public
|
$10.00
|
Class B
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class B share
|
$9.56
|
Class C
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class C share
|
$9.57
|
Class Q
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Q share
|
$9.52
|
Class R
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class R share
|
$9.56
|
Class Z
|
|
NAV, offering price and redemption price per Class Z share
|
$9.53
|
Explanatory Notes to Table:
Class A, Class B and Class C shares are
subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on certain redemptions. See “How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Sell Your Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC)” in
the Prospectus.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS &
BROKERAGE
The Fund has adopted a policy
pursuant to which the Fund and its Manager, subadviser and principal underwriter are prohibited from directly or indirectly compensating a broker-dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage
transactions to that broker. The Fund has adopted procedures for the purpose of deterring and detecting any violations of the policy. The policy permits the Fund, the Manager and the subadviser to use selling brokers
to execute transactions in portfolio securities so long as the selection of such selling brokers is the result of a decision that executing such transactions is in the best interest of the Fund and is not influenced
by considerations about the sale of Fund shares. For purposes of this section, the term “Manager” includes the subadviser.
The Manager is responsible for
decisions to buy and sell securities, futures contracts and options on such securities and futures for the Fund, the selection of brokers, dealers and futures commission merchants to effect the transactions and the
negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. On a national securities exchange, broker-dealers may receive negotiated brokerage commissions on Fund portfolio transactions, including options, futures, and options on
futures transactions and the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon the exercise of options. On a foreign securities exchange, commissions may be fixed. Orders may be directed to any broker or futures
commission merchant including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable laws, one of the Manager's affiliates (an affiliated broker). Brokerage commissions on US securities, options and futures
exchanges or boards of trade are subject to negotiation between the Manager and the broker or futures commission merchant.
In the OTC market, securities are
generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In
underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount. On occasion, certain
money market instruments and US Government agency securities may be purchased directly from the issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid. The Fund will not deal with an affiliated broker in any
transaction in which an affiliated broker acts as principal except in accordance with the rules of the SEC.
In placing orders for portfolio
securities of the Fund, the Manager's overriding objective is to obtain the best possible combination of favorable price and efficient execution. The Manager seeks to effect such transaction at a price and commission
that provides the most favorable total cost of proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. The factors that the Manager may consider in selecting a particular broker, dealer or futures commission merchant
(firms) are the Manager's knowledge of negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction costs; the nature of the portfolio transaction; the size of the transaction; the desired timing of
the
Prudential Government Income
Fund 44
trade; the activity existing and expected in the
market for the particular transaction; confidentiality; the execution, clearance and settlement capabilities of the firms; the availability of research and research-related services provided through such firms; the
Manager's knowledge of the financial stability of the firms; the Manager's knowledge of actual or apparent operational problems of firms; and the amount of capital, if any, that would be contributed by firms executing
the transaction. Given these factors, the Fund may pay transaction costs in excess of that which another firm might have charged for effecting the same transaction.
When the Manager selects a firm
that executes orders or is a party to portfolio transactions, relevant factors taken into consideration are whether that firm has furnished research and research-related products and/or services, such as research
reports, research compilations, statistical and economic data, computer databases, quotation equipment and services, research-oriented computer software and services, reports concerning the performance of accounts,
valuations of securities, investment-related periodicals, investment seminars and other economic services and consultations. Such services are used in connection with some or all of the Manager's investment activities;
some of such services, obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for one investment account, may be used in managing other accounts, and not all of these services may be used in connection with the
Fund. The Manager maintains an internal allocation procedure to identify those firms who have provided it with research and research-related products and/or services, and the amount that was provided, and to endeavor
to direct sufficient commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt of those services that the Manager believes provide a benefit to the Fund and its other clients. The Manager makes a good faith determination
that the research and/or service is reasonable in light of the type of service provided and the price and execution of the related portfolio transactions.
When the Manager deems the purchase
or sale of equities to be in the best interests of the Fund or its other clients, including Prudential, the Manager may, but is under no obligation to, aggregate the transactions in order to obtain the most favorable
price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the transactions, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it considers
to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to clients. The allocation of orders among firms and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Fund's Board. Portfolio securities may
not be purchased from any underwriting or selling syndicate of which any affiliate, during the existence of the syndicate, is a principal underwriter (as defined in the 1940 Act), except in accordance with rules of
the SEC. This limitation, in the opinion of the Fund, will not significantly affect the Fund's ability to pursue its present investment objectives. However, in the future in other circumstances, the Fund may be at a
disadvantage because of this limitation in comparison to other funds with similar objectives but not subject to such limitations.
Subject to the above
considerations, an affiliate may act as a broker or futures commission merchant for the Fund. In order for an affiliate of the Manager to effect any portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other
remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other firms in connection with comparable transactions involving similar
securities or futures being purchased or sold on an exchange or board of trade during a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive no more than the remuneration which would
be expected to be received by an unaffiliated firm in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Board Members, has adopted procedures which are reasonably
designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to the affiliated broker (or any affiliate) are consistent with the foregoing standard. In accordance with Section 11(a) of the 1934 Act, an
affiliate may not retain compensation for effecting transactions on a national securities exchange for the Fund unless the Fund has expressly authorized the retention of such compensation. The affiliate must furnish
to the Fund at least annually a statement setting forth the total amount of all compensation retained by the affiliate from transactions effected for the Fund during the applicable period. Brokerage transactions with
an affiliated broker are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon the affiliate by applicable law. Transactions in options by the Fund will be subject to limitations established by each of the
exchanges governing the maximum number of options which may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or held on the same or
different exchanges or are written or held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by options written or held by the Manager
and other investment advisory clients of the Manager. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
Set forth below is information
concerning the payment of commissions by the Fund, including the amount of such commissions paid to an affiliate, if any, for the indicated fiscal years or periods:
Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund ($) (Fiscal years ended February 28/29)
|
|
2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
Total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund
|
$52,566
|
$168,723
|
$93,717
|
The Fund is required to disclose
its holdings of securities of its regular brokers and dealers (as defined under Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) and their parents as of the most recently completed fiscal year. As of the most recently completed fiscal
year, the Fund held the following securities of its regular brokers and dealers.
Broker-Dealer Securities Holdings ($) (as of most recently completed fiscal year)
|
Prudential Government Income Fund
|
Equity or Debt
|
Amount
|
Bank of America Securities LLC
|
Debt
|
$86,965
|
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
|
Debt
|
$2,561,348
|
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
|
Debt
|
$3,617,589
|
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
|
Debt
|
$1,003,554
|
Wells Fargo Securities LLC
|
Debt
|
$2,572,558
|
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FUND HISTORY. The Company was organized under the laws of Maryland on April 8, 1983. The Company's Board approved changing the name of the Company to Dryden Government Income Fund, Inc., effective June
30, 2003. Effective February 16, 2010, the Board approved changing the name of the Company to Prudential Government Income Fund, Inc. Effective December 21, 2010, the Company's name changed to Prudential Investment
Portfolios, Inc. 14. A second series of the Company, Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, was established on December 21, 2010 and commenced operations in March 2011.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES AND
ORGANIZATION. The Company is authorized to issue 3.4 billion shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share, divided and classified as set forth below:
Prudential Government Income Fund:
Class A: 230,000,000 shares
Class B: 5,000,000 shares
Class C: 495,000,000 shares
Class Q: 500,000,000 shares
Class R: 500,000,000 shares
Class Z: 500,000,000 shares
Class T: 270,000,000 shares
Prudential Floating Rate Income
Fund:
Class A: 150,000,000 shares
Class C: 200,000,000 shares
Class Q: 250,000,000 shares
Class Z: 250,000,000 shares
Class T: 50,000,000 shares
Note: Class T shares are not
currently offered, and no Class T shares are issued or outstanding as of the date of this SAI.
Each class of common stock of the
Fund represents an interest in the same assets of each Fund and is identical in all respects except that (1) each class is subject to different (or no) sales charges and distribution and/or service fees (except Class
Z shares, which are not subject to any sales charges and distribution and/or service fees), which may affect performance, (2) each class has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates
solely to its distribution arrangement and has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class, (3) each class has a
different exchange privilege, (4) only Class B shares have a conversion feature, and (5) Class Q, Class R and Class Z shares are offered exclusively for sale to a limited group of investors. In accordance with the
Company's Articles of Incorporation, the Board may authorize the creation of additional series of common stock and classes within such series, with such preferences, privileges, limitations and voting and dividend
rights as the Board may determine.
The Board may increase or decrease
the number of authorized shares without the approval of shareholders. Shares of each Fund, when issued, are fully paid, nonassessable, fully transferable and redeemable at the option of the holder. Shares are also
redeemable at the option of each Fund under certain circumstances. Each share of each class of common stock is equal as to earnings, assets and voting privileges, except as noted above, and each class bears the
expenses related to the distribution of its shares (with the exception of Class Q and Class Z shares, which are not subject to any distribution and/or service fees). Except for the conversion feature applicable to the
Class B shares, there are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. In the event of liquidation, each share of common
Prudential Government Income
Fund 46
stock of each Fund is entitled to its portion of
all of that Fund's assets after all debts and expenses of the Fund have been paid. Since Class B and Class C shares generally bear higher distribution expenses than Class A shares, the liquidation proceeds to
shareholders of those classes are likely to be lower than to Class A shareholders and to Class Q and Class Z shareholders, whose shares are not subject to any distribution and/or service fees. The Fund's shares do not
have cumulative voting rights for the election of Board Members.
The Company does not intend to hold
annual meetings of shareholders unless otherwise required by law. The Company will not be required to hold meetings of shareholders unless, for example, the election of Board Members is required to be acted on by
shareholders under the 1940 Act. Shareholders have certain rights, including the right to call a meeting upon a vote of 10% or more of each Fund's outstanding shares for the purpose of voting on the removal of one or
more Board Members or to transact any other business.
