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0000949820-05-000019.txt : 20051003
0000949820-05-000019.hdr.sgml : 20051003
20051003081431
ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000949820-05-000019
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 497
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 6
FILED AS OF DATE: 20051003
DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20051003
EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20051003
FILER:
COMPANY DATA:
COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: PRICE T ROWE NEW INCOME FUND INC
CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000080249
IRS NUMBER: 520980581
FISCAL YEAR END: 0531
FILING VALUES:
FORM TYPE: 497
SEC ACT: 1933 Act
SEC FILE NUMBER: 002-48848
FILM NUMBER: 051115687
BUSINESS ADDRESS:
STREET 1: 100 EAST PRATT ST
CITY: BALTIMORE
STATE: MD
ZIP: 21202
BUSINESS PHONE: 4105472000
497
1
nif497100305.htm
<R>October 1, 2005 revised to October 3, 2005
</R>Prospectus
T. Rowe Price
New Income Fund
A bond fund investing primarily in investment-grade bonds to achieve an attractive level of income.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Prospectus
®
1
|
| About the Fund
|
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| Objective, Strategy, Risks, and Expenses
| 1
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| Other Information About the Fund
| 6
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| Some Basics of Fixed-Income Investing
| 8
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2
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| Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds
|
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| Pricing Shares and
Receiving Sale Proceeds
| 10
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| Useful Information on Distributions and Taxes
| 16
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| Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
| 22
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| Account Maintenance and Small Account Fees
| 25
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3
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| More About the Fund
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| Organization and Management
| 26
|
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| Understanding Performance Information
| 28
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| Investment Policies and Practices
| 29
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| Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
| 39
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| Financial Highlights
| 40
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4
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| Investing With T. Rowe Price
|
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| Account Requirements and Transaction Information
| 42
|
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| Opening a New Account
| 43
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| Purchasing Additional Shares
| 45
|
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| Exchanging and Redeeming Shares
| 46
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| Rights Reserved by the Funds
| 48
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| Information About Your Services
| 49
|
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| T. Rowe Price Brokerage
| 51
|
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| Investment Information
| 52
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| T. Rowe Price Privacy Policy
| 54
|
T. Rowe Price New Income Fund, Inc.
Founded in 1937 by the late Thomas Rowe Price, Jr., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates managed $244.8 billion for more than nine million individual and institutional investor accounts as of June 30, 2005. T. Rowe Price is the fund`s investment manager.
Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depository institution. Shares are not
insured by the FDIC, Federal Reserve, or any other government agency, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
1
About the Fund
About the Fund 1
objective, strategy, risks, and expenses
What is the fund`s objective?
The fund seeks the highest level of income consistent with the preservation of capital over time by investing primarily in marketable debt securities.
What is the fund`s principal investment strategy?
In seeking income and capital preservation, the fund pursues a total return strategy. Active management of the portfolio can result in bonds being sold at gains or losses. However, over the long term, the fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in income-producing securities that possess what we believe are favorable total return (income plus changes in principal) characteristics.
The fund will invest at least 80% of the fund`s total assets in income-producing securities, which may include U.S. government and agency obligations, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, foreign securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and others, including, on occasion, equities.
<R>Eighty percent of the debt securities purchased by the fund will be rated investment grade (AAA, AA, A, BBB, or equivalent) by each of the major credit rating agencies (Standard & Poor`s, Moody`s, and Fitch IBCA, Inc.) that have assigned a rating to the security. If the security is unrated, it must be deemed to be of investment-grade quality by T. Rowe Price. Up to 15% of total assets may be invested in "split-rated securities," or those
rated investment grade by at least one rating agency but below investment grade by others. In addition, the fund may invest up to 5% of total assets in securities that have not received an investment grade rating by any major credit rating agency.
</R>Investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of s
ecurity, are measured at the time the fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of the fund`s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of the fund`s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maximum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If this occurs, it would not be considered a violation of the
investment restriction.
The fund has considerable flexibility in seeking high yields. There are no maturity restrictions, so we can purchase longer-term bonds, which tend to have higher yields than shorter-term issues. However, t
he portfolio`s weighted average
T. Rowe Price2
maturity is expected to be between four and 15 years. In addition, when there is a large yield difference between the various quality levels, we may move down the credit scale and purchase lower-rated bonds with higher yields. When the difference is small or the outlook warrants, we may concentrate investments in higher-rated issues.
The fund may also invest in other securities, including futures, options, and swaps, in keeping with its objective.
The fund may sell holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust the portfolio`s average maturity or quality or to shift assets into higher-yielding securities or different sectors.
For details about the fund`s investment program, please see the Investment Policies and Practices section.
What are the main risks of investing in the fund?
Interest rate risk This is the risk that an increase in interest rates will likely cause the fund`s share price to fall, resulting in a loss of principal (see Table 3). That`s because the bonds and notes in the fund`s portfolio become less attractive to other investors when securities with higher yields become available. Even GNMAs and other securities (whose principal and interest payments are guaranteed) can decline in price if rates rise. Generally speaking, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater its potential for price declines if rates rise and for price gains if rates fall. Because the fund may invest in bonds of any maturity, it carries more interest rate risk than short-term bond funds. If the fund purchases longer-maturity bonds and interest rates rise unexpectedly, the fund`s price could decline.
