UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act File Number: 811-03894
| T. Rowe Price Short-Term Bond Fund, Inc. |
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| (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) |
| 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 |
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| (Address of principal executive offices) |
| David Oestreicher |
| 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 |
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| (Name and address of agent for service) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (410) 345-2000
Date of fiscal year end: May 31
Date of reporting period: November 30, 2018
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Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund |
November 30, 2018 |
Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by SEC regulations, paper copies of the T. Rowe Price funds’ annual and semiannual shareholder reports will no longer be mailed, unless you specifically request them. Instead, shareholder reports will be made available on the funds’ website (troweprice.com/prospectus), and you will be notified by mail with a website link to access the reports each time a report is posted to the site.
If you already elected to receive reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and need not take any action. At any time, shareholders who invest directly in T. Rowe Price funds may generally elect to receive reports or other communications electronically by enrolling at troweprice.com/paperless or, if you are a retirement plan sponsor or invest in the funds through a financial intermediary (such as an investment advisor, broker-dealer, insurance company, or bank), by contacting your representative or your financial intermediary.
You may elect to continue receiving paper copies of future shareholder reports free of charge. To do so, if you invest directly with T. Rowe Price, please call T. Rowe Price as follows: IRA, nonretirement account holders, and institutional investors, 1-800-225-5132; small business retirement accounts, 1-800-492-7670. If you are a retirement plan sponsor or invest in the T. Rowe Price funds through a financial intermediary, please contact your representative or financial intermediary or follow additional instructions if included with this document. Your election to receive paper copies of reports will apply to all funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you invest directly in the T. Rowe Price funds, with T. Rowe Price. Your election can be changed at any time in the future.
| T. ROWE PRICE ULTRA SHORT-TERM BOND FUND |
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HIGHLIGHTS
| ■ | The Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays Short-Term Government/Corporate Index, and its Lipper peer group average over the reporting period. |
| ■ | Sector allocation accounted for the majority of the fund’s outperformance with our overweight to corporate bonds, most of which are floating rate securities, boosting results. |
| ■ | The fund is positioned to benefit from a further rise in short-term interest rates. The fund has significant holdings in floating rate notes. |
| ■ | Moving forward, we plan to invest more defensively, limiting our exposure to credit risk, placing a premium on liquidity, and using short-dated investments for downside protection. |
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CIO Market Commentary
Dear Shareholder
Financial markets were challenging for both bond and stock investors in the six months ended November 30, 2018, the first half of your fund’s fiscal year. Longer-term Treasury yields rose through most of the period, providing a general headwind to fixed income returns. The prospect of higher interest rates also weighed on stock prices, and investors faced additional tests from deepening U.S.-China trade tensions, a strengthening U.S. dollar, and signs of slowing global growth.
The weak performance of most asset classes over the past six months stood in stark contrast to solid fundamentals, particularly in the U.S. Thanks in part to recent fiscal stimulus, U.S. gross domestic product expanded at an annualized rate of 4.2% in the second quarter of the year and 3.5% in the third—the best back-to-back performance in four years. Profit growth in the two quarters was even more impressive, with earnings for the S&P 500 as a whole rising at the fastest pace since the recovery from the financial crisis nearly a decade ago.
As usual, the robust economy presented a mixed blessing for bond investors. The strong economic data—including signs that wage gains were finally taking root—fostered a rise in longer-term interest rates and weighed on bond prices. (Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.) The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note jumped from 2.83% at the end of May to 3.25% in intraday trading on October 5—its highest level since the summer of 2011.
On the positive side, healthy economic conditions also helped solidify borrowers’ balance sheets, bolstering corporate bonds and other credit-sensitive issues. Riskier bonds also typically sport higher coupons, which helped insulate total returns from a decline in bond prices. Indeed, asset-backed securities and better-rated (B and Ba) high yield corporate bonds were among the few fixed income sectors to record gains during the period. Leveraged loans, which feature floating interest rates, were also positive.
Solid economic data paired with tame overall inflation allowed the Federal Reserve to stick to its path of gradually raising short-term interest rates, boosting returns for those seeking current income. The Fed raised the federal funds rate again in June and September and, as of this writing, appears likely to do so again in December. The Fed’s rate increases and the strong U.S. economy attracted assets from overseas, where interest rates in most developed economies generally remained near zero. As a result, most currencies fell against the dollar, weighing on returns for U.S. investors in foreign markets.
The jump in interest rates eventually spilled over into U.S. equity markets, helping push the S&P 500 Index back into its second correction (down over 10% from its highs) for the year in the month of October. Rising trade tensions with China and slowing growth in Europe and Asia also contributed to the turn in sentiment.