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND
CONTROL PERSONS
To the knowledge of the Fund, the
following persons/entities owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of any class of Fund shares as of the date indicated:
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017)
|
Shareholder Name
|
Address
|
Share
Class
|
No. of Shares/
% of Class
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer
|
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
|
A
|
7,342,843 / 21.52%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
|
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
|
A
|
4,818,732 / 14.12%
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
|
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246
|
A
|
4,270,373 / 12.51%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
|
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
|
B
|
37,181,203 / 31.03%
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer
|
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
|
B
|
9,796,806 / 8.18%
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
|
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246
|
B
|
8,082,204 / 6.75%
|
UBS WM USA
Spec Cdy A/C Exl Ben Customers of UBSFSI
|
1000 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
|
B
|
7,784,081 / 6.505
|
Edward D Jones & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Accounting
|
201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland HTS, MO 63043
|
B
|
7,688,357 / 6.42%
|
Pershing LLC
|
1 Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399
|
B
|
7,153,222 / 5.97%
|
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs LLC
Special Custody Acct For The
Exclusive Benefit Of Customer
|
2801 Market St
Saint Louis, MO 63103
|
C
|
226,295 / 20.33%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
|
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
|
C
|
172,736 / 15.52%
|
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Account
Attn: Courtney Waller
|
880 Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716
|
C
|
70,521 / 6.33%
|
Edward D Jones & Co
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Accounting
|
201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland Hts, MO 63043
|
Q
|
2,348,753 / 63.75%
|
Jennison Dryden Conservative Allocation
Attn: Ted Lockwood/Stacie Mintz
|
Gateway Center 2, 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
|
Q
|
817,693 / 22.19%
|
Prudential Investment Portfolios Inc –
Prudential Moderate
Attn: Ted Lockwood/Stacie Mintz
|
Gateway Center 2, 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
|
Q
|
514,197 / 13.96%
|
Principal Fund Shareholders (as of April 19, 2017)
|
Shareholder Name
|
Address
|
Share
Class
|
No. of Shares/
% of Class
|
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For TTEE
Prudential SmartSolution IRA
|
280 Trumbull St
Hartford, CT 06103
|
R
|
1,135,366 / 71.12%
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
|
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246
|
R
|
350,795 / 21.97%
|
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Robert Wood Johnson Hospital
|
379 Campus Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873
|
Z
|
1,524,694 / 14.93%
|
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE
FBO Energy Northwest 401K
Deferred Compensation Plan
|
8515 E Orchard RD 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
|
Z
|
1,006,660 / 9.86%
|
National Financial Services LLC
For Exclusive Benefit Of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
|
499 Washington Blvd, 4th Fl
Jersey City, NJ 07310
|
Z
|
990,152 / 9.70%
|
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Alom/Pittsburgh
River Front Place
|
810 River Ave, Suite 110
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
|
Z
|
742,831 / 7.27%
|
Pims/Prudential Retirement
As Nominee For The TTEE/Cust
Entertainment Industry 401(K)
|
844 Seward Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
|
Z
|
679,780 / 6.66%
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
For The Sole Benefit Of Its Customers
|
4800 Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, Fl 32246
|
Z
|
635,690 / 6.23%
|
As of the date of this SAI, the
Board Members and Officers of the Fund, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements for
Prudential Government Income Fund for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2017, which are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the 2017 annual report to shareholders (File No. 811-03712), were audited by KPMG LLP,
an independent registered public accounting firm. You may obtain a copy of the annual report at no charge by request to the Fund by calling (800) 225-1852 or by writing to Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, P.O. Box
9658, Providence, RI 02940.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 48
PART II
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
SHARE CLASSES. The Fund may offer shares of one or more classes to investors. Not every share class described in this SAI may be offered, and investors should consult their Prospectus for specific
information concerning the share classes that are available to them.
Shares of the Fund may be purchased
at a price equal to the next determined NAV per share plus a sales charge (if applicable) which, at the election of the investor, may be imposed either (1) at the time of purchase (Class A shares) or (2) on a deferred
basis (Class B and Class C shares or Class A shares, in certain circumstances). Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class R5, Class R6, and Class Z shares, if offered, are offered only to a
limited group of investors at NAV without any sales charges.
Additional or different classes of
shares may also be offered, including Class Q, Class R, Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, Class R5, and Class R6. If offered, specific information with respect to these share classes is set forth in the
Prospectus and SAI.
For more information, see
“How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” in the Prospectus.
PURCHASE BY WIRE. For an initial purchase of shares of the Fund by wire, you must complete an application and telephone PMFS at (800) 225-1852 (toll-free) to receive an account number. PMFS will request
the following information: your name, address, tax identification number, Fund name, class election (if applicable), dividend distribution election, amount being wired and wiring bank. PMFS will also furnish you with
instructions for wiring the funds from your bank to the Fund's Custodian.
If you arrange for receipt by the
Custodian of federal funds prior to the calculation of NAV (once each business day at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), on a business day, you may purchase shares of the Fund
as of that day. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to purchase is received after the close of regular trading on
the NYSE.
In making a subsequent purchase
order by wire, you should wire the Custodian directly and should be sure that the wire specifies the Fund name, the share class to be purchased, your name, individual account number, Direct Deposit Account (DDA)
Number and the Fund's Bank Account registration. You do not need to call PMFS to make subsequent purchase orders utilizing federal funds. The minimum amount for subsequent purchase by wire is $100.
ISSUANCE OF FUND SHARES FOR
SECURITIES. Transactions involving the issuance of Fund shares for securities (rather than cash) will be limited to (1) reorganizations, (2) statutory mergers, or (3) other acquisitions of portfolio
securities that: (a) meet the investment objectives and policies of the Fund, (b) are liquid and not subject to restrictions on resale, (c) have a value that is readily ascertainable via listing on or trading in a
recognized United States or international exchange or market, and (d) are approved by the Fund's Manager.
MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS. An institution may open a single master account by filing an application with PMFS, signed by personnel authorized to act for the institution. Individual subaccounts may be opened at the
time the master account is opened by listing them, or they may be added at a later date by written advice. Procedures will be available to identify subaccounts by name and number within the master account name. The
foregoing procedures would also apply to related institutional accounts (i.e., accounts of shareholders with a common institutional or corporate parent). The investment minimums as set forth in the relevant Prospectus
under “How to Buy and Sell Fund Shares—How to Buy Shares” are applicable to the aggregate amounts invested by a group, and not to the amount credited to each subaccount.
REOPENING AN ACCOUNT. Subject to the minimum investment restrictions, an investor may reopen an account, without filing a new application, at any time during the calendar year the account is closed, provided
that the information on that application is still applicable.
RESTRICTIONS ON SALE OF FUND
SHARES. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment may be postponed for a period of up to seven days. Suspensions or postponements may not exceed seven days except at times
(1) when the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Fund securities is not reasonably
practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided that applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
REDEMPTION IN KIND. The Fund may pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with applicable
rules of the SEC and procedures adopted by the Board. Securities will be readily marketable and will be valued in the same manner as in a regular redemption. If your shares are redeemed in
kind, you would incur transaction costs in
converting the assets into cash. The Fund, however, has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, under which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of
the NAV of the Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder.
RIGHTS OF ACCUMULATION. Reduced sales charges are also available through Rights of Accumulation, under which an investor or an eligible group of related investors, as described under “Reducing or Waiving
Class A's Initial Sales Charge” in the Prospectus, may aggregate the value of their existing holdings of Class A, Class B, and Class C shares of the Fund and shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds
(excluding money market funds other than those acquired pursuant to the exchange privilege) to determine the reduced sales charge. However, the value of shares held directly with PMFS and through your broker will not
be aggregated to determine the reduced sales charge. The value of existing holdings for purposes of determining the reduced sales charge is calculated using the maximum offering price (NAV plus maximum sales charge).
The Distributor, your broker or PMFS must be notified at the time of purchase that the investor is entitled to a reduced sales charge. Reduced sales charges will be granted subject to confirmation of the investor's
holdings. This does not apply to Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.
SALE OF SHARES. You can redeem your shares at any time for cash at the NAV next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (in accordance with procedures established by PMFS in
connection with investors' accounts) by PMFS or your broker or other financial intermediary. See “Net Asset Value” below. In certain cases, however, redemption proceeds will be reduced by the amount of any
applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC), as described in “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below. If you are redeeming your shares through a broker, your broker must receive your sell order
before the NAV is computed for that day (at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in order to receive that day's NAV. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE closes before
4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your broker will be responsible for furnishing all necessary
documentation to the Distributor and may charge you for its services in connection with redeeming shares of the Fund.
All correspondence and documents
concerning redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, Rhode Island 02940 or to your broker or other financial intermediary.
If you hold shares in
non-certificate form, a written request for redemption signed by you exactly as the account is registered is required. If you hold certificates, the certificates must be received by PMFS, the Distributor or your
broker in order for the redemption request to be processed. If redemption is requested by a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, written evidence of authority acceptable to PMFS must be submitted before such
request will be accepted. All correspondence and documents concerning redemptions should be sent to the Fund in care of PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940, to the Distributor or to your broker.
Payment for redemption of recently
purchased shares will be delayed until the Fund or PMFS has been advised that the purchase check has been honored, which may take up to 7 calendar days from the time of receipt of the purchase check by PMFS. Such
delay may be avoided by purchasing shares by wire or by certified or cashier's check.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE. If the proceeds of the redemption (1) exceed $100,000, (2) are to be paid to a person other than the record owner, (3) are to be sent to an address other than the address on PMFS’
records, (4) are to be paid to a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, or (5) are to be paid due to the death of the shareholder or on behalf of the shareholder, and your shares are held directly with PMFS,
the signature(s) on the redemption request or stock power must be medallion signature guaranteed. The medallion signature guarantee must be obtained from an authorized officer of a bank, broker, dealer, securities
exchange or association, clearing agency, savings association, or credit union that is participating in one of the recognized medallion programs (STAMP, SEMP, or NYSE MSP). The medallion signature guarantee must be
appropriate for the dollar amount of the transaction. PMFS reserves the right to reject transactions where the value of the transaction exceeds the value of the surety coverage indicated on the medallion imprint. PMFS
also reserves the right to request additional information from, and make reasonable inquires of, any institution that provides a medallion signature guarantee. In the case of redemptions from a PruArray Plan, if the
proceeds of the redemption are invested in another investment option of the plan in the name of the record holder and at the same address as reflected in PMFS' records, a medallion signature guarantee is not
required.
Payment for shares presented for
redemption will be made by check within seven days after receipt by PMFS or your broker of the written request and certificates, if issued, except as indicated below. If you hold shares through a broker, payment for
shares presented for redemption will be credited to your account at your broker, unless you indicate otherwise. Such payment may be postponed or the right of redemption suspended at times (1) when the NYSE is closed
for other than customary weekends and holidays, (2) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (3) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably
practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (4) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits; provided that applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (2), (3) or (4) exist.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 50
EXPEDITED REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE. By electing the Expedited Redemption Privilege, you may arrange to have redemption proceeds sent to your bank account. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be used to redeem shares in an
amount of $100 or more, except if an account for which an expedited redemption is requested has an NAV of less than $100, the entire account will be redeemed. Redemption proceeds in the amount of $500 or more will be
remitted by wire to your bank account at a domestic commercial bank which is a member of the Federal Reserve system. The money would generally be received by your bank within one business day of the redemption.