Credit risk This risk is the chance that any of the fund`s holdings will have the
ir credit ratings downgraded or will default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the fund`s income level and share price. Most investment-grade (AAA through BBB) securities have relatively low financial risk and a relatively high probability of future payment. However, securities rated BBB are more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and may have speculative characteristics. Securities rated below investment grade (junk or high-yield bonds) should be regarded as speculative because their issuers are more susceptible to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy companies. If the fund invests in securities whose issuers develop unexpected credit problems, the fund`s price could decline.
The fund may continue to hold a security that has been downgraded or loses its investment-grade rating after purchase.
3
Foreign investing risk To the extent the fund holds foreign bonds, it will be subject to special risks, whether the bonds are denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. These risks include potentially a
dverse political and economic developments overseas, greater volatility, lower liquidity, and the possibility that foreign currencies will decline against the dollar, lowering the value of securities denominated in those currencies and possibly the fund`s share price.Prepayment risk and extension risk A mortgage-backed bond, unlike most other bonds, can be hurt when interest rates fall because homeowners tend to refinance and prepay principal. Receiving increasing prepayments in a falling interest rate environment causes the average maturity of the portfolio to shorten, reducing its potential for price gains. It also requires the fund to reinvest proceeds at lower interest rates, which reduces the portfolio`s total return and yield, and may even cause certain bond prices to fall below the level the fund paid for them, resulting in a capital loss. Any of these developments could result in a decrease in the fund`s income, share price, or total return.Extension risk refers to a rise in interest rates that causes a fund`s average maturity to lengthen unexpectedly due to a drop in mortgage prepayments. This would increase the fund`s sensitivity to rising rates and its potential for price declines.
Derivatives risk To the extent the fund uses futures, swaps, and other derivatives, it is exposed to additional volatility and potential losses.As with any mutual fund, there can be no guarantee the fund wil
l achieve its objective.
The share price and income level of the fund will fluctuate with changing market conditions and interest rate levels. When you sell your shares, you may lose money.
How can I tell if the fund is appropriate for me?
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The fund may be appropriate for you if you seek an attractive level of income and are willing to accept the risk of a declining share price when interest rates rise. Steadily reinvesting the fund`s income is a conservative strategy for building capital over time. If you are investing primarily for safety and liquidity, you should consider a money market fund.
The fund can be used in both regular and tax-deferred accounts, such as IRAs.
The fund should not represent your complete investment program or be used for short-term trading purposes.
T. Rowe Price4
How has the fund performed in the past?
The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a co
mparable market index. Fund past returns (before and after taxes) are not necessarily an indication of future performance.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted.
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by the shareholder may influence returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor`s situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant if the shares are held in a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. During periods of fund losses, the post-liquidation after-tax return may exceed the fund`s other returns because the loss generat
es a tax benefit that is factored into the result.
The fund`s return for the six months ended 6/30/05 was 2.69%.
5
Table 1 Average Annual Total Returns
| Periods ended December 31, 2004
|
|
|
|
---|
| 1 year
| 5 years
| 10 years
|
|
---|
New Income Fund
|
|
|
|
|
Returns before taxes
| 4.60%
| 7.37%
| 6.93%
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions
| 3.21
| 5.40
| 4.56
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares
|
font>2.97
| 5.09
| 4.45
|
|
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index
| 4.34
| 7.71
| 7.72
|
|
Lipper Corporate Debt Funds A-Rated Average
| 4.09<
br> | 6.99
| 7.14
|
|
Returns are based on changes in principal value, reinvested dividends, and capital gain distributions, if any. Returns before taxes do not reflect effects of any income or capital gains taxes. Taxes are computed using the highest federal income tax rate. The after-tax returns reflect the rates applicable to ordinary and qualified dividends and capital gains effective in 2003. The returns do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Returns after taxes on distributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares assume the shares were sold at period-end and, therefore, are also adjusted for any capital gains or losses incurred by the shareholder. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns, or taxes.
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index tracks domestic investment-grade bonds, including corporate, government, and mortgage-backed securities.
What fees and expenses will I pay?
The fund is 100% no load. There are no fees or charges to buy or sell fund shares, reinvest dividends, or exchange into other T. Rowe Price funds. There are no 12b1 fees.
Table 2 Fees and Expenses of the Fund*
| Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that are deducted from fund assets)
|
---|
Management fee
| 0.46%
|
Other expenses
| 0.23%
|
Total annual fund operatin
g expenses
| 0.69%
|
*Redempti
on proceeds of less than $5,000 sent by wire are subject to a $5 fee paid to the fund. Accounts with less than a $2,000 balance (with certain exceptions) are subject to a $10 fee. See Account Maintenance and Small Account Fees.