In fact, worries about the U.S. economy overheating and sparking inflation dissipated in November, as investors grew more concerned that global growth would slow significantly in 2019. Some late disappointing economic data, along with investors shifting assets from stocks to bonds, caused longer-term bond yields to fall back sharply. In just a few weeks, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note retraced more than half of its advance since May and ended November just above 3%.
While a slowdown in the U.S. economy and corporate profit growth seems all but inevitable in 2019, it seems premature to conclude that the current expansion is coming to an end. Late-cycle markets such as this one tend to create challenges but also dislocations that savvy investors can exploit. You can be confident that your fund’s manager is drawing on the firm’s in-depth research and fundamental analysis in seeking to find opportunities in the coming year.
Thank you for your continued confidence in T. Rowe Price.
Sincerely,
Robert Sharps
Group Chief Investment Officer
Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The fund seeks a high level of income consistent with minimal fluctuations in principal value and liquidity.
FUND COMMENTARY
How did the fund perform in the past six months?
The fund returned 1.11% in the six months ended November 30, 2018. The fund outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays Short-Term Government/Corporate Index, and its Lipper peer group average. (Returns for I Class shares varied slightly, reflecting their different fee structure. Past performance cannot guarantee future results.)
What factors influenced the fund’s performance?
The Federal Reserve remained active during the reporting period and raised its target range for the federal funds rate to 2.00%–2.25%. Other short-term interest rates also increased as the Fed raised the target. The yield on six-month Treasury bills rose to 2.52% from 2.08% while the two-year Treasury note yield increased to 2.80% from 2.40%. Credit-related interest rates gained as well—the three-month London interbank offered rate (Libor) ended the period at 2.74% after hitting its highest level since November 2008. More broadly, the spread on the fund’s benchmark widened to 62 basis points. (Credit spreads measure the additional yield that investors demand to hold a bond with credit risk relative to a comparable-maturity, high-quality government bond.)
Sector allocation, namely our overweight to corporate bonds—accounted for the majority of the fund’s outperformance versus the benchmark. Many of these bonds are floating rate securities whose coupon rates change in line with the three-month Libor rate. As rates moved higher, these holdings benefited from rising yields and were less affected by the price erosion experienced by bonds with fixed coupons.
Complementing the fund’s corporate exposure, out-of-benchmark securitized bonds, backed by mortgages, receivables, and loans, provided good income levels and quality diversification. Short-dated commercial paper, particularly in energy-related names, such as Energy Transfer Partners, provided attractive yield opportunities as the fund increasingly built its cash position. (Please refer to the portfolio of investments for a complete list of holdings and the amount each represents in the portfolio.)
Our yield curve positioning detracted from relative results. We remained underweight to the two-year part of the curve on expectations of Fed tightening and higher rates. This part of the yield curve proved to be volatile, as the crosscurrents of Fed tightening coupled with an increasingly “risk off” sentiment pushed yields around. However, for the overall six-month period, in maintaining that underweight position, we missed the incremental yield that we could have gained when two-year yields rose.
Security selection also hurt relative returns amid losses in some BBB rated corporate debt, such as Cenovius Energy, GE Capital International Funding, Ford Motor Credit, and Deutsche Bank. Credit spreads were broadly wider, though the market selectively focused on names in sectors like energy, autos, and European banks. GE was a unique case where markets worried about the liquidity of the issuer; our comprehensive analysis suggests otherwise, and we used the opportunity to add to this position.
How is the fund positioned?
The fund is positioned to benefit from a further rise in short-term interest rates. The fund has significant holdings in floating rate notes whose yields move quarterly in lockstep with changes in the Libor. Further, with a portfolio duration of around 0.5 years, the impact of higher rates on the fund’s net asset value should be muted. In line with our expectations that the economic and business cycles, while slowing, will extend through 2019, we maintain our exposure to corporate debt at more than 60% of the fund’s holdings. Near-term market volatility may provide mispricings and the opportunity to add incremental yield on relatively short maturities of credits we like. Still, we recognize that financial conditions are increasingly tightening and that a shift in portfolio focus to a more defensive stance may be likely in the coming year.
While we are primarily a cash bond manager, we occasionally employ the limited use of derivatives in our strategy for hedging purposes. Derivatives may include futures and options, as well as credit default and interest rate swaps.
What is portfolio management’s outlook?