Redemption proceeds of less than $500 will be sent by ACH to your bank which must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. The money would generally be received by your bank within three business days
of the redemption. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. Expedited redemption requests may be made by telephone or letter, must be received by the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time to receive a redemption amount based on that day's NAV and are subject to the terms and conditions as set forth in the Prospectus regarding redemption of shares. In the event that regular trading on the NYSE
closes before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will receive the following day's NAV if your order to sell is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. For more information, see “How to Buy, Sell and
Exchange Fund Shares-Telephone Redemptions or Exchanges” in the Prospectus. The Expedited Redemption Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. To receive further information,
shareholders should contact PMFS.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTION. If the value of your account with PMFS is less than $500 for any reason, we may sell the rest of your shares (without charging any CDSC) and close your account. The involuntary sale
provisions do not apply to: (i) an individual retirement account (IRA) or other qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan or account, (ii) Automatic Investment Plan (AIP) accounts, employee savings plan accounts or
payroll deduction plan accounts, (iii) accounts under the same registration with multiple share classes in the Fund whose combined value exceeds $500, or (iv) clients with assets more than $50,000 across the PGIM
Investments family of mutual funds. “Client” for this purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors.
We have the right to reject any
purchase order (including an exchange into a Fund) or suspend or modify a Fund's sales of its shares under certain circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, failure by you to provide
additional information requested, such as information required to verify the source of funds used to purchase shares, your identity or the identity of any underlying beneficial owners of your shares. Furthermore, we
are required by law to close your account if you do not provide the required identifying information; this would result in the redemption of shares at the then-current day's NAV and the proceeds would be remitted to
you via check. We will attempt to verify your identity within a reasonable time frame (e.g., 60 days) which may change from time to time.
ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE FEE. In order to offset the disproportionate effect (in basis points) of expenses associated with servicing lower balance accounts, if the value of your account with PMFS is less than $10,000,
a $15 annual account maintenance fee (“account maintenance fee”) will be deducted from your account. The account maintenance fee will be assessed during the 4th calendar quarter of each year. Any
applicable CDSC on the shares redeemed to pay the account maintenance fee will be waived. The account maintenance fee will not be charged on: (i) accounts during the first six months from inception of the account,
(ii) accounts for which you have elected to receive your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and fund shareholder reports electronically rather than by mail, (iii) omnibus accounts or other
accounts for which the dealer is responsible for recordkeeping, (iv) institutional accounts, (v) group retirement plans (including SIMPLE IRA plans, profit-sharing plans, money purchase pension plans, Keogh plans,
defined compensation plans, defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans), (vi) AIP accounts or employee savings plan accounts, (vii) accounts with the same registration associated with multiple share classes within the
Fund, provided that the aggregate value of share classes with the same registration within the Fund is $10,000 or more, or (viii) clients with assets of $50,000 or more across the PGIM Investments family of mutual
funds. “Client” for this purpose has the same definition as for purposes of Rights of Accumulation, i.e., an investor and an eligible group of related investors or other financial intermediary.
90 DAY REPURCHASE PRIVILEGE. If you redeem your shares and have not previously exercised the repurchase privilege during the previous 12 months, you may reinvest back into your account any portion or all of the
proceeds of such redemption in shares of the Fund at the NAV next determined after the order is received, which must be within 90 days after the date of the redemption. Any CDSC paid in connection with such redemption
in Class A, Class B or Class C shares will be credited (in shares) to your account. (If less than a full repurchase is made, the credit will be on a pro rata basis.) This repurchase privilege can only be used once in
a 12-month period. You must notify PMFS, either directly or through the Distributor or your broker, at the time the repurchase privilege is exercised to adjust your account for the CDSC you previously paid.
Thereafter, any redemptions will be subject to the CDSC applicable at the time of the redemption. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below. Exercise of the repurchase privilege will generally not
affect federal tax treatment of any gain realized upon redemption. However, if the redemption was made within a 30 day period of the repurchase and if the redemption resulted in a loss, some or all of the loss,
depending on the amount reinvested, may not be allowed for federal income tax purposes.
The terms of this privilege may
vary by financial intermediary. For more information, see “Appendix A: Waivers and Discounts Available From Certain Financial Intermediaries” in the Fund’s prospectus.
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE
(CDSC)
Class A. Investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and sell these shares within 12 months of purchase are subject to a 1% CDSC. (Note: For Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. only, investors who purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares and then sell these shares within 18 months of
purchase are subject to a 0.50% CDSC).
Class B. Redemptions of Class B shares will be subject to a CDSC declining from 5% to zero over a six-year period (or a four-year period in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.).
Class C. Class C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase will be subject to a 1% CDSC. The CDSC will be deducted from the redemption proceeds and reduce the amount paid to you.
Waiver of CDSC. The Class A, Class B, or Class C CDSC is waived if the shares are sold:
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After a shareholder is deceased or permanently disabled (or, in the case of a trust account, after the death or disability of the grantor). This waiver applies to individual shareholders as well as shares held in
joint tenancy, provided the shares were purchased before the death or permanent disability,
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To
provide for certain distributions—made without IRS penalty—from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, benefit plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account,
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To
withdraw excess contributions from a qualified or tax-deferred retirement plan, IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account, and
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On certain redemptions effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (Class B shares only).
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If you purchase Class Z shares (see
“Qualifying for Class Z Shares” in the Prospectus) within 5 days of redemption of your Class A shares that you had purchased directly through the Fund's transfer agent, we will credit your account with the
appropriate number of shares to reflect any CDSC you paid on the reinvested portion of your redemption proceeds.
Calculation of CDSC. The CDSC will be imposed on any redemption that reduces the current value of your Class A, Class B or Class C shares to an amount which is lower than the amount of all payments by you for
shares during the preceding 12 months in the case of Class A shares (in certain cases), 6 years in the case of Class B shares (or four years in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. Class B shares), and 12 months in the case of Class C shares. A CDSC will be applied on the lesser of the original purchase price or the current value of the shares being redeemed. Increases in the value
of your shares or shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions are not subject to a CDSC. The amount of any CDSC will be paid to and retained by the Distributor. If you purchased or hold your
shares through a broker, third party administrator or other authorized entity that maintains subaccount recordkeeping, any applicable CDSC that you will pay will be calculated and reported to PMFS by such broker,
administrator or other authorized entity.
The amount of the CDSC, if any,
will vary depending on the number of years from the time of payment for the purchase of shares until the time of redemption of such shares. The CDSC will be calculated from the date of the initial purchase, excluding
the time shares were held in Class B or Class C shares of a money market fund. See “Shareholder Services—Exchange Privileges” below.
In determining whether a CDSC is
applicable to a redemption, the calculation will be made in a manner that results in the lowest possible rate. It will be assumed that the redemption is made first of amounts representing shares acquired pursuant to
the reinvestment of dividends and distributions; then of amounts representing the increase in NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class A shares made during the preceding 12 months (in certain
cases), 6 years for Class B shares (four years in the case of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc.) and 12 months for Class C shares; then of amounts representing the cost of shares held beyond the applicable
CDSC period; and finally, of amounts representing the cost of shares held for the longest period of time within the applicable CDSC period.
For example, assume you purchased
100 Class B shares at $10 per share for a cost of $1,000. Subsequently, you acquired 5 additional Class B shares through dividend reinvestment. During the second year after the purchase you decided to redeem $500 of
your investment. Assuming at the time of the redemption the NAV had appreciated to $12 per share, the value of your Class B shares would be $1,260 (105 shares at $12 per share). The CDSC would not be applied to the
value of the reinvested dividend shares and the amount which represent appreciation ($260). Therefore, $240 of the $500 redemption proceeds ($500 minus $260) would be charged at a rate of 4% (the applicable rate in
the second year after purchase) for a total CDSC of $9.60.
For federal income tax purposes,
the amount of the CDSC will reduce the gain or increase the loss, as the case may be, on the amount recognized on the redemption of shares.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 52
As noted above, the CDSC will be
waived in the case of a redemption following the death or permanent disability of a shareholder or, in the case of a trust account, following the death or permanent disability of the grantor. The waiver is available
for total or partial redemptions of shares owned by a person, either individually or in joint tenancy at the time of death or initial determination of permanent disability, provided that the shares were purchased
prior to death or permanent disability.
The CDSC will be waived in the case
of a total or partial redemption in connection with certain distributions under the Code from a tax-deferred retirement plan, an IRA or Section 403(b) custodial account. For distributions from an IRA or 403(b)
custodial account, the shareholder must submit a copy of the distribution form from the custodial firm indicating (i) the date of birth of the shareholder and (ii) that the shareholder is over age 70 1⁄2. The distribution form must be signed by the shareholder.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on certain redemptions of Class B shares effected through a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. On an annual basis, up to 12% of the total dollar amount
subject to the CDSC may be redeemed without charge. PMFS will calculate the total amount available for this waiver annually on the anniversary date of your purchase. The CDSC will be waived (or reduced) on redemptions
until this threshold of 12% is reached. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan is not available to participants in certain retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
In addition, the CDSC will be
waived on redemptions of shares held by Board Members of the Funds.
You must notify PMFS either
directly or through your broker, at the time of redemption that you are entitled to a waiver of the CDSC and provide PMFS or your broker with such supporting documentation as it may deem appropriate. The waiver will
be granted subject to confirmation of your entitlement.
PMFS reserves the right to request
such additional documents as it may deem appropriate.
AUTOMATIC CONVERSION OF CLASS B
SHARES. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares on a quarterly basis approximately seven years after purchase.
Note: Class B shares of Prudential Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. will automatically convert to Class A shares on a quarterly basis approximately five years after purchase.
The number of Class B shares
eligible to convert to Class A shares will be the total number of shares that have completed their aging schedule (including any time spent at 0% liability), plus all shares acquired through the reinvestment of
dividends for Class B shares.
Since annual distribution-related
fees are lower for Class A shares than Class B shares, the per share NAV of the Class A shares may be higher than that of the Class B shares at the time of conversion. Thus, although the aggregate dollar value will be
the same, you may receive fewer Class A shares than Class B shares converted.
For purposes of calculating the
applicable holding period for conversions, for Class B shares previously exchanged for shares of a money market fund, the time period during which such shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded for the
Class B shares. For example, Class B shares held in a money market fund for one year would not convert to Class A shares until approximately eight years. Class B shares acquired through exchange will convert to Class
A shares after expiration of the conversion period applicable to the original purchaser of such shares.
The conversion feature may be
subject to the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the conversion of shares does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. The automatic conversion of Class
B shares into Class A shares may be suspended if such opinions or rulings are no longer available. If such conversions are suspended, Class B shares of the Fund will continue to be subject, possibly indefinitely, to
their higher annual distribution and service fee. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the conversion or exchange of shares.
EXCHANGE OF SHARE CLASSES WITHIN THE
FUND. Within the Fund, investors or their financial intermediaries may wish to exchange investments in one share class of the Fund to another share class offered by the same Fund. For certain
exchanges, subject to the discretion of the Manager and or its affiliates, the Fund may need to waive applicable sales charges in the share class that the shareholder is receiving and/or waive CDSC on the redeemed
shares, as applicable.