Example. The following table gives you an idea of how expense ratios may translate into dollars and helps you to compare the cost of investing in this fund with that of other mutual funds. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the table shows how much you would pay if operating expenses remain the same, you invest $10,000, earn a 5% annual return, hold the investment for the following periods, and then redeem:
T. Rowe Price6
1 year
| 3 years
| 5 years
| 10 years
|
---|
$70
| $221
| $384
| $859
|
other INFORMATION about the fund
What are the fund`s potential rewards?
The fund can provide an attractive level of income. It should offer higher yields than money market and short-term bond funds and generally less volatility than longer-term bond funds. In addition, the portfolio is widely diversified among various fixed-income securities, thus reducing the effect of a single bond`s price fluctuations on the fund`s share price or total return.
How does the portfolio manager try to reduce risk?
Consistent with the fund`s objective, the portfolio manager uses various tools to try to reduce risk and increase total return, including:
Diversification of assets to reduce the impact of a single holding or sector on the fund`s net asset value.Thorough credit research by our own analysts.Adjustment of fund duration to try to reduce the drop in price when interest rates rise or to benefit from the rise in price when rates fall. Duration is a measure of a fund`s sensitivity to interest rate changes.Is the fund a substitute for a money market fund?
No. Money market funds, which have an average maturity under one year, ordinarily generate lower income in return for stability of net asset value. The fund`s total return is expected to fluctuate more than a money market fund`s and, as such, it should be viewed as a longer-term and riskier investment.
Do mortgage-backed securiti
es differ from other high-quality bonds?
Yes, in one major respect. Non-mortgage bonds generally repay principal (face value of the bond) when their maturity date is reached, but most mortgage-backed securities repay principal continually as homeowners make mortgage payments. Homeowners have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, perhaps to refinance or buy a new home. As a result, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is virtually always shorter than its stated maturity.
For example, a new GNMA certificate backed by 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages will generally have a far shorter life than 30 years probably 12 or less. Therefore, it will usually be about as volatile as a 10-year Treasury note. It is possible to esti
7
mate the average life of an entire mortgage pool backing a particular security with some accuracy, but not with certainty.
Why are yields on mortgage-backed securities higher than yields on Treasuries of similar maturity?
The structure of mortgage-backed securities is mu
ch more complex and their effective maturities are uncertain because of unscheduled prepayments. Higher yields compensate investors for these potentially negative features. See the previous discussion of prepayment risk and extension risk.
What are derivatives and can the
fund invest in them?
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security such as a stock or bond or from a market benchmark, such as an interest rate index. Many types of investments representing a wide range of risks and potential rewards are derivatives, including conventional instruments such as callable bonds, futures, and options, as well as more exotic investments such as swaps and structured notes. Investment managers have used derivatives for many years.
Derivatives wil
l be used only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with fund objectives, policies, and overall risk profile as described in this prospectus. The fund uses derivatives in situations in which they may help accomplish the following: hedge against decline in principal value, increase yield, invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or adjust portfolio duration.
We will not invest in any high-risk, highly leveraged derivative that we believe would cause the portfolio to be more volatile than a long-term, investment-grade bond.
Is there other information I can review before making a decision?
Investment Policies and Practices in S
ection 3 discusses various types of portfolio securities the fund may purchase as well as types of management practices the fund may use.
T. Rowe Price8
some basics of Fixed-Income investing
Is a fund`s yield fixed or will it vary?
It will vary. The yield is calculated every day by dividing a fund`s net income per share, expressed at annual rates, by the share price. Since both income and share price will f
luctuate, a fund`s yield will also vary. (Although money fund prices are stable, income is variable.)
Is yield the same as total return?
No. A fund`s yield is the annualized dividends earned for a given period (typically 30 days for bond funds), divided by the share price at the end of the period. A fund`s total return includes distributions from income and capital gains and the change in share price for a given period.
What is credit quality and how does it affect yield?
Credit quality refers to a bond issuer`s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments on time. Because highly rated issuers represent less risk, they can borrow at lower interest rates than less creditworthy issuers. Therefore, a fund investing in high-quality securities should have a lower yield than an otherwise comparable fund investing in lower-quality securities.
What is meant by a bond fund`s maturity?
Every bond has a stated maturity date when the issuer must repay the bond`s entire principal value to the investor. However, many bonds are "callable," meaning their principal can be repaid before the stated maturity date. Bonds are most lik
ely to be called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate, just as a homeowner refinances a mortgage. In that environment, a bond`s "effective maturity" is usually its nearest call date. For example, the rate at which homeowners pay down their mortgage principal determines the effective maturity of mortgage-backed bonds.
A bond fund has no real maturity, but it does have a weighted average maturity and a weighted average effective maturity. Each of these numbers is an average of the stated or effective maturities of the underlying bonds, with each bond`s maturity "weighted" by the percentage of fund assets it represents. (The fund`s average effective maturity is calculated by reference to the nearest call dates or coupon reset dates of the underlying holdings.) Some funds target effective maturities rather than stated maturities when computing the average. This provides additional flexibility in portfolio management.
9
What is meant by a bond fund`s duration?
Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or a bond fund to changes in interest rates. It is expressed in years, like maturity, but it is a better indicator of price sensitivity than maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated over the bond`s life. Future interest and principal payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then are multiplied by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in years the duration. "Effective" duration takes into account call features and sinking fund payments that may shorten a bond`s li
fe.