The Fed has said it believes the “neutral” federal funds rate is between about 2.50% and about 3.50%. Still, such a determination is uncertain at best. As we expected, the Fed raised its target range by 25 basis points in December (to the 2.25%–2.50% range), but the Fed may become less systematic about increases in 2019. A strong employment backdrop, benign inflation readings, and a slowing of U.S. economic growth to around 2.50% suggest that this economic cycle is far from over. However, peaking profit margins, higher interest rates, trade wars, and a slowing global economy could result in continued market volatility.
Overall the end of quantitative easing in both the U.S. and Europe and the unwinding of the Fed’s balance sheet in the U.S. suggest that a regime shift in the overall level of interest rates is necessary in the coming years. So, while the fund has benefited over the past five years from a relatively long duration and a long credit posture, moving forward, we plan to invest more defensively, limiting our exposure to credit risk, placing a premium on liquidity, and using short-dated investments for downside protection.
The views expressed reflect the opinions of T. Rowe Price as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic, or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.
RISKS OF BOND INVESTING
Bonds are subject to interest rate risk, the decline in bond prices that usually accompanies a rise in interest rates, and credit risk, the chance that any fund holding could have its credit rating downgraded or that a bond issuer will default (fail to make timely payments of interest or principal), potentially reducing the fund’s income level and share price. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, particularly if falling rates lead to heavy refinancing activity, and extension risk, which is an increase in interest rates that causes a fund’s average maturity to lengthen unexpectedly due to a drop in mortgage prepayments. This could increase the fund’s sensitivity to rising interest rates and its potential for price declines.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN FLOATING RATE LOANS
Floating rate loans are subject to credit risk, the chance that any fund holding could have its credit rating downgraded or that an issuer will default (fail to make timely payments of interest or principal), and liquidity risk, the chance that the fund may not be able to sell loans or securities at desired prices, potentially reducing the fund’s income level and share price. Like bond funds, this fund is exposed to interest rate risk, but credit and liquidity risks may often be more important. The loans in which the fund invests are often referred to as “leveraged loans” because the borrowing companies have significantly more debt than equity. In many cases, leveraged loans are issued in connection with recapitalizations, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and refinancings. Companies issuing leveraged loans typically have a below investment-grade credit rating or may not be rated by a major credit rating agency. Funds that invest in leveraged loans could have greater price declines than funds that invest primarily in high-quality bonds, so the securities are usually considered speculative investments.
BENCHMARK INFORMATION
Note: Bloomberg Index Services Ltd. Copyright © 2018, Bloomberg Index Services Ltd. Used with permission.
GROWTH OF $10,000
This chart shows the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records). The result is compared with benchmarks, which include a broad-based market index and may also include a peer group average or index. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns as well as mutual fund averages and indexes.
AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPOUND TOTAL RETURN
EXPENSE RATIO
FUND EXPENSE EXAMPLE
As a mutual fund shareholder, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other fund expenses. The following example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the entire period.
Please note that the fund has two share classes: The original share class (Investor Class) charges no distribution and service (12b-1) fee, and the I Class shares are also available to institutionally oriented clients and impose no 12b-1 or administrative fee payment. Each share class is presented separately in the table.
Actual Expenses
The first line of the following table (Actual) provides information about actual account values and expenses based on the fund’s actual returns. You may use the information on this line, together with your account balance, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number on the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The information on the second line of the table (Hypothetical) is based on hypothetical account values and expenses derived from the fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed 5% per year rate of return before expenses (not the fund’s actual return). You may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund with other funds by contrasting this 5% hypothetical example and the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.
Note: T. Rowe Price charges an annual account service fee of $20, generally for accounts with less than $10,000. The fee is waived for any investor whose T. Rowe Price mutual fund accounts total $50,000 or more; accounts electing to receive electronic delivery of account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and shareholder reports; or accounts of an investor who is a T. Rowe Price Personal Services or Enhanced Personal Services client (enrollment in these programs generally requires T. Rowe Price assets of at least $250,000). This fee is not included in the accompanying table. If you are subject to the fee, keep it in mind when you are estimating the ongoing expenses of investing in the fund and when comparing the expenses of this fund with other funds.
You should also be aware that the expenses shown in the table highlight only your ongoing costs and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. To the extent a fund charges transaction costs, however, the total cost of owning that fund is higher.
QUARTER-END RETURNS
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Unaudited
| NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
T. Rowe Price Short-Term Bond Fund, Inc. (the corporation) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). The Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund (the fund) is a diversified, open-end management investment company established by the corporation. The fund seeks a high level of income consistent with minimal fluctuation in principal value and liquidity. The fund has two classes of shares: the Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund (Investor Class) and the Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund - I Class (I Class). I Class shares generally are available only to investors meeting a $1,000,000 minimum investment, although the minimum is generally waived for certain client accounts. Each class has exclusive voting rights on matters related solely to that class; separate voting rights on matters that relate to both classes; and, in all other respects, the same rights and obligations as the other class.
NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Preparation The fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 (ASC 946). The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), including, but not limited to, ASC 946. GAAP requires the use of estimates made by management. Management believes that estimates and valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the valuations reflected in the accompanying financial statements may differ from the value ultimately realized upon sale or maturity. Certain ratios in the accompanying Financial Highlights have been included to conform to the current year presentation.
Investment Transactions, Investment Income, and Distributions Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date basis. Income and expenses are recorded on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses are reported on the identified cost basis. Premiums and discounts on debt securities are amortized for financial reporting purposes. Paydown gains and losses are recorded as an adjustment to interest income. Inflation adjustments to the principal amount of inflation-indexed bonds are reflected as interest income. Dividends received from mutual fund investments are reflected as dividend income; capital gain distributions are reflected as realized gain/loss. Dividend income and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income tax-related interest and penalties, if incurred, are recorded as income tax expense. Income distributions are declared by each class daily and paid monthly. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. A capital gain distribution may also be declared and paid by the fund annually.
Class Accounting Shareholder servicing, prospectus, and shareholder report expenses incurred by each class are charged directly to the class to which they relate. Expenses common to both classes, investment income, and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated to the classes based upon the relative daily net assets of each class. To the extent any expenses are waived or reimbursed in accordance with an expense limitation (see Note 6), the waiver or reimbursement is charged to the applicable class or allocated across the classes in the same manner as the related expense.
New Accounting Guidance In March 2017, the FASB issued amended guidance to shorten the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium. The guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Adoption will have no effect on the fund’s net assets or results of operations.
Indemnification In the normal course of business, the fund may provide indemnification in connection with its officers and directors, service providers, and/or private company investments. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown; however, the risk of material loss is currently considered to be remote.
NOTE 2 - VALUATION
The fund’s financial instruments are valued and each class’s net asset value (NAV) per share is computed at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally 4 p.m. ET, each day the NYSE is open for business. However, the NAV per share may be calculated at a time other than the normal close of the NYSE if trading on the NYSE is restricted, if the NYSE closes earlier, or as may be permitted by the SEC.
Fair Value The fund’s financial instruments are reported at fair value, which GAAP defines as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The T. Rowe Price Valuation Committee (the Valuation Committee) is an internal committee that has been delegated certain responsibilities by the fund’s Board of Directors (the Board) to ensure that financial instruments are appropriately priced at fair value in accordance with GAAP and the 1940 Act. Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee develops and oversees pricing-related policies and procedures and approves all fair value determinations. Specifically, the Valuation Committee establishes procedures to value securities; determines pricing techniques, sources, and persons eligible to effect fair value pricing actions; oversees the selection, services, and performance of pricing vendors; oversees valuation-related business continuity practices; and provides guidance on internal controls and valuation-related matters. The Valuation Committee reports to the Board and has representation from legal, portfolio management and trading, operations, risk management, and the fund’s treasurer.
Various valuation techniques and inputs are used to determine the fair value of financial instruments. GAAP establishes the following fair value hierarchy that categorizes the inputs used to measure fair value:
Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical financial instruments that the fund can access at the reporting date
Level 2 – inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices that are observable, either directly or indirectly (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar financial instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar financial instruments in inactive markets, interest rates and yield curves, implied volatilities, and credit spreads)
Level 3 – unobservable inputs
Observable inputs are developed using market data, such as publicly available information about actual events or transactions, and reflect the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. Unobservable inputs are those for which market data are not available and are developed using the best information available about the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. GAAP requires valuation techniques to maximize the use of relevant observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. When multiple inputs are used to derive fair value, the financial instrument is assigned to the level within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest-level input that is significant to the fair value of the financial instrument. Input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level but rather the degree of judgment used in determining those values.
Valuation Techniques Debt securities generally are traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market and are valued at prices furnished by dealers who make markets in such securities or by an independent pricing service, which considers the yield or price of bonds of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, and type, as well as prices quoted by dealers who make markets in such securities. Generally, debt securities are categorized in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; however, to the extent the valuations include significant unobservable inputs, the securities would be categorized in Level 3.
Investments in mutual funds are valued at the mutual fund’s closing NAV per share on the day of valuation and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Financial futures contracts are valued at closing settlement prices and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Assets and liabilities other than financial instruments, including short-term receivables and payables, are carried at cost, or estimated realizable value, if less, which approximates fair value.