Such exchanges may be subject to
the continuing availability of opinions of counsel or rulings of the IRS that the exchange of shares does not constitute a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. If such opinions or rulings are no longer
available, then the exchange may be a taxable event. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of the exchange of shares.
Please contact PMFS at (800)
225-1852 for more details on such exchanges.
NET ASSET VALUE
The price an investor pays for a
Fund share is based on the share value. The share value—known as the net asset value per share or NAV—is determined by subtracting Fund liabilities from the value of Fund assets and dividing the remainder
by the number of outstanding shares. NAV is calculated separately for each class. The Fund will compute its NAV once each business day at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. For
purposes of computing NAV, the Fund will value futures contracts generally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. The Fund may not compute its NAV on days on which no orders to purchase, sell or
exchange shares of the Fund have been received or on days on which changes in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities do not materially affect NAV. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in
NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and will price its shares as of 4:00 p.m., if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE. Please see the NYSE website (www.nyse.com) for a specific list of the
holidays on which the NYSE is closed.
In accordance with procedures
adopted by the Board, the value of investments listed on a securities exchange and NASDAQ System securities (other than options on stock and stock indices) are valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation or,
if there was no sale on such day, the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day, or at the bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price, as provided by a pricing service or principal market
marker. Securities included on the NASDAQ Market are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (NOCP) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP, at the last sale price. NASDAQ Market Securities for which
there was no NOCP or last sale price are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on the day of valuation, or the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Corporate bonds (other than
convertible debt securities) and US Government securities that are actively traded in the OTC market, including listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the
subadviser to be over-the-counter, are valued on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing agent which uses information with respect to transactions in bonds, quotations from bond dealers, agency
ratings, market transactions in comparable securities and various relationships between securities in determining value. Convertible debt securities that are actively traded in the over-the-counter market, including
listed securities for which the primary market is believed by the Manager in consultation with the subadviser to be OTC, are valued on the day of valuation at an evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing
agent, or, in the absence of valuation provided by an independent pricing agent, at the bid price provided by a principal market maker or primary market dealer.
OTC options on stock and stock
indices traded on an exchange are valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on the respective exchange and futures contracts and options thereon are valued at their last sale prices as
of the close of trading on the applicable commodities exchange or if there was no sale on the applicable commodities exchange on such day, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on such
exchange or at the last bid price in the absence of an asked price. Quotations of non-US securities in a non-US currency are converted to US dollar equivalents at the current rate obtained from a recognized bank,
dealer or independent service, and forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the current cost of covering or offsetting such contacts. Should an extraordinary event, which is likely to affect the value of the
security, occur after the close of an exchange on which a portfolio security is traded, such security will be valued at fair value considering factors determined in good faith by the subadviser or Manager under
procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Board.
Under the 1940 Act, the Board is
responsible for determining in good faith the fair value of securities of the Fund. Portfolio securities for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the pricing agent or principal
market maker does not provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of the Manager or subadviser (or Valuation Committee or Board) does not represent fair value (Fair
Value Securities), are valued by the Valuation Committee or Board in consultation with the subadviser or Manager, as applicable, including, as applicable, their portfolio managers, traders, research and credit
analysts, and legal and compliance personnel, on the basis of the following factors: the nature of any restrictions on disposition of the securities; assessment of the general liquidity/illiquidity of the securities;
the issuer's financial condition and the markets in which it does business; the cost of the investment; the size of the holding and the capitalization of issuer; the prices of any recent transactions or bids/offers
for such securities or any comparable securities; any available analyst, media or other reports or information deemed reliable by the Manager or subadviser regarding the issuer or the markets or industry in which it
operates; other analytical data; consistency with valuation of similar securities held by other PGIM Investments mutual funds; and such other factors as may be determined by the subadviser, Manager, Board or Valuation
Committee to materially affect the value of the security. Fair Value Securities may include, but are not limited to, the following: certain private placements and restricted securities that do not have an active
trading market; securities whose trading has been suspended or for which market quotes are no longer available; debt securities that have recently gone into default and for which there is no current market; securities
whose prices are stale; securities affected by significant events; and securities that the subadviser or Manager believes were priced incorrectly.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 54
A “significant event”
(which includes, but is not limited to, an extraordinary political or market event) is an event that the subadviser or Manager believes with a reasonably high degree of certainty has caused the closing market prices
of portfolio securities to no longer reflect their value at the time of the NAV calculation. On a day that the Manager determines that one or more portfolio securities constitute Fair Value Securities, the
Manager’s Fair Valuation Committee may determine the fair value of these securities if the fair valuation of each security results in a change of less than $0.01 to the Fund's NAV and/or the fair valuation of
the securities in the aggregate results in a change of less than one half of one percent of the Fund's daily net assets and the Fair Valuation Committee presents these valuations to the Board for its ratification. In
the event that the fair valuation of a security results in a NAV change of $0.01 or more per share and/or in the aggregate results in a change of one half of one percent or more of the daily NAV, the Board shall
promptly be notified, in detail, of the fair valuation, and the fair valuation will be reported on and presented for ratification at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Also, the Board receives, on an interim
basis, reports of the meetings of the Valuation Committee that occur between regularly scheduled Board meetings.
In addition, the Fund uses a
service provided by a pricing vendor to fair value non-US Fair Value Securities, which are securities that are primarily traded in non-US markets and subject to a valuation adjustment upon the reaching of a valuation
“trigger” determined by the Board. The fair value prices of non-US Fair Value Securities reflect an adjustment to closing market prices that is intended to reflect the causal link between movements in the
US market and the non-US market on which the securities trade.
The use of fair value pricing
procedures involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. Accordingly,
there can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if the security were sold at approximately the same time at which the NAV per share is determined.
Generally, we will value the Fund's
futures contracts at the close of trading for those contracts (normally 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE). If, in the judgment of the subadviser or Manager, the closing price of a contract is
materially different from the contract price at the NYSE close, a fair value price for the contract will be determined.
If dividends are declared daily,
the NAV of each class of shares will generally be the same. It is expected, however, that the dividends, if any, will differ by approximately the amount of the distribution and/or service fee expense accrual
differential among the classes.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
Upon the initial purchase of Fund
shares, a Shareholder Investment Account is established for each investor under which a record of the shares is maintained by PMFS. Share certificates are no longer issued for shares of the Fund. The Fund furnishes to
shareholders the following privileges and plans:
AUTOMATIC REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS
AND/OR DISTRIBUTIONS. For the convenience of investors, all dividends and distributions are automatically reinvested in full and fractional shares of the Fund at NAV per share. An investor may direct PMFS in
writing not less than five full business days prior to the record date to have subsequent dividends and/or distributions sent in cash rather than reinvested. In the case of recently purchased shares for which
registration instructions have not been received by the record date, cash payment will be made directly to the broker. Any shareholder who receives dividends or distributions in cash may subsequently reinvest any such
dividend or distribution at NAV by returning the check or the proceeds to PMFS within 30 days after the payment date. Such reinvestment will be made at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the check or
the proceeds by PMFS. Shares purchased with reinvested dividends and/or distributions will not be subject to any CDSC upon redemption.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES. The Fund furnishes to shareholders the privilege of exchanging their shares of the Fund for shares of certain other PGIM Investments mutual funds, as disclosed in each Fund’s
Prospectus, including one or more specified money market funds, subject in each case to the minimum investment requirements of such funds. Shares of such other PGIM Investments mutual funds may also be exchanged for
shares of the Fund. All exchanges are made on the basis of the relative NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. An exchange will be treated as a redemption and purchase for federal income tax
purposes. Shares may be exchanged for shares of another fund only if shares of such fund may legally be sold under applicable state laws. For retirement and group plans having a limited menu of PGIM Investments mutual
funds, the exchange privilege is available for those funds eligible for investment in the particular program.
It is contemplated that the
exchange privilege may be applicable to new PGIM Investments mutual funds, the shares of which may be distributed by the Distributor.
In order to exchange shares by
telephone, you must authorize telephone exchanges on your initial application form or by written notice to PMFS and hold shares in non-certificated form. Thereafter, you may call the Fund at (800) 225-1852 to execute
a telephone exchange of shares, on weekdays, except holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. For your protection and
to prevent fraudulent exchanges, your telephone
call will be recorded and you will be asked to authenticate your account. A written confirmation of the exchange transaction will be sent to you. Neither the Fund nor its agents will be liable for any loss, liability
or cost which results from acting upon instructions reasonably believed to be genuine under the foregoing procedures. All exchanges will be made on the basis of the relative NAV of the two funds next determined after
the request is received in good order.
If you hold shares through a
brokerage firm, you must exchange your shares by contacting your financial adviser.
If you hold share certificates, the
certificates must be returned in order for the shares to be exchanged. See “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Fund Shares—Sale of Shares” above.
You may also exchange shares by
mail by writing to PMFS, P.O. Box 9658, Providence, RI 02940.
In periods of severe market or
economic conditions the telephone exchange of shares may be difficult to implement and you should make exchanges by mail by writing to PMFS at the address noted above.
Class A shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class A shares for Class A shares of certain other PGIM Investments mutual funds and shares of the money market funds specified below. No fee or
sales load will be imposed upon the exchange. Shareholders of money market funds who acquired such shares upon exchange of Class A shares may use the exchange privilege only to acquire Class A shares of the PGIM
Investments mutual funds participating in the exchange privilege.
The following money market fund
participates in the Class A exchange privilege: Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. (Class A shares).
Participants in certain programs
sponsored by broker-dealers, investment advisers and financial planners who have agreements with Prudential, or whose programs are available through financial intermediaries that have agreements with Prudential
relating to mutual fund “wrap” or asset allocation programs or mutual fund “supermarket” programs, for which the Fund is an available option, may have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged
for Class Z shares of the Fund, if available as an investment option, when they elect to have those assets become a part of the program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), such Class Z shares (and,
to the extent provided for in the program, Class Z shares acquired through participation in the program) may be exchanged for Class A shares of the Fund at NAV if Class Z shares are not available to the shareholder as
an investment option outside the program. Contact your program sponsor or financial intermediary with any questions.
Class B and Class C shares: Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their Class B and Class C shares of the Fund for Class B and Class C shares, respectively, of other PGIM Investments mutual funds. No CDSC will be
payable upon such exchange, but a CDSC may be payable upon the redemption of the Class B and Class C shares acquired as a result of an exchange. The applicable sales charge will be that imposed by the fund in which
shares were initially purchased and the purchase date will be deemed to be the date of the initial purchase, rather than the date of the exchange, excluding any time Class B or Class C shares were held in a money
market fund.
Class B and Class C shares may also
be exchanged for shares of Prudential Government Money Market Fund, Inc.. without imposition of any CDSC at the time of exchange. Upon subsequent redemption from such money market fund or after re-exchange into a
Fund, such shares will be subject to the CDSC calculated without regard to the time such shares were held in the money market fund. For purposes of calculating the seven year holding period applicable to the Class B
conversion feature, the time period during which Class B shares were held in a money market fund will be excluded.