Since duration can be computed for bond funds, you can estimate the effect of interest rates on share prices by multiplying fund duration by an expected change in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond fund with a duration of five years would be expected to fall approximately 5% if rates rose by one percentage point. (T. Rowe Price shareholder reports show duration.)
How is a bond`s price affected by changes in interest rates?
When interest rates rise, a bond`s price usually falls, and vice versa. In general, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater the price increase or decrease in response to a given change in rates, as shown in Table 3.
Table 3 How Interest Rates May Affect Bond Prices
|
| Price of a $1,000 face value bond if interest rates:
|
|
|
|
|
---|
Bond maturity
| Coupon
| Increase
| Decrease
|
|
|
|
---|
|
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
|
|
---|
2 years
| 3.63%
| $981<
/font>
| $963
| $1,019
| $1,039
|
|
5 years
| 3.70
| 956
| 914
| 1,046
| 1,095
|
|
10 years
| 3.91
| 922
| 851
| 1,086
| 1,181
|
|
30 years
| 4.19
| 849
| 729
| 1,192
| 1,438
|
|
Coupons reflect yields on Treasury securities as of June 30, 2005. The table may not be representative of price changes for mortgage-backed securities because of prepayments. This is an illustration and does not represent expected yields or share price changes of any T. Rowe Price fund.
With one quick sign-up, you can take ad
vantage of our Electronic Delivery program and begin to receive updated fund reports and prospectuses online rather than through the mail. Log on to your account at troweprice.com for more information today.
2
Information About Accounts in
T. Rowe Price Funds
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds 2
As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to the T. Rowe Price family of stock, bond, and money market funds.
Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds
How and when shares are priced
The share price (also called "net asset value" or NAV per share) for
all funds except the Japan Fund is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange, normally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the exchange is open for business. (See the following section for information on the Japan Fund.) To calculate the NAV, the fund`s assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding. Market values are used to price
stocks and bonds. Market values represent the prices at which securities actually trade or evaluations based on the judgment of the fund`s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money market funds. Investments in mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. For securities primarily traded in the Far East, for example, the most recent closing prices may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. If a fund determines that developments between the close of the foreign market and 4 p.m. ET will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund`s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. se
curities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. A fund may also fair value securities in other situations, for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market p
rices and information used for adjusting those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how
11
often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day`s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices.
The various ways you can buy, sell, and exchange shares are explained at the end of this prospectus and on the New Account Form. These procedures may differ for institutional and employer-sponsored retirement accounts or if you hold your account through an intermediary.
How your purchase, sale, or exchange price is determined
If we receive your request in correct form by 4 p.m. ET, your transaction will be priced at that business day`s NAV. If we receive it after 4 p.m., it will be priced at the next business day`s NAV.
We cannot accept orders that request a particular day or price for your transaction or any other special conditions.
Fund shares may be purchased through various third-party intermediaries including banks, brokers, and investment advisers. Where authorized by a fund, orders will be priced at the NAV next computed after receipt by the intermediary. Consult your intermediary to determine when your orders will be priced. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accep
ted may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET.
Japan Fund: Pricing and Transactions
The Japan Fund`s share price is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange, normally 4 p.m. ET, on days when both it and the Tokyo Stock Exchange are open. The fund will not price shares or process orders on any day when either the New York or Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed. Orders received on such days will be processed the next day the fund computes a NAV. As a result, you may experience a delay in purchasing or redeeming fund shares. Exchanges: If you wish to exchange into the Japan Fund on a d
ay the New York Stock Exchange is open but the Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed, the exchange out of the other T. Rowe Price fund will be processed on that day, but Japan Fund shares will not be purchased until the day the Japan Fund reopens. If you wish to exchange out of the Japan Fund on a day when the New York Stock Exchange is open but the Tokyo S
tock Exchange is closed, the exchange will be delayed until the Japan Fund reopens.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange is scheduled to be closed on the following weekdays: In 2005January 3 and 10; February 11; March 21; April 29; May 3, 4, and 5; July 18; September 19 and 23; October 10; November 3 and 23; December 23. In 2006January 2, 3, and 9; February 11; March 21; April 29; May 3, 4, and 5;
T. Rowe Price12
July 17; September 19 and 23; October 9; November 3 and 23; December 23. If the Tokyo Stock Exchange closes on dates not listed, the fund will not be priced on those dates.
How you can receive the proceeds from a sale
When filling out the New Account Form, you may wish to give yourself the widest range of options for receiving proceeds from a sale.
If your request is received by 4 p.m. ET (on a business day) in correct form, proceeds are usually sent on the next business day. Proceeds can be sent to you by mail or to your bank account by Automated Clearing House (ACH
) transfer or bank wire. ACH is an automated method of initiating payments from, and receiving payments in, your financial institution account. Proceeds sent by ACH transfer are usually credited the second business day after the sale. Proceeds sent by bank wire should be credited to your account the first business day after the sale.