Thinly traded financial instruments and those for which the above valuation procedures are inappropriate or are deemed not to reflect fair value are stated at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee. The objective of any fair value pricing determination is to arrive at a price that could reasonably be expected from a current sale. Financial instruments fair valued by the Valuation Committee are primarily private placements, restricted securities, warrants, rights, and other securities that are not publicly traded.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee regularly makes good faith judgments to establish and adjust the fair valuations of certain securities as events occur and circumstances warrant. For instance, in determining the fair value of troubled or thinly traded debt instruments, the Valuation Committee considers a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, the issuer’s business prospects, its financial standing and performance, recent investment transactions in the issuer, strategic events affecting the company, market liquidity for the issuer, and general economic conditions and events. In consultation with the investment and pricing teams, the Valuation Committee will determine an appropriate valuation technique based on available information, which may include both observable and unobservable inputs. The Valuation Committee typically will afford greatest weight to actual prices in arm’s length transactions, to the extent they represent orderly transactions between market participants, transaction information can be reliably obtained, and prices are deemed representative of fair value. However, the Valuation Committee may also consider other valuation methods such as a discount or premium from market value of a similar, freely traded security of the same issuer; discounted cash flows; yield to maturity; or some combination. Fair value determinations are reviewed on a regular basis and updated as information becomes available, including actual purchase and sale transactions of the issue. Because any fair value determination involves a significant amount of judgment, there is a degree of subjectivity inherent in such pricing decisions, and fair value prices determined by the Valuation Committee could differ from those of other market participants. Depending on the relative significance of unobservable inputs, including the valuation technique(s) used, fair valued securities may be categorized in Level 2 or 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
Valuation Inputs The following table summarizes the fund’s financial instruments, based on the inputs used to determine their fair values on November 30, 2018 (for further detail by category, please refer to the accompanying Portfolio of Investments):
There were no material transfers between Levels 1 and 2 during the six months ended November 30, 2018.
NOTE 3 - DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
During the six months ended November 30, 2018, the fund invested in derivative instruments. As defined by GAAP, a derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security price, foreign exchange rate, interest rate, index of prices or rates, or other variable; it requires little or no initial investment and permits or requires net settlement. The fund invests in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with its investment objectives, policies, and overall risk profile, as described in its prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The fund may use derivatives for a variety of purposes, such as seeking to hedge against declines in principal value, increase yield, invest in an asset with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, to enhance return, or to adjust portfolio duration and credit exposure. The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and potentially much greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the instruments on which the derivatives are based. The fund at all times maintains sufficient cash reserves, liquid assets, or other SEC-permitted asset types to cover its settlement obligations under open derivative contracts.
The fund values its derivatives at fair value and recognizes changes in fair value currently in its results of operations. Accordingly, the fund does not follow hedge accounting, even for derivatives employed as economic hedges. Generally, the fund accounts for its derivatives on a gross basis. It does not offset the fair value of derivative liabilities against the fair value of derivative assets on its financial statements, nor does it offset the fair value of derivative instruments against the right to reclaim or obligation to return collateral.
As of November 30, 2018, the fund held interest rate futures with cumulative unrealized gain of $184,000 and cumulative unrealized loss of $32,000; the value reflected on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities is the related unsettled variation margin.
Additionally, the amount of gains and losses on derivative instruments recognized in fund earnings during the six months ended November 30, 2018, and the related location on the accompanying Statement of Operations is summarized in the following table by primary underlying risk exposure:
Counterparty Risk and Collateral The fund invests in exchange-traded or centrally cleared derivative contracts, such as futures, exchange-traded options, and centrally cleared swaps. Counterparty risk on such derivatives is minimal because the clearinghouse provides protection against counterparty defaults. For futures and centrally cleared swaps, the fund is required to deposit collateral in an amount specified by the clearinghouse and the clearing firm (margin requirement), and the margin requirement must be maintained over the life of the contract. Each clearinghouse and clearing firm, in its sole discretion, may adjust the margin requirements applicable to the fund.
Collateral may be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. government or related agencies. Cash posted by the fund is reflected as cash deposits in the accompanying financial statements and generally is restricted from withdrawal by the fund; securities posted by the fund are so noted in the accompanying Portfolio of Investments; both remain in the fund’s assets. While typically not sold in the same manner as equity or fixed income securities, exchange-traded or centrally cleared derivatives may be closed out only on the exchange or clearinghouse where the contracts were traded. This ability is subject to the liquidity of underlying positions. As of November 30, 2018, securities valued at $255,000 had been posted by the fund for exchange-traded and/or centrally cleared derivatives.