At any time after acquiring shares
of other funds participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege, a shareholder may again exchange those shares (and any reinvested dividends and distributions) for Class B or Class C shares of a Fund without
subjecting such shares to any CDSC. Shares of any fund participating in the Class B or Class C exchange privilege that were acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions may be exchanged for Class B or
Class C shares of other funds without being subject to any CDSC.
Class Q shares: Class Q shares may be exchanged for Class Q shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Class R shares: Class R shares may be exchanged for Class R shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Class Z shares: Class Z shares may be exchanged for Class Z shares of other PGIM Investments mutual funds.
Shareholders who qualify to
purchase Class Z shares may have their Class B and Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC and their Class A shares exchanged for Class Z shares upon notification. Eligibility for this exchange privilege will
be calculated on the business day prior to the date of the exchange. Amounts representing Class B or Class C shares which are not subject to a CDSC include
Prudential Government Income
Fund 56
the following: (1) amounts representing Class B or
Class C shares acquired pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions, (2) amounts representing the increase in the NAV above the total amount of payments for the purchase of Class B or Class C
shares and (3) amounts representing Class B or Class C shares held beyond the applicable CDSC period. Class B and Class C shareholders must notify PMFS either directly or through Wells Fargo Advisors, Pruco
Securities, LLC or another broker that they are eligible for this special exchange privilege.
Participants in any fee-based
program for which the Fund is an available option may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to have their Class A shares, if any, exchanged for Class Z shares when they elect to have those assets
become a part of the fee-based program. Upon leaving the program (whether voluntarily or not), the participant may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their recordkeeper to have such Class Z shares acquired through
participation in the program exchanged for Class A shares at NAV. Similarly, participants in Wells Fargo Advisors' 401(k) Plan for which the Fund's Class Z shares are an available option and who wish to transfer their
Class Z shares out of the Wells Fargo Advisors 401(k) Plan following separation from service (i.e., voluntary or involuntary termination of employment or retirement) may arrange with the Transfer Agent or their
recordkeeper to have their Class Z shares exchanged for Class A shares at NAV.
Additional details about the
exchange privilege and prospectuses for each of the PGIM Investments mutual funds are available from PMFS, the Distributor or your broker. The special exchange privilege may be modified, terminated or suspended on
sixty days' notice, and the Fund, or the Distributor, has the right to reject any exchange application relating to the Fund's shares.
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
(AIP). Under AIP, an investor may arrange to have a fixed amount automatically invested in shares of the Fund by authorizing his or her bank account or brokerage account to be debited to invest
specified dollar amounts in shares of the Fund. The investor's bank must be a member of the Automated Clearing House System.
Further information about this
program and an application form can be obtained from PMFS, the Distributor or your broker.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan is available to shareholders through the PMFS or your broker. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual redemptions
in any amount, except as provided below, up to the value of the shares in the shareholder's account. Systematic withdrawals of Class A (in certain instances), Class B and Class C shares may be subject to a CDSC. The
Systematic Withdrawal Plan is not available to participants in certain retirement plans. Please contact PMFS at (800) 225-1852 for more details.
PMFS, the Distributor or your
broker acts as an agent for the shareholder in redeeming sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the amount of the systematic withdrawal payment. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any
time.
Systematic withdrawals should not
be considered as dividends, yield or income. If systematic withdrawals continuously exceed reinvested dividends and distributions, the shareholder's original investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately
exhausted.
Furthermore, each withdrawal
constitutes a redemption of shares, and any gain or loss realized must be recognized for federal income tax purposes. In addition, withdrawals made concurrently with purchases of additional shares are inadvisable
because of the sales charges applicable to (i) the purchase of Class A shares and (ii) the redemption of Class A (in certain instances), Class B and Class C shares. Each shareholder should consult his or her own tax
adviser with regard to the tax consequences of the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, particularly if used in connection with a retirement plan.
MUTUAL FUND PROGRAMS. From time to time, the Fund may be included in a mutual fund program with other PGIM Investments mutual funds. Under such a program, a group of portfolios will be selected and thereafter
marketed collectively. Typically, these programs are marketed with an investment theme, such as pursuit of greater diversification, protection from interest rate movements or access to different management styles. In
the event such a program is instituted, there may be a minimum investment requirement for the program as a whole. The Fund may waive or reduce the minimum initial investment requirements in connection with such a
program.
The mutual funds in the program may
be purchased individually or as a part of a program. Since the allocation of portfolios included in the program may not be appropriate for all investors, investors should consult their financial adviser concerning the
appropriate blends of portfolios for them. If investors elect to purchase the individual mutual funds that constitute the program in an investment ratio different from that offered by the program, the standard minimum
investment requirements for the individual mutual funds will apply.
TAX-DEFERRED RETIREMENT
PROGRAMS. Various tax-deferred retirement plans, including a 401(k) plan, self-directed individual retirement accounts and “tax-deferred accounts” under Section 403(b)(7) of the Code are
available through the Distributor. These plans are for use by both self-employed individuals and corporate employers. These plans permit either self-direction of accounts by participants or a pooled account
arrangement. Information regarding the establishment of these plans, their administration, custodial fees and other details is available from the Distributor or PMFS.
Investors who are considering the
adoption of such a plan should consult with their own legal counsel and/or tax adviser with respect to the establishment and maintenance of any such plan.
TAXES, DIVIDENDS AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
The following is a summary of
certain tax considerations generally affecting each Fund and its shareholders. This section is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are
subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. Please consult your own tax adviser concerning the consequences of investing in a Fund in your particular circumstances under the Code and the laws of any other
taxing jurisdiction.
QUALIFICATION AS A REGULATED
INVESTMENT COMPANY. Each Fund has elected to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and intends to meet all other requirements that are necessary for it to be relieved of
federal taxes on income and gains it distributes to shareholders. As a regulated investment company, a Fund is not subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income (i.e., investment company
taxable income, as that term is defined in the Code, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it
distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its net tax-exempt income and investment company taxable income for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”), and satisfies
certain other requirements of the Code that are described below.
Net capital gains of a Fund that
are available for distribution to shareholders will be computed by taking into account any applicable capital loss carryforward. If a Fund has a capital loss carryforward, the amount and duration of any such capital
loss carryforward will be set forth at the end of this section.
In addition to satisfying the
Distribution Requirement, each Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to loans of stock and securities, gains from the sale or disposition of stock,
securities or non-US currencies and other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or
currencies and net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (as such term is defined in the Code).
Each Fund must also satisfy an
asset diversification test on a quarterly basis. Failure to do so may result in a Fund being subject to penalty taxes, being required to sell certain of its positions, and may cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a
regulated investment company. Under this asset diversification test, at the close of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets must be represented by cash,
United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the
value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities of (x) any one issuer (other
than United States government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or two or more issuers (other than securities of other regulated investment companies) of which the Fund owns 20% or
more of the voting stock and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (y) one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as such term is defined in the Code) and
commonly referred to as “master limited partnerships.”
A Fund may be able to cure a
failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or by paying a tax and
disposing of assets. If, in any taxable year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, the Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its
shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income.
Although in general the passive
loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded
partnership. A Fund’s investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local or non-US income, franchise or withholding tax
liabilities.
If for any year a Fund does not
qualify as a regulated investment company, or fails to meet the Distribution Requirement, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any
deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, a Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits,
including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends will be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of
shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay
out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable
years,
Prudential Government Income
Fund 58
the Fund may be subject to taxation on any net
built-in-gains (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate loss that would have been realized if the Fund had been liquidated) recognized for a period of ten years, or, under
certain circumstances, may have to recognize and pay tax on such net built-in-gain, in order to qualify as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
EXCISE TAX ON REGULATED INVESTMENT
COMPANIES. A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on a regulated investment company to the extent that it distributes income in such a way that it is taxable to shareholders in a calendar year
other than the calendar year in which a Fund earned the income. Specifically, the excise tax will be imposed if a Fund fails to distribute in each calendar year an amount equal to 98% of ordinary taxable income,
including qualified dividend income, for the calendar year and 98.2% of capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year (or, at the election of a regulated investment company
having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year). The balance of such income must be distributed during the next calendar year. For the foregoing purposes, a regulated investment company
is treated as having distributed otherwise retained amounts if it is subject to income tax on those amounts for any taxable year ending in such calendar year.
Each Fund intends to make
sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its qualified dividend income, ordinary income and capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax. However,
investors should note that a Fund may in certain circumstances be required to borrow money or liquidate portfolio investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid excise tax liability.
FUND INVESTMENTS. Each Fund may make investments or engage in transactions that affect the character, amount and timing of gains or losses realized by a Fund. A Fund may make investments that produce income
that is not matched by a corresponding cash receipt by the Fund. Any such income would be treated as income earned by the Fund and therefore would be subject to the Distribution Requirement. Such investments may
require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in order to comply with those requirements. Each Fund may also make investments that prevent or defer the recognition of losses or the deduction of
expenses. These investments may likewise require a Fund to borrow money or dispose of other securities in order to comply with the Distribution Requirement. Additionally, a Fund may make investments that result in the
recognition of ordinary income rather than capital gain, or that prevent the Fund from accruing a long-term holding period. These investments may prevent the Fund from making capital gain distributions as described
below. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it makes any such investments in order to mitigate the
effect of these rules. The foregoing concepts are explained in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Gains or losses on sales of stock
or securities by a Fund generally will be treated as long-term capital gains or losses if the stock or securities have been held by it for more than one year, except in certain cases where the Fund acquires a put or
writes a call or otherwise holds an offsetting position, with respect to the stock or securities. Other gains or losses on the sale of stock or securities will be short-term capital gains or losses.
In certain situations, a Fund may,
for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its net capital loss realized after October (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) and its late-year ordinary loss
(defined as the sum of the excess of post-October non-US currency and passive non-US investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October non-US currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December
ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such
deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
If an option written by a Fund on
securities lapses or is terminated through a closing transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund of the option from its holder, the Fund will generally realize short-term capital gain or loss. If securities are sold
by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a call option written by it, the Fund will include the premium received in the sale proceeds of the securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale.
Gain or loss on the sale, lapse or other termination of options acquired by a Fund on stock or securities and on narrowly-based stock indexes will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term depending
on the holding period of the option.
Certain Fund transactions may be
subject to wash sale, short sale, constructive sale, conversion transaction, constructive ownership transaction and straddle provisions of the Code that may, among other things, require a Fund to defer recognition of
losses or convert long-term capital gain into ordinary income or short-term capital gain taxable as ordinary income.
As a result of entering into swap
contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction.