Exception: Under certain circumstances and when deemed to be in a fund`s best interest, your proceeds may not be sent for up to seven calendar days after we receive your redemption request.
If for some reason we cannot accept your request to sell shares, we will contact you.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund`s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed below, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges) of fund shares held for less than the period shown, which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Funds With Redemption Fees
|
|
|
|
---|
Fund name
| Redemption fee
| Holding period*
|
|
---|
Developing Technologies
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Diversified Small-Cap Growth
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Emerging Europe & Mediterranean
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Emerging Markets Bond
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Emerging Markets Stock
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Equity Index 500
| 0.5%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
European Stock
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Extended Equity Market Index
| 0.5%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Global Stock
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
High Yield
| 1%
| 90 days/3
months
|
|
International Bond
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International Discovery
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International Equity Index
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International Growth & Income
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International Stock
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Japan
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Latin America
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
New Asia
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Real Estate
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Small-Cap Value
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Spectrum International
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Tax-Efficient Balanced
| 1%
| 1 year
|
|
Tax-Efficient Growth
| 1%
| 1 year
|
|
Tax-Efficient Multi-Cap Growth
| 1%
| 1 year
|
|
Total Equity Market Index
| 0.5%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
U.S. Bond Index
| 0.5%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
13
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund`s long-term shareholders. All persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or any other third party.
*Computation of holding period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold before the end of the required holding period.
If you purchase shares held directly with T. Rowe Price, the holding period is three months. For example, if you purchase shares on March 1 and redeem before June 1, you will be assessed the redemption fee.
T. Rowe Price14
If you purchase shares through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, the holding period is 90 days. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day from the date of purchase, you will be assessed <
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">the redemption fee.
If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period (for example, 90 days versus three months) will be applied.
Transactions not subject to redemption fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
1.Shares redeemed via an automated systematic withdrawal plan;
2.Shares redeemed through or used to establish an automated, nondiscretionary rebalancing or asset allocation program, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
3.Shares pu
rchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;*
4.Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
5.Shares redeemed by a fund (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums or to cover various fees such as fiduciary fees);
6.Shares purchased by rollover and changes of account registration within the same fund;*
7.Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution in an IRA account;
8.Shares purchased by a fund-of-funds product, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
9.Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically;*
10.Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
*Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption fees on shares held in retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally redemption fees will be assessed only on shares redeemed by exchange that were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges dep
ending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of
15
your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions listed above to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Implementation
Recordkeepers for retirement plan partic
ipants who are unable to implement redemption fees due to system limitations must either (1) implement short-term trading restrictions approved by T. Rowe Price until they have the system capabilities to assess the fees or (2) set forth an implementation plan acceptable to T. Rowe Price. Any person purchasing shares through a retirement plan recordkeeper should check with their recordkeeper to determine when purchases will be subject to redemption fees.
Shares held or purchased prior to January 1, 2005, are subject to the terms for holding periods and early redemption as set forth in the prospectus in effect when the shares were originally purchased. For example, shares of the T. Rowe Price New Asia F
und purchased on December 31, 2004, would be subject to a one-year holding period and 2% redemption fee if sold within one year; shares of the fund purchased on January 3, 2005, would be subject to the new 90-day/three-month holding period and a 2% redemption fee if sold within the 90-day/three-month holding period.
T. Rowe Price16
Useful Information on Distributions and Taxes
All net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option on your New Account Form. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, that is, receiving income dividends and capital gain distributions on a rising number of shares.
Distributions not reinves
ted are paid by check or transmitted to your bank account via ACH. If the Post Office cannot deliver your check, or if your check remains uncashed for six months, the fund reserves the right to reinvest your distribution check in your account at the NAV on the day of the reinvestment and to reinvest all subsequent distributions in shares of the fund. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Table 4 Dividend Payment Schedule Fund
| Dividends
|
|
---|
Money market funds
| Purchases received by T. Rowe Price by 12 noon ET via wire begin to earn dividends on that day. Other shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month.
|
|
Bond funds
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month.
|
|
These stock funds only:BalancedDividend GrowthEquity IncomeEquity Index 500Growth & IncomePersonal Strategy BalancedPersonal Strategy IncomeReal Estate
| Declared quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Retirement Funds:Retirement IncomeAll others
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Paid on the first business day of each month.Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Tax-Efficient Balanced
| Municipal PortionShares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Paid on the last business day of March, June, September, and December.Equity PortionDeclared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Other stock funds
| Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
17
Bond or money fund shares will earn dividends through the date of redemption. Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday (other than wire redemptions for money funds received before 12 noon ET) will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your bond or money fund shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your bond or money fund shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date.
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends; the information described above may vary.
Capital gain payments
If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually d
eclared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the following year.
Capital gain payments are not expected from money market funds, which are managed to maintain a constant share price.
T. Rowe Price18
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security.