Futures Contracts The fund is subject to interest rate risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses futures contracts to help manage such risk. The fund may enter into futures contracts to manage exposure to interest rate and yield curve movements, security prices, foreign currencies, credit quality, and mortgage prepayments; as an efficient means of adjusting exposure to all or part of a target market; to enhance income; as a cash management tool; or to adjust portfolio duration and credit exposure. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another of a specified amount of a specific underlying financial instrument at an agreed upon price, date, time, and place. The fund currently invests only in exchange-traded futures, which generally are standardized as to maturity date, underlying financial instrument, and other contract terms. Payments are made or received by the fund each day to settle daily fluctuations in the value of the contract (variation margin), which reflect changes in the value of the underlying financial instrument. Variation margin is recorded as unrealized gain or loss until the contract is closed. The value of a futures contract included in net assets is the amount of unsettled variation margin; net variation margin receivable is reflected as an asset and net variation margin payable is reflected as a liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks related to the use of futures contracts include possible illiquidity of the futures markets, contract prices that can be highly volatile and imperfectly correlated to movements in hedged security values, and potential losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, the volume of the fund’s activity in futures, based on underlying notional amounts, was generally between 6% and 58% of net assets.
Options The fund is subject to interest rate risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses options to help manage such risk. The fund may use options to manage exposure to security prices, interest rates, foreign currencies, and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting exposure to all or a part of a target market; to enhance income; as a cash management tool; or to adjust credit exposure. Options are included in net assets at fair value, options purchased are included in Investments in Securities, and Options written are separately reflected as a liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Premiums on unexercised, expired options are recorded as realized gains or losses; premiums on exercised options are recorded as an adjustment to the proceeds from the sale or cost of the purchase. The difference between the premium and the amount received or paid in a closing transaction is also treated as realized gain or loss. In return for a premium paid, call and put options on futures give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell, respectively, a position in a particular futures contract at a specified exercise price. Risks related to the use of options include possible illiquidity of the options markets; trading restrictions imposed by an exchange or counterparty; movements in the underlying asset values and, for Options written, potential losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, the volume of the fund’s activity in options, based on underlying notional amounts, was generally between 1% and 2% of net assets.
Swaps The fund is subject to credit risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses swap contracts to help manage such risk. The fund may use swaps in an effort to manage both long and short exposure to changes in interest rates, inflation rates, and credit quality; to adjust overall exposure to certain markets; to enhance total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; or to adjust portfolio duration and credit exposure. Swap agreements can be settled either directly with the counterparty (bilateral swap) or through a central clearinghouse (centrally cleared swap). Fluctuations in the fair value of a contract are reflected in unrealized gain or loss and are reclassified to realized gain or loss upon contract termination or cash settlement. Net periodic receipts or payments required by a contract increase or decrease, respectively, the value of the contract until the contractual payment date, at which time such amounts are reclassified from unrealized to realized gain or loss. For bilateral swaps, cash payments are made or received by the fund on a periodic basis in accordance with contract terms; unrealized gain on contracts and premiums paid are reflected as assets and unrealized loss on contracts and premiums received are reflected as liabilities on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. For bilateral swaps, premiums paid or received are amortized over the life of the swap and are recognized as realized gain or loss in the Statement of Operations. For centrally cleared swaps, payments are made or received by the fund each day to settle the daily fluctuation in the value of the contract (variation margin). Accordingly, the value of a centrally cleared swap included in net assets is the unsettled variation margin; net variation margin receivable is reflected as an asset and net variation margin payable is reflected as a liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Credit default swaps are agreements where one party (the protection buyer) agrees to make periodic payments to another party (the protection seller) in exchange for protection against specified credit events, such as certain defaults and bankruptcies related to an underlying credit instrument, or issuer or index of such instruments. Upon occurrence of a specified credit event, the protection seller is required to pay the buyer the difference between the notional amount of the swap and the value of the underlying credit, either in the form of a net cash settlement or by paying the gross notional amount and accepting delivery of the relevant underlying credit. For credit default swaps where the underlying credit is an index, a specified credit event may affect all or individual underlying securities included in the index and will be settled based upon the relative weighting of the affected underlying security(ies) within the index. Risks related to the use of credit default swaps include the possible inability of the fund to accurately assess the current and future creditworthiness of underlying issuers, the possible failure of a counterparty to perform in accordance with the terms of the swap agreements, potential government regulation that could adversely affect the fund’s swap investments, and potential losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment.