Periodic net payments will generally constitute taxable ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the
Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to
certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to
currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. Periodic net
payments that would otherwise constitute ordinary deductions but are allocable under the Code to exempt-interest dividends will not be allowed as a deduction but instead will reduce net tax-exempt income.
In general, gain or loss on a short
sale is recognized when a Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally capital gain or loss to the extent
that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in a Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale has a long-term
holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of
“substantially identical property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical
property” has been held by a Fund for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short
sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Debt securities acquired by a Fund
may be subject to original issue discount and market discount rules which, respectively, may cause the Fund to accrue income in advance of the receipt of cash with respect to interest or cause gains to be treated as
ordinary income subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above. Market discount generally is the excess, if any, of the principal amount of the security (or, in the case of a security issued at an original
issue discount, the adjusted issue price of the security) over the price paid by the Fund for the security. Original issue discount that accrues in a taxable year is treated as income earned by a Fund and therefore is
subject to the Distribution Requirement. Because the original issue discount income earned by a Fund in a taxable year may not be represented by cash income, the Fund may have to borrow money or dispose of other
securities and use the proceeds to make distributions to satisfy the Distribution Requirement.
Certain futures contracts and
certain listed options (referred to as Section 1256 contracts) held by the Funds will be required to be “marked to market” for federal income tax purposes at the end of a Fund’s taxable year, that
is, treated as having been sold at the fair market value on the last business day of the Fund’s taxable year. Except with respect to certain non-US currency forward contracts, sixty percent of any gain or loss
recognized on these deemed sales and on actual dispositions will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and forty percent will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any net mark-to-market gains may be
subject to the Distribution Requirement referred to above, even though a Fund may receive no corresponding cash amounts, possibly requiring the disposition of portfolio securities or borrowing to obtain the necessary
cash.
Gains or losses attributable to
fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between the time a Fund accrues interest or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-US currency and the time the Fund actually collects
such receivables or pays such liabilities are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on non-US currency forward contracts or dispositions of debt securities denominated in a non-US currency
that are attributable to fluctuations in the value of the non-US currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition thereof generally also are treated as ordinary income
or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as “Section 988” gains or losses, increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed
to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund’s net capital gain. If Section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year,
a Fund would not be able to make any ordinary dividend distributions from current earnings and profits, and distributions made before the losses were realized could be recharacterized as a return of capital to
shareholders, rather than as an ordinary dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.
If the Fund holds (directly or
indirectly) one or more “tax credit bonds” (defined below) on one or more specified dates during the Fund’s taxable year, and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may
elect for US federal income tax purposes to pass through to shareholders tax credits otherwise allowable to the Fund for that year with respect to such bonds. A tax credit bond is defined in the Code as a
“qualified tax credit bond” (which includes a qualified forestry conservation bond, a new clean renewable energy bond, a qualified energy conservation bond, a qualified zone academy bond, or a qualified
school construction bond, each of which must meet certain requirements specified in the Code), a “build America bond” or certain other specified bonds. If the Fund were to make an election, a shareholder
of the Fund would be required to include in gross income an amount equal to such shareholder’s proportionate share of the interest income attributable to such credits and would be entitled to claim as a tax
credit an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of such credits. Certain limitations may apply on the extent to which the credit may be claimed.
A Fund may make investments in
equity securities of non-US issuers. If a Fund purchases shares in PFICs, the Fund may be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such non-US corporation, including any
gain from the disposition of such shares, even if such income is distributed by the Fund to its shareholders. In addition, certain interest charges may be imposed on
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Fund 60
the Fund as a result of such distributions. If a
Fund were to invest in an eligible PFIC and elected to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund (a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include each year in its
income and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, a pro rata portion of the QEF’s ordinary earnings and net capital gain, whether or not distributed by the QEF to the Fund. A
Fund may not be able to make this election with respect to many PFICs because of certain requirements that the PFICs would have to satisfy.
Alternatively, a Fund generally
will be permitted to “mark to market” any shares it holds in a PFIC. If a Fund made such an election, with such election being made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund, the Fund would be required to
include in income each year and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the Distribution Requirement, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the
taxable year over the adjusted basis of such stock at that time. A Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the PFIC stock over its fair market value as of the close of the
taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains with respect to the stock included by the Fund for prior taxable years. A Fund will make appropriate basis adjustments in the PFIC stock to take
into account the mark-to-market amounts.
Notwithstanding any election made
by a Fund, dividends attributable to distributions from a non-US corporation will not be eligible for the special tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income if the non-US corporation is a PFIC either in the
taxable year of the distribution or the preceding taxable year, but instead will be taxable at rates applicable to ordinary income.
A Fund may invest in REITs. Such
Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required
to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold (including when it is not advantageous to do so). A Fund’s investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in
the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax
purposes. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will generally not constitute qualified dividend income. REITs will generally be able to pass through the tax treatment of tax-qualified dividends they receive.
Some of the REITs in which the
Funds may invest will be permitted to hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”). Under Treasury regulations not yet issued, but that may apply retroactively, a portion
of a Fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all
events. These regulations are expected to provide that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to
the dividends received by shareholders, with the same consequences as if shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest directly.
In general, excess inclusion income
allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a
qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is
allocated excess inclusion income, and that otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-US shareholder, will not qualify for
any reduction in US federal withholding tax.
Under current law, if a charitable
remainder trust (defined in Section 664 of the Code) realizes any unrelated business taxable income for a taxable year, it will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of such unrelated business taxable income. In
addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (as defined in the Code) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment
company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed
on corporations. The Funds do not intend to invest directly in residual interests in REMICs or to invest in REITs in which a substantial portion of the assets will consist of residual interests in REMICs.
FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its net investment income for each taxable year. Dividends of net investment income paid to a non-corporate US shareholder that are
reported as qualified dividend income will generally be taxable to such shareholder at capital gain income tax rates. The amount of dividend income that may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will
generally be limited to the aggregate of the eligible dividends received by the Fund. In addition, a Fund must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the shares on which the Fund received the
eligible dividends, and the non-corporate US shareholder must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the Fund shares. Dividends of net investment income that are not reported as qualified dividend
income or exempt-interest dividends and dividends of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates. Dividends paid by a Fund with respect to a taxable year will qualify for the
70% dividends
received deduction generally available to
corporations to the extent of the amount of dividends received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations for the taxable year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the US federal income tax consequences of
distributions made (or deemed made) during the year, including the portion of dividends paid that qualify for the reduced tax rate.
Ordinarily, shareholders are
required to take taxable distributions by a Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by a Fund in October, November or
December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be
taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than the year paid.
Dividends paid by a Fund that are
properly reported as exempt-interest dividends will not be subject to regular federal income tax. Dividends paid by a Fund will be exempt from federal income tax (though not necessarily exempt from state and local
taxation) to the extent of the Fund’s tax-exempt interest income as long as 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets at the end of each quarter is invested in (1) state, municipal and other bonds that
are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes or (2) interests in other regulated investment companies, and, in each case, as long as the Fund properly reports such dividends as exempt-interest
dividends. Exempt-interest dividends from interest earned on municipal securities of a state, or its political subdivisions, are generally exempt from income tax in that state. However, income from municipal
securities from other states generally will not qualify for tax-free treatment.
Interest on indebtedness incurred
by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of a Fund will not be deductible for US federal income tax purposes to the extent it relates to exempt-interest dividends received by a shareholder. If a shareholder
receives exempt-interest dividends with respect to any share of a Fund (other than a Fund that declares income dividends daily and pays such dividends at least as frequently as monthly) and if the share is held by the
shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. In addition, the Code may require a shareholder that receives
exempt-interest dividends to treat as taxable income a portion of certain otherwise non-taxable social security and railroad retirement benefit payments. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by
a Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a “substantial user” of a
facility financed by such bonds, or a “related person” thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from a Fund may affect a non-US corporate shareholder’s federal “branch
profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of a shareholder of an S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers as to whether they are (i)
“substantial users” with respect to a facility or “related” to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to the federal “branch profits” tax, or the federal
“excess net passive income” tax.
A Fund may either retain or
distribute to shareholders its net capital gain (i.e., excess net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each taxable year. Each Fund currently intends to distribute any such amounts. If net
capital gain is distributed and reported as a “capital gain dividend,” it will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has held its shares or
whether such gain was recognized by the Fund prior to the date on which the shareholder acquired its shares. Conversely, if a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the
extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated
as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will
receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Distributions by a Fund that exceed
the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares; any distribution in excess
of such tax basis will be treated as gain from the sale of its shares, as discussed below. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s minimum distribution requirements but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and
profits will be taxable to shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. A Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any, carried from taxable years beginning before 2011 do not reduce current
earnings and profits, even if such carryforwards offset current year realized gains. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if
any, may be subject to limitation.
Distributions by a Fund will be
treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). Shareholders receiving a distribution in the form of
additional shares will be treated as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash that could have been received. In addition, prospective investors in a Fund should be aware that distributions
from the Fund will, all other things being equal, have the effect of reducing the NAV of the Fund’s shares by the amount of the distribution. If the NAV is reduced below a shareholder’s cost, the
distribution will
Prudential Government Income
Fund 62
nonetheless be taxable as described above, even if
the distribution effectively represents a return of invested capital. Investors should consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution, when the price of shares may reflect the amount of
the forthcoming distribution.
SALE OR REDEMPTION OF SHARES. A shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale or redemption and the
shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder acquires other shares of the Fund or substantially identical stock or securities
within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before such disposition, such as pursuant to reinvestment of a dividend in shares of the Fund. Additionally, if a shareholder disposes of shares of a Fund within 90 days
following their acquisition, and the shareholder subsequently re-acquires Fund shares (1) before January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the original stock was disposed of, (2) pursuant to
a reinvestment right received upon the purchase of the original shares and (3) at a reduced load charge (i.e., sales or additional charge), then any load charge incurred upon the acquisition of the original shares
will not be taken into account as part of the shareholder’s basis for computing gain or loss upon the sale of such shares, to the extent the original load charge does not exceed any reduction of the load charge
with respect to the acquisition of the subsequent shares. To the extent the original load charge is not taken into account on the disposition of the original shares, such charge shall be treated as incurred in
connection with the acquisition of the subsequent shares. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares of a Fund will be considered capital gain or loss and
will be long term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term
capital loss to the extent of the amount of long-term capital gain dividends received on (or undistributed long-term capital gains credited with respect to) such shares.
Capital gain of a non-corporate US
shareholder is generally taxed at a federal income tax rate of up to 15% for individuals with incomes below approximately $418,000 ($471,000 if married filing jointly), adjusted annually for inflation, and 20% for any
income above such levels that is generally net long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income, where the property is held by the shareholder for more than one year. Capital gain of a corporate shareholder is
taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
Cost Basis Reporting. Mutual funds must report cost basis information to you and the IRS when you sell or exchange shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 in your non-retirement accounts. The cost basis
regulations do not affect retirement accounts, money market funds, and shares acquired before January 1, 2012. The regulations also require mutual funds to report whether a gain or loss is short-term (shares held one
year or less) or long-term (shares held more than one year) for all shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 that are subsequently sold or exchanged. To calculate the gain or loss on shares sold, you need to know
the cost basis of the shares. Cost basis is the original value of an asset for tax purposes (usually the gross purchase price), adjusted for stock splits, reinvested dividends, and return of capital distributions.