Tax Information
You will be sent timely information for your tax filing needs.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you will generally be subject to tax when:
You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.A fund makes a distribution to your account.Additional information about certain T. Rowe Price funds is listed below:
Tax-Free and Municipal Funds
|
|
Regular monthly dividends (including those from the state specific tax-free funds) are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes.Exemption is
not guaranteed, since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities.You must report your total tax-free income on IRS Form 1040. The IRS uses this information to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received during the year.Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to t
ax.For state specific funds, the monthly dividends you receive are expected to be exempt from state and local income tax. For other funds, a small portion of your income dividend may be exempt from state and local income taxes.If the funds invest in certain "private activity" bonds, shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) must include income generated by those bonds in their AMT calculation. The portion of the fund`s income dividend that should be included in your AMT calculation, if any, will be reported to you in
January.
|
|
Tax-Efficient Balanced Fund
|
|
The fund intends to invest a sufficient portion of its assets in municipal bonds and notes so that it may qualify to pay tax-exempt dividends, which will be exempt from federal income tax. The fund may not always qualify to pay tax-exempt dividends.The amount of such dividends will be reported to you on your calendar year-end statement.You must report your total tax-exempt income on IRS Form 1040. This information is used by the IRS to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received during the year.Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that are subject to tax.
|
|
Tax-Efficient Balanced Fund (continued)
|
|
A small
portion of your income dividend may also be exempt from state and local income taxes.If the fund invests in certain "private activity" bonds, shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) must include income generated by those bonds in their AMT calculation. The portion of the fund`s income dividends that should be included in your AMT calculation, if any, will be reported to you in January.
|
|
Florida Intermediate Tax-Free Fund
|
|
Florida does not have a state income tax but does impose an intangibles property tax that applies to shares of mutual funds.A fund organized as a business trust and invested at least 90% in Florida municipal obligations, U.S. government obligations, and certain other designated securities on January 1 is exempt from the tax.If a fund`s portfolio is less than 90% invested in exempt securities on January 1, the exemption applies only to the portion of assets (if any) invested in U.S. government obligations.The fund is organized as a business trust and will make every effort to have at least
90% of its portfolio invested in exempt securities on January 1 and expects that the entire value of all fund shares will be exempt from the intangibles tax.Exemption is not guaranteed, since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities.
|
|
19
For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing "qualified dividend income" received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rate applicable to long-term capital gains, rather than ordinary income. You may report it as "qualified dividend income" in computing your taxes provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more t
han 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor`s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, sh
ort-term capital gains, distributions from
certain nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Real Estate Fund or the bond and money funds is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund`s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international funds or the bond and money funds is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Taxes on fund redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another is also a sale for tax purposes.
T. Rowe Price20
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In January, you will be sent Form 1099-B indicating the date and amount of each sale you made in the fund during the prior year. This information will also be reported to the IRS. For most new accounts or those opened by exchange in 1984 or later, we will provide you with the gain or loss on the shares you sold during the year based on the average cost single category method. This information is not reported to the IRS, and you do not have to use it. You may calculate the cost basis using other methods acceptable to the IRS, such as "specific identification."
To help you maintain accurate records, we will send you a confirmation promptly following each transaction you make (except for systematic purchases and redemptions) and a year-end statement detailing all your transactions in each fund account during the year.
Taxes on fund distributions
In January, you will be sent Form 1099-DIV indicating the tax status of any
income dividend and capital gain distributions made to you. This information will also be reported to the IRS. Distributions are generally taxable to you in the year in which they are paid. You will be sent any additional information you need to determine your taxes on fund distributions,
such as the portion of your dividends, if any, that may be exempt from state and local income taxes. Dividends from tax-free funds are expected to be tax-exempt.
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by ho
w long the fund held the portfolio securities, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your
short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss
to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of tax-free fund shares held six months or less, your capital loss is reduced by the tax-exempt dividends received on those shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the currency portion of gains on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as a return of capital.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through
nonrefundable foreign taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an
offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
21
The following table provides additional details on distributions for certain funds:
Table 5 Taxes on Fund Distributions Tax-Free and Municipal Funds
|
|
Gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses.To the extent the fund invests in these securities, the likelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
|
|
Tax-Efficient Balanced Fund
|
|
Gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses.To the extent the f
und invests in these securities, the likelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
|
|
Inflation Protected Bond Fund
|
|
Inflation adjustments on Treasury inflation-protected securities exceeding deflation adjustments for the year will be distributed to you as a short-term capital gain resulting in ordinary income.In computing the distribution amount, the fund cannot reduce inflation adjustments by short- or long-term capital losses from the sales of securities.Net deflation adjustments for a year may result in all or a portion of dividends paid earlier in the year being treated as a return of capital.
|
|
Retirement and Spectrum Funds
|
|
Distributions by the underlying funds, redemptions of shares in the underlying Price funds, and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
|
|
Tax consequences of hedging
Entering into certain options, futures, swaps, and forward foreign exchange contracts and transactions may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in the fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Distributions are taxable whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
Tax effect of buying shares before an income dividend or capital gain distribution
If y
ou buy shares shortly before or on the "record date" the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution you may receive a
portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund`s record date before investing. Of course, a fund`s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains
T. Rowe Price22
or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
Following these procedures helps assure timely and accurate transactions.