During the six months ended November 30, 2018, the volume of the fund’s activity in swaps, based on underlying notional amounts, was approximately 1% of net assets.
NOTE 4 - OTHER INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS
Consistent with its investment objective, the fund engages in the following practices to manage exposure to certain risks and/or to enhance performance. The investment objective, policies, program, and risk factors of the fund are described more fully in the fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
Restricted Securities The fund may invest in securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Prompt sale of such securities at an acceptable price may be difficult and may involve substantial delays and additional costs.
Collateralized Loan Obligations The fund may invest in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) which are entities backed by a diversified pool of syndicated bank loans. The cash flows of the CLO can be split into multiple segments, called “tranches” or “classes”, which will vary in risk profile and yield. The riskiest segments, which are the subordinate or “equity” tranches, bear the greatest risk of loss from defaults in the underlying assets of the CLO and serve to protect the other, more senior, tranches. Senior tranches will typically have higher credit ratings and lower yields than the securities underlying the CLO. Despite the protection from the more junior tranches, senior tranches can experience substantial losses.
Mortgage-Backed Securities The fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities (MBS or pass-through certificates) that represent an interest in a pool of specific underlying mortgage loans and entitle the fund to the periodic payments of principal and interest from those mortgages. MBS may be issued by government agencies or corporations, or private issuers. Most MBS issued by government agencies are guaranteed; however, the degree of protection differs based on the issuer. MBS are sensitive to changes in economic conditions that affect the rate of prepayments and defaults on the underlying mortgages; accordingly, the value, income, and related cash flows from MBS may be more volatile than other debt instruments.
Other Purchases and sales of portfolio securities other than short-term and U.S. government securities aggregated $393,542,000 and $103,069,000, respectively, for the six months ended November 30, 2018. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities aggregated $15,756,000 and $2,259,000, respectively, for the six months ended November 30, 2018.
NOTE 5 - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
No provision for federal income taxes is required since the fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and distribute to shareholders all of its taxable income and gains. Distributions determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations may differ in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences. The amount and character of tax-basis distributions and composition of net assets are finalized at fiscal year-end; accordingly, tax-basis balances have not been determined as of the date of this report.
At November 30, 2018, the cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $1,040,747,000. Net unrealized loss aggregated $3,002,000 at period-end, of which $753,000 related to appreciated investments and $3,755,000 related to depreciated investments.
NOTE 6 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The fund is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Price Associates), a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Price Group). The investment management agreement between the fund and Price Associates provides for an annual investment management fee, which is computed daily and paid monthly. The fee consists of an individual fund fee, equal to 0.01% of the fund’s average daily net assets, and a group fee. The group fee rate is calculated based on the combined net assets of certain mutual funds sponsored by Price Associates (the group) applied to a graduated fee schedule, with rates ranging from 0.48% for the first $1 billion of assets to 0.265% for assets in excess of $650 billion. The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. At November 30, 2018, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.29%.
The Investor Class is subject to a contractual expense limitation through the limitation date indicated in the table below. During the limitation period, Price Associates is required to waive its management fee or pay any expenses (excluding interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes, brokerage, and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement) that would otherwise cause the class’s ratio of annualized total expenses to average net assets (net expense ratio) to exceed its expense limitation. The class is required to repay Price Associates for expenses previously waived/paid to the extent the class’s net assets grow or expenses decline sufficiently to allow repayment without causing the class’s net expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed both: (1) the expense limitation in place at the time such amounts were waived; and (2) the class’s current expense limitation. However, no repayment will be made more than three years after the date of a payment or waiver.
The I Class is also subject to an operating expense limitation (I Class limit) pursuant to which Price Associates is contractually required to pay all operating expenses of the I Class, excluding management fees, interest, expenses related to borrowings, taxes, brokerage, and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement, to the extent such operating expenses, on an annualized basis, exceed the I Class limit. This agreement will continue through the limitation date indicated in the table below, and may be renewed, revised, or revoked only with approval of the fund’s Board. The I Class is required to repay Price Associates for expenses previously paid to the extent the class’s net assets grow or expenses decline sufficiently to allow repayment without causing the class’s operating expenses (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed both: (1) the I Class limit in place at the time such amounts were paid; and (2) the current I Class limit. However, no repayment will be made more than three years after the date of a payment or waiver.