This value is used to determine the capital gain (or loss), which is the difference between the cost basis of the shares and the gross proceeds when the shares are sold. The Fund’s Transfer Agent supports
several different cost basis methods from which you may select a cost basis method you believe best suited to your needs. If you decide to elect the Transfer Agent’s default method, which is average cost, no
action is required on your part. For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, if you change your cost basis method, the new method will apply to all shares in the account if you request the change prior to the
first redemption. If, however, you request the change after the first redemption, the new method will apply to shares acquired on or after the date of the change. Keep in mind that the Fund’s Transfer Agent is
not required to report cost basis information to you or the IRS on shares acquired before January 1, 2012. However, the Transfer Agent will provide this information to you, as a service, if its cost basis records are
complete for such shares. This information will be separately identified on the Form 1099-B (Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions) sent to you by the Transfer Agent and not transmitted to the
IRS.
BACKUP WITHHOLDING. A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the US Treasury 28% of all dividends and capital gain dividends, and the proceeds of redemption of shares, paid to any
shareholder (1) who has provided the Fund with either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) who is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to report the receipt of interest or
dividend income properly or (3) who has failed to certify to the Fund that it is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other exempt recipient. In addition, dividends and capital gain
dividends made to corporate United States holders may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited
against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss
with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886.
Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss
is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the
applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
MEDICARE CONTRIBUTION TAX. A US person that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, is subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (1) the US
person’s “net investment income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the US person’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married
filing jointly). A Fund shareholder’s net investment income will generally include, among other things, dividend income from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares, unless such dividend
income or net gains are derived in the ordinary course of the conduct of a trade or business (other than a trade or business that consists of certain passive or trading activities). If you are a US person that is an
individual, estate or trust, you are urged to consult your tax advisers regarding the applicability of the Medicare contribution tax to your income and gains in respect of your investment in the Fund shares.
NON-US SHAREHOLDERS. Dividends paid to a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, non-US trust or estate, non-US corporation, or non-US partnership (“non-US
shareholder”) will be subject to US withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on the gross amount of the dividend. Such a non-US shareholder would generally be exempt from US federal
income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed
capital gains.
The foregoing applies when the
non-US shareholder’s income from a Fund is not effectively connected with a US trade or business. If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with a US trade or business carried on by a non-US
shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, net capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains credited to such shareholder and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of the Fund
will be subject to US federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to US citizens or domestic corporations.
Distributions that a Fund reports
as “short-term capital gain dividends” or “long-term capital gain dividends” will not be treated as such to a recipient non-US shareholder if the distribution is attributable to a REIT’s
distribution to a Fund of a gain from the sale or exchange of US real property or an interest in a US real property holding corporation and a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in US real property exceed
certain levels. Instead, if the non-US shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be
subject to 30% withholding by a Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the non-US shareholder; if the non-US shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the
one-year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the non-US shareholder to US filing requirements.
Additionally, if a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in US real property were to exceed certain levels, a non-US shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from a Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding
tax and US filing requirements unless more than 50% of a Fund’s shares were owned by US persons at such time or unless the non-US person had not held more than 5% of a Fund’s outstanding shares throughout
either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.
The rules laid out in the previous
paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.
Provided that 50% or more of the
value of the Fund’s stock is held by US shareholders, distributions of US real property interests (including securities in a US real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on
an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution), in redemption of a non-US
shareholder’s shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the
Fund’s adjusted bases to the extent of the greatest non-US ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of non-US non-corporate
shareholders, a Fund may be required to backup withhold US federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their
non-US status.
A 30% withholding tax is currently
imposed on US-source dividends, interest and other income items, and will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing US-source dividends and interest paid after December 31, 2018, to (i) non-US
financial institutions including non-US investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect US account holders and (ii) certain other non-US entities,
unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect US owners. To avoid withholding, non-US financial institutions will need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will
provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect US account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of US
accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to US accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant non-US financial institutions
Prudential Government Income
Fund 64
or to account holders, or (ii) in the event that an
intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder information. Other non-US entities will need to either provide the name, address, and
taxpayer identification number of each substantial US owner or certifications of no substantial US ownership unless certain exceptions apply.
The tax consequences to a non-US
shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-US shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax
consequences to them of an investment in a Fund, the procedure for claiming the benefit of a lower treaty rate and the applicability of non-US taxes.
NON-US TAXES. A Fund may be subject to non-US withholding taxes or other non-US taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gain) received from sources within non-US
countries. So long as more than 50% by value of the total assets of the Fund (1) at the close of the taxable year, consists of stock or securities of non-US issuers, or (2) at the close of each quarter, consists of
interests in other regulated investment companies, the Fund may elect to treat any non-US income taxes paid by it as paid directly by its shareholders.
If the Fund makes the election,
each shareholder will be required to (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, its pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating US taxable
income) or credit (in calculating US federal income tax) its pro rata share of the Fund’s income taxes. A non-US tax credit may not exceed the US federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the non-US
source income. For this purpose, each shareholder must treat as non-US source gross income (i) its proportionate share of non-US taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any actual dividend paid by the Fund
which represents income derived from non-US sources; the gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as US source income and certain non-US currency gains and losses likewise will be treated as derived
from US sources. This non-US tax credit limitation is, with certain exceptions, applied separately to separate categories of income; dividends from the Fund will be treated as “passive” or
“general” income for this purpose. The effect of this limitation may be to prevent shareholders from claiming as a credit the full amount of their pro rata share of the Fund’s non-US income taxes. In
addition, shareholders will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax credit with respect to non-US income taxes paid by the Fund unless certain holding period requirements are met at both the Fund and the shareholder
levels. For purposes of foreign tax credits for US shareholders of the Fund, foreign capital gains taxes may not produce associated foreign source income, limiting the availability of such credits for US persons.
A Fund will make such an election
only if it deems it to be in the best interest of its shareholders. A shareholder not subject to US tax may prefer that this election not be made. The Fund will notify shareholders in writing each year if it makes the
election and of the amount of non-US income taxes, if any, to be passed through to the shareholders and the amount of non-US taxes, if any, for which shareholders of the Fund will not be eligible to claim a non-US tax
credit because the holding period requirements (described above) have not been satisfied.
Shares of a Fund held by a non-US
shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the US estate tax.
STATE AND LOCAL TAX MATTERS. Depending on the residence of the shareholders for tax purposes, distributions may also be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation regarding qualified dividend
income, ordinary income dividends and capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies and other items may differ from federal income tax rules. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers as
to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in a Fund.
CAPITAL LOSS CARRYFORWARDS. As of February 28, 2017, Prudential Government Income Fund had no capital loss carryforwards.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO
HOLDINGS
The Board of each Fund in the
Prudential mutual fund complex has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio securities owned by each Fund and to authorize certain arrangements to make available information about
portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosures of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are made consistently with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the
fiduciary duties of each Fund and each Fund adviser. The policy is designed to ensure that disclosures of nonpublic portfolio holdings to selected third parties are made only when the Fund has legitimate business
purposes for doing so and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information.
The Board has authorized PGIM
Investments, as the investment manager of each Fund, to administer these policies and procedures and to enter into confidentiality agreements on behalf of the Funds that provide that all information disclosed shall be
treated as confidential and that the recipient will not trade on the nonpublic information. No material, non-public information, including but not limited to portfolio holdings, may be disseminated to third parties
except in compliance with these policies and procedures.
The Custodian Bank (Bank of New
York Mellon) is authorized to facilitate, under the supervision of PGIM Investments, the release of portfolio holdings.
Regulatory Filings. Portfolio holdings for each Fund will be made public at the time of quarterly public regulatory filings via Forms N-CSR and/or N-Q unless noted otherwise herein.
Annual and semi-annual reports for
each Fund are filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR and mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. Annual and semi-annual shareholder reports for a Fund may be accessed at
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and at the website for the PGIM Investments mutual funds (www.pgiminvestments.com).
Portfolio holdings for each Fund
are filed with the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the first and third fiscal quarters. Filings on Form N-Q may be accessed at www.sec.gov.
Public Disclosures—Fund
Holdings and Characteristics. Each Fund may post on the PGIM Investments mutual funds website a detailed list of its portfolio holdings and characteristics derived from the portfolio holdings as of the end of each
calendar month approximately 15 days after the end of the month, unless noted otherwise herein.
Any portfolio holdings and
characteristics information that is posted to the Fund’s website and third-party databases but not contained in regulatory filings may be distributed at or after posting to financial advisors, investment
consultants, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, plan sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases.
Public Disclosures—Other Time
Periods. Where a Fund has recently commenced operations or adopted significant changes to its investment policies (a “repositioning”), it may make available in the manner described above
the same portfolio holdings and characteristics information, but as of other relevant period-ends besides month-end, with such information made available and posted to the website approximately 15 days after the
commencement of the Fund’s operations or the date of the repositioning (“Effective Date”), and any portfolio holdings or characteristics information may be distributed after posting to financial
advisors, investment consultants, broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, plan sponsors, shareholders, plan participants, and third-party databases. The Fund may release this information until the first
quarter-end or the first month-end following the Effective Date, as applicable.
Other than as set forth above, the
release of holdings and characteristics information will normally occur 15 days after the end of the month: the release of holdings and characteristics information other than 15 days after the end of the month will be
determined based on procedures approved by the Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, when authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer and another officer of the PGIM Investments mutual funds, portfolio holdings
information may be publicly disseminated more frequently or at different periods than as described above.
Ongoing Nonpublic Disclosure
Arrangements. Each Fund has entered into ongoing arrangements to make available nonpublic information about its portfolio holdings, subject to the conditions, restrictions and requirements set forth
below. Parties receiving this information may include intermediaries that distribute Fund shares, third-party providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other services for the Funds, rating and ranking
organizations, and certain affiliated persons of each Fund, as described below. The procedures utilized to determine eligibility are set forth below:
All requests from third parties for
portfolio holdings shall require the following steps:
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A
request for release of portfolio holdings shall be prepared setting forth a legitimate business purpose for such release which shall specify the Fund(s), the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of
detail, staleness). Such request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Fund and the investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such
conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Fund(s).
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The request shall be forwarded to PGIM Investments’ Product Development Group and to the Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate for review and approval.
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A
confidentiality agreement in the form approved by a Fund officer must be executed by the recipient of the portfolio holdings.