Purchase Conditions
Nonpayment
If you pay with a check or ACH transfer that does not clear or if your payment is not received in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. You will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent, and the fund can redeem shares you own in this or another identically registered T. Rowe Price account as reimbursement. The fund and its agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. dollars
All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on immediate redemptions: 10-day hold
If you sell shares that you just purchased and paid for by check or ACH transfer, the fund will process your redemption but will generally delay sending you the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. If, during the clearing period, we receive a check drawn against your
newly purchased shares, it will be returned marked "uncollected." (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire or automatic purchases through your paycheck.)
Telephone, Tele*Access®, and online account transactions
You may access your account or conduct transactions using the telephone or Tele*Access, or online. The T. Rowe Price funds and their agents use reasonable procedures to verify the identity of the shareholder. If these procedures are followed, the funds and their agents are not liable for any losses that may occur from acting on unauthorized instructions. A confirmation is sent promptly after a transaction. Please review it carefully and contact T. Rowe Price immediately about any transaction you believe to be unauthorized. Telephone conversations are recorded.
23
Redemptions over $250,000
Large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager`s ability to implement a fund`s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held. If, in any 90-day period, you redeem (sell) more than $250,000, or your sale amounts to more than 1% of fund net assets
, the fund has the right to pay the difference between the redemption amount and the lesser of the two previously mentioned figures with securities from the fund.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading
T. <
/font>Rowe Price may bar excessive and short-term traders from purchasing shares.
Excessive or short-term trading in fund shares may disrupt management of a fund and raise it
s costs. Short-term traders in funds investing in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund`s shares and price movements in overseas markets (see "How and when shares are priced"). While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Board of Directors/Trustees of each fund has adopted the policy set forth below to deter such activity. Persons trading directly with T. Rowe Price or indirectly through intermediaries in violation of this policy or persons believed to be short-term traders may be barred for 90 calendar days or permanently from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds. Purchase transactions placed by such persons are subject to rejection without notice.
All persons purchasing shares held directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, or through a retirement plan for which T.
0;Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, who make more than one purchase and one sale or one sale and one purchase involving the same fund within any 90-day calendar period will violate the policy.All persons purchasing fund shares held through an intermediary, including a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper, insurance company, or other third party, and who hold the shares for less than 90 calendar days will violate the policy.Omnibus accounts
Intermediaries often establish omnibus accounts in the T.
Rowe Price funds for their customers. In such situations, T. Rowe Price cannot always monitor trading activity by individual shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level and looks for activity that indicates potential excessive or shortterm trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price contacts the intermediary to determine whether the excessive trading policy has been violated and, if so, asks the intermediary to take action to restrict transactions by the underlying shareholder in acco
rdance with the policy.
T. Rowe Price24
Retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the fund`s excessive trading policy only applies to shares purchased and redeemed by exchange. However, the policy may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the excessive trading policy is applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to the fund`s excessive trading policy, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Exceptions to policy
The following types of transactions are exempt from this policy: 1) trades
solely in money market funds (exchanges between a money fund and a nonmoney fund are not exempt); 2) systematic purchases and redemptions
(see
Information About Your Services); and 3) checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds.
In addition, transactions in automated nondiscretionary rebalancing programs, nondiscretionary asset allocation programs, or fund-of-funds products may be exempt from the excessive trading policy s
ubject to prior written approval by designated persons at T. Rowe Price.
T. Rowe Price may modify the 90-day policy set forth above (for example, in situations where a retirement plan with multiple investment options imposes a uniform restriction on trading in the plan that differs from the T. Rowe Price fund`s policy). These modifications would be authorized only if the fund determines, in its discretion, that the modified policy provides protection to the fund that is substantially equivalent to the fund`s regular policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will detect or prevent excessive or short-term trading.
Keeping Your Account Open
Due to the relatively high cost to a fund of maintaining small accounts, we ask you to maintain an account balance of at least $1,000 ($10,000 for Summit Funds). If your balance is below this amount for three months or longer, we have the right to close your account after giving you 60 days to increase your balance.
Signature Guarantees
A signature guarantee is designed to protect you and the T.
Rowe Price funds from fraud by verifying your signature.
You may need to have your signature guaranteed in certain situations, such as:
Written requests: (1) to redeem over $100,000; or (2) to wire redemption
proceeds when prior bank account authorization is not on file.<
p>25
Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on record.Transferring redemption proceeds to a T. Rowe Price fund account with a different registration (name or ownership) from yours.Establishing certain services after the account is opened.You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions,
broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
Account Maintenance and Small Account Fees
Small Account Fee (all funds except Index Funds) Because of the disproportionately high costs of servicing accounts with low balances, a $10 fee, paid to T. Rowe Price Services, the funds` transfer agent, will automatically be deducted from nonretirement accounts with balances falling below a minimum amount. The valuation of accounts and the deduction are expected to take place during the last five business days of September. The fee will be deducted from accounts with balances below $2,000, except for UGMA/UTMA accounts, for which the minimum is $500. The fee will be waived for any investor whose T. Rowe Price mutual fund accounts total $25,000 or more. Accounts employing automatic investing (e.g., payroll deduction, automatic purchase from a bank account, etc.) are also exempt from the charge. The fee does not apply to IRAs and other retirement plan accounts that utilize a prototype plan sponsored by T. Rowe Price, but a separate custodial or administrative fee may apply to such accounts.Account Maintenance Fee (Index Funds only) An annual $10 account maintenance fee is charged on a quarterly basis ($2.50 per quarter) usually during the last week of a calendar quarter. On the day of the assessment, accounts with balances below $10,000 will be charged the fee. Please note that the fee will be charged to accounts that fall below $10,000 fo
r any reason, including market fluctuations, redemptions, or exchanges. The fee will apply to IRA accounts. The fee does not apply to retirement plans directly registered with T. Rowe Price Services or accounts maintained by intermediaries through NSCC® Networking.3
More About the Fund
More About the Fund 3
Organization and Management
How is the fund organized?