Pursuant to these agreements, expenses were waived/paid by Price Associates during the six months ended November 30, 2018 as indicated in the table below. Including this amount, expenses previously waived/paid by Price Associates in the amount of $1,214,000 remain subject to repayment by the fund at November 30, 2018. To the extent any expenses are waived or reimbursed in accordance with an expense limitation, the waiver or reimbursement is charged to the applicable class or allocated across the classes in the same manner as the related expense. Any repayment of expenses previously waived/paid by Price Associates during the period, if any, would be included in the net investment income and expense ratios presented on the accompanying Financial Highlights.
In addition, the fund has entered into service agreements with Price Associates and two wholly owned subsidiaries of Price Associates, each an affiliate of the fund (collectively, Price). Price Associates provides certain accounting and administrative services to the fund. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. provides shareholder and administrative services in its capacity as the fund’s transfer and dividend-disbursing agent. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for certain retirement accounts invested in the Investor Class. For the six months ended November 30, 2018, expenses incurred pursuant to these service agreements were $34,000 for Price Associates; $78,000 for T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; and $2,000 for T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. All amounts due to and due from Price, exclusive of investment management fees payable, are presented net on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates or its affiliates (collectively, Price Funds and accounts) may invest in the fund. No Price fund or account may invest for the purpose of exercising management or control over the fund. At November 30, 2018, approximately 5% of the Investor’s Class outstanding shares were held by Price Funds and accounts.
The fund may invest its cash reserves in certain open-end management investment companies managed by Price Associates and considered affiliates of the fund: the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Fund or the T. Rowe Price Treasury Reserve Fund, organized as money market funds, or the T. Rowe Price Short-Term Fund, a short-term bond fund (collectively, the Price Reserve Funds). The Price Reserve Funds are offered as short-term investment options to mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates or its affiliates and are not available for direct purchase by members of the public. Cash collateral from securities lending is invested in the T. Rowe Price Short-Term Fund. The Price Reserve Funds pay no investment management fees.
As of November 30, 2018, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., or its wholly owned subsidiaries owned 39,890,782 shares of the Investor Class, representing 22% of the Investor Class’s net assets.
The fund may participate in securities purchase and sale transactions with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates (cross trades), in accordance with procedures adopted by the fund’s Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which require, among other things, that such purchase and sale cross trades be effected at the independent current market price of the security. During the six months ended November 30, 2018, the fund had no purchases or sales cross trades with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates.
INFORMATION ON PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND RECORDS
A description of the policies and procedures used by T. Rowe Price funds and portfolios to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information. You may request this document by calling 1-800-225-5132 or by accessing the SEC’s website, sec.gov.
The description of our proxy voting policies and procedures is also available on our corporate website. To access it, please visit the following Web page:
https://www3.troweprice.com/usis/corporate/en/utility/policies.html
Scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Policies.” Click on the Proxy Voting Policies link in the shaded box.
Each fund’s most recent annual proxy voting record is available on our website and through the SEC’s website. To access it through T. Rowe Price, visit the website location shown above, and scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Records.” Click on the Proxy Voting Records link in the shaded box.
HOW TO OBTAIN QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The fund’s Form N-Q is available electronically on the SEC’s website (sec.gov); hard copies may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F St. N.E., Washington, DC 20549. For more information on the Public Reference Room, call 1-800-SEC-0330.
Item 2. Code of Ethics.
A code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions is filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s annual Form N-CSR. No substantive amendments were approved or waivers were granted to this code of ethics during the registrant’s most recent fiscal half-year.
Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.
Disclosure required in registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.
Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Disclosure required in registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.
Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Investments.
(a) Not applicable. The complete schedule of investments is included in Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.
(b) Not applicable.
Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
Not applicable.
Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
Not applicable.
Item 11. Controls and Procedures.
(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of that date, in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported timely.
(b) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s second fiscal quarter covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 12. Exhibits.
(a)(1) The registrant’s code of ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is filed with the registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.
(2) Separate certifications by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached.
(3) Written solicitation to repurchase securities issued by closed-end companies: not applicable.
(b) A certification by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, is attached.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
T. Rowe Price Short-Term Bond Fund, Inc.
| By | /s/ David Oestreicher | |||||
| David Oestreicher | ||||||
| Principal Executive Officer | ||||||
| Date | January 18, 2019 | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| By | /s/ David Oestreicher | |||||
| David Oestreicher | ||||||
| Principal Executive Officer | ||||||
| Date | January 18, 2019 | |||||
| By | /s/ Catherine D. Mathews | |||||
| Catherine D. Mathews | ||||||
| Principal Financial Officer | ||||||
| Date | January 18, 2019 | |||||