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A
Fund officer shall approve the release and the agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PGIM Investments’ Law Department.
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Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group to arrange the release of portfolio holdings.
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PGIM Investments’ Fund Administration Group shall arrange the release by the Custodian Bank.
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Requests for disclosure to PGIM
Investments or its employees shall follow the procedures noted above other than the execution of a confidentiality agreement.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 66
Set forth below are the authorized
ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI:
1. Traditional External
Recipients/Vendors
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Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), Broadridge and Glass, Lewis & Co. (proxy voting administrator/agents) at the end of each day;
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Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims administrator) at the end of each day;
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Full holdings on a daily basis to a Fund's Subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian (if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed) at the
end of each day. When a Fund has more than one Subadviser, each Subadviser receives holdings information only with respect to the “sleeve” or segment of the Fund for which the Subadviser has responsibility;
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Full holdings to a Fund's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as practicable following the Fund's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis; and
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Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a Fund's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period-ends.
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2. Analytical Service Providers
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Fund trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following a Fund's fiscal quarter-end;
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Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet Research Systems, Inc. (investment research provider) at the end of each day;
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Full holdings on a daily basis to FT Interactive Data (a fair value information service) at the end of each day;
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Full holdings on a quarterly basis to Frank Russell Company (investment research provider) when made available ;
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Full holdings on a monthly basis to Fidelity Advisors (wrap program provider) approximately five days after the end of each month (Prudential Jennison Growth Fund and certain other selected PGIM Investments Funds
only);
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Full holdings on a daily basis to IDC, Markit and Thompson Reuters (securities valuation);
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Full holdings on a daily basis to Standard & Poor’s Corporation (securities valuation);
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Full holdings on a monthly basis to FX Transparency (foreign exchange/transaction analysis) when made available.
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In each case, the information
disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information (except for legitimate
business purposes).
In addition, certain authorized
employees of PGIM Investments receive portfolio holdings information on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PGIM Investments employees are subject to
the requirements of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential, which prohibits employees from trading on or further disseminating confidential information, including portfolio holdings information.
Also, affiliated shareholders may,
subject to execution of a non-disclosure agreement, receive current portfolio holdings for the sole purpose of enabling a Fund to effect the payment of the redemption price to such shareholder in whole or in part by a
distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the SEC and procedures adopted by the Board. For more information regarding the payment of
the redemption price by a distribution in kind of securities from the investment portfolio of the Fund, see “Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Fund Shares—Redemption in Kind” in the SAI.
PGIM Investments’ Law
Department and the Chief Compliance Officer shall review the arrangements with each recipient on an annual basis. The Board shall, on a quarterly basis be advised of any revisions to the list of recipients of
portfolio holdings and the reason for such disclosure. These policies and procedures will be reviewed for adequacy and effectiveness in connection with the Funds’ compliance program under Rule 38a-1 under the
1940 Act.
A listing of the parties who will
receive portfolio holdings pursuant to these procedures is maintained by PGIM Investments Compliance.
There can be no assurance that the
policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information will protect a Fund from the potential misuse of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of the information.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated to the
Manager the responsibility for voting any proxies and maintaining proxy recordkeeping with respect to the Fund. The Manager is authorized by the Fund to delegate, in whole or in part, its proxy voting authority to the
investment subadviser(s) or third party vendors consistent with the policies set forth below. The proxy voting process shall remain subject to the supervision of the Board, including any committee thereof established
for that purpose.
The Manager and the Board view the
proxy voting process as a component of the investment process and, as such, seek to ensure that all proxy proposals are voted with the primary goal of seeking the optimal benefit for the Fund. Consistent with this
goal, the Board views the proxy voting process as a means to encourage strong corporate governance practices and ethical conduct by corporate management. The Manager and the Board maintain a policy of seeking to
protect the best interests of the Fund should a proxy issue potentially implicate a conflict of interest between the Fund and the Manager or its affiliates.
The Manager delegates to the Fund's
Subadviser(s) the responsibility for voting proxies. The Subadviser is expected to identify and seek to obtain the optimal benefit for the Fund, and to adopt written policies that meet certain minimum standards,
including that the policies be reasonably designed to protect the best interests of the Fund and delineate procedures to be followed when a proxy vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund and the
interests of the Subadviser or its affiliates. The Manager and the Board expect that the Subadviser will notify the Manager and Board at least annually of any such conflicts identified and confirm how the issue was
resolved. In addition, the Manager expects that the Subadviser will deliver to the Manager, or its appointed vendor, information required for filing the Form N-PX with the SEC. Information regarding how the Fund voted
proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge on the Fund's website at www.pgiminvestments.com and on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov.
A summary of the proxy voting
policies of the Subadviser(s) is set forth in its respective Appendix to this SAI.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board has adopted a Code of
Ethics. In addition, the Manager, investment subadviser(s) and Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics. The Codes of Ethics apply to access persons (generally, persons who have access to information about the
Fund's investment program) and permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. However, the protective provisions of the Codes
of Ethics prohibit certain investments and limit such personnel from making investments during periods when the Fund is making such investments. The Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the
SEC.
APPENDIX I: PROXY VOTING
POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISER
PGIM, INC.
The policy of each of PGIM’s
asset management units is to vote proxies in the best interests of their respective clients based on the clients’ priorities. Client interests are placed ahead of any potential interest of PGIM or its asset
management units.
Because the various asset
management units manage distinct classes of assets with differing management styles, some units will consider each proxy on its individual merits while other units may adopt a pre‐determined set of voting
guidelines. The specific voting approach of each unit is noted below.
Relevant members of management and
regulatory personnel oversee the proxy voting process and monitor potential conflicts of interest. In addition, should the need arise, senior members of management, as advised by Compliance and Law, are authorized to
address any proxy matter involving an actual or apparent conflict of interest that cannot be resolved at the level of an individual asset management business unit.
VOTING APPROACH OF PGIM ASSET
MANAGEMENT UNITS
PGIM Fixed Income. PGIM Fixed Income is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Fixed Income’s policy is to vote proxies in the best economic interest of its clients. In the case of pooled accounts, the policy is
to vote proxies in the best economic interest of the pooled account. The proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines
reflect PGIM Fixed Income’s judgment of how to further the best economic interest of its clients through the shareholder or debt-holder voting process.
PGIM Fixed Income invests primarily
in debt securities, thus there are few traditional proxies voted by it. PGIM Fixed Income generally votes with management on routine matters such as the appointment of accountants or the election of directors. From
time to time, ballot issues arise that are not addressed by the policy or circumstances may suggest a vote not in accordance with the established guidelines. In these cases, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case
basis by the applicable portfolio manager taking into consideration the potential economic impact of the proposal. If a security is held in multiple accounts and two or more portfolio managers are not in agreement
with respect to a particular vote, PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting committee will determine the vote. Not all ballots are received by PGIM Fixed Income in advance of voting deadlines, but when ballots are
received in a timely fashion, PGIM Fixed Income strives to meet its voting obligations. It cannot, however, guarantee that every proxy will be voted prior to its deadline.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 68
With respect to non-US holdings,
PGIM Fixed Income takes into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair its ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse economic consequences. PGIM Fixed Income
generally votes non-US securities on a best efforts basis if it determines that voting is in the best economic interest of its clients.
Occasionally, a conflict of
interest may arise in connection with proxy voting. For example, the issuer of the securities being voted may also be a client of PGIM Fixed Income. When PGIM Fixed Income identifies an actual or potential conflict of
interest between the firm and its clients with respect to proxy voting, the matter is presented to senior management who will resolve such issue in consultation with the compliance and legal departments.
Any client may obtain a copy of
PGIM Fixed Income’s proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures, as well as the proxy voting records for that client’s securities, by contacting the client service representative responsible for the
client’s account.
PGIM Real Estate. PGIM Real Estate is a business unit of PGIM. PGIM Real Estate's proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders.
These guidelines reflect PGIM Real Estate's judgment of how to further the best long-range economic interest of our clients (i.e. the mutual interest of clients in seeing the appreciation in value of a common
investment over time) through the shareholder voting process. PGIM Real Estate’s policy is generally to vote proxies on social or political issues on a case by case basis. Additionally, where issues are not
addressed by our policy, or when circumstances suggest a vote not in accordance with our established guidelines, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the potential economic
impact of the proposal. With respect to international holdings, we take into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair our ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse
economic consequences, and generally vote foreign securities on a best efforts basis in accordance with the recommendations of the issuer's management if we determine that voting is in the best economic interest of
our clients.
PGIM Real Estate utilizes the
services of a third party proxy voting facilitator, and upon receipt of proxies will direct the voting facilitator to vote in a manner consistent with PGIM Real Estate's established proxy voting guidelines described
above (assuming timely receipt of proxy materials from issuers and custodians). In accordance with its obligations under the Advisers Act, PGIM Real Estate provides full disclosure of its proxy voting policy,
guidelines and procedures to its clients upon their request, and will also provide to any client, upon request, the proxy voting records for that client's securities.
APPENDIX II: DESCRIPTIONS OF
SECURITY RATINGS
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.
(MOODY'S)
Debt Ratings
Aaa: Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest
payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower
than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the
long-term risks appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.
A: Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are
considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.
Baa: Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate
for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative
characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very
moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B: Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any
long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment
standing.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers
1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating category from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer is in the higher end of its letter rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; the modifier 3
indicates that the issuer is in the lower end of the letter ranking category.
Short-Term Ratings
Moody's short-term debt ratings are
opinions of the ability of issuers to honor senior financial obligations and contracts. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.
PRIME-1: Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of
the following characteristics:
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Leading market positions in well-established industries.
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High rates of return on funds employed.
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Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.
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Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.
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Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
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PRIME-2: Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This normally will be evidenced by many of the characteristics
cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external
conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 70
MIG 1: This designation denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for
refinancing.
MIG 2: This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS
SERVICES (S&P)
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the
obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the
obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment
on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
Plus (+) or Minus (–): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Commercial Paper Ratings
A-1: This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus
sign (+) designation.
A-2: Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.
Notes Ratings
An S&P notes rating reflects the
liquidity factors and market risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a notes rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The
following criteria will be used in making that assessment.
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Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note.
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Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
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Note rating symbols are as
follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
FITCH RATINGS LTD.
International Long-Term Credit
Ratings
AAA: Highest Credit Quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not
significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be
more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but
adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.
BB: Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial
alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B: Highly Speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for
continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC, CC, C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating
indicates that default of some kind appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.
International Short-Term Credit
Ratings
F1: Highest Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit
feature.
F2: Good Credit Quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
F3: Fair Credit Quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
B: Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic investment.
Plus (+) or Minus (–): Plus or minus signs may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA long-term rating category, to categories
below CCC, or to short-term ratings other than F1.
Prudential Government Income
Fund 72