The fund was incorporated in Maryland in 1973 and is an "open-end investment company," or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives.
Shareholders benefit from T. <
/font>Rowe Price`s 68 years of investment management experience.
What is meant by "shares"?
As with all mutual funds, investors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund`s autho
rized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions.Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of changes in the fund`s management contract. Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold annual meetings and, to avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, do not do so except when certain matters, such as a change in fundamental policies, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting, if they wish, for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee.
If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send you proxy materials that explain the issues to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail or telephone, or on the Internet.
Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a B
oard of Directors/Trustees that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The Board elects the fund`s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price.
27
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price specifically by the fund`s portfolio managers.
Portfolio Management
The fund has an Investment Advisory Committee with the following members: Daniel O. Shackelford, Chairman, Connice A. Bavely, Brian J. Brennan, Patrick S. Cassidy, Alan D. Levenson, Mary J. Miller, Edmund M. Notzon III, Vernon A. Reid, Jr., and David A. Tiberii. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund`s investment program. Mr. Shackelford became chairman of the fund`s committee in 2002. He joined T. Rowe Price in 1999 and has been managing investments since that time. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional in
formation about the portfolio manager`s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager`s ownership of securities in the fund.
The Management Fee
This fee has two parts an "individual fund fee," which reflects a fund`s particular characteristics, and a "group fee." The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (shown below) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule0.334%*
| First $50 billion
|
|
|
0.305%
| Next $30 billion
|
|
|
0.300%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.295%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.290%
| Thereafter
|
*Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
The fund`s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund`s average daily net assets. At May 31, 2005, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.31%. The individual fund fee is 0.15%.
A discussion about the factors and conclusions considered by the Board in approving the fund`s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price appears in the fund`s annual report to shareholders for the period ending May 31, 2005.
T. Rowe Price28
Understanding Performance Information
This section should help you understand the terms used to describe fund performance. You will come across them in shareholder reports you receive from us, in our educational and informational materials, in T. Rowe Price advertisements, and in the media.
Total Return
This tells you how much an investment has changed in value over a given period. It reflects any net increase or decrease in the share price and assumes that all dividends and capital gains (if any) paid during the period were reinvested in additional shares. Therefore, total return numbers include the effect of compounding.
Advertisements may include cumulative or average annual total return figures, which may be compared with various indices, other performance measures, or other mutual funds.
Cumulative Total Return
This is the actual return of an investment for a specified period. A cumulative return does not indicate how much the value of the investment may have fluctuated during the period. For example, an investment could have a 10-year positive cumulative return despite experiencing some negative years during that time.
Average Annual Total Return
This is always hypothetical and should not be confused with actual year-by-year results. It smooths out all the variations in annual performance to tell you what constant year-by-year return would have produced the investment`s actual cumulative return. This gives you an idea of an investment`s annual contribution to your portfolio, provided you held it for the entire period.
Yield
The current or "dividend" yield on a fund or any investment tells you the relationship between the investment`s current level of annual income and its price on a particular day. The dividend yield reflects the actual income paid to shareholders for a given period, annualized and divided by the price at the end of the period. For example, a fund providing $5 of annual income per share and a price of $50 has a current yield of 10%. Yields can be calculated for any time period.
For bond funds, the advertised or SEC yield is found by determining the net income per share (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commiss
ion) earned by a fund during a 30-day base period and dividing this amount by the share price on the last day of the base period. The SEC yieldalso called the
standardized yieldmay differ from the dividend yield.
29
Investment Policies and Practices
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as "fundamental policies." The managers also follow certain "operating policies" that can be changed without shareholder approval. Fund investment restrictions and policies apply at the time of purchase. A later change in circumstances will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time it was made. (This exception does not apply to the fund`s borrowing policy.)Fund holdings of certain kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages of total assets, which are set forth in this prospectus. For instance, fund investments in certain derivatives are limited to 10% of total assets. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have significantly more of an impact on a fund`s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments are discussed in the shareholder reports sent to you.
Fund managers have considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are consistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund securities and investment management practices.
Fundamental policy The fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding <
br>voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund. These limitations do
T. Rowe Price30
not apply to the fund`s purchase of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities.
Bonds
A bond is an interest-bearing security. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond`s face value) on a specified date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, and the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Bonds can be issued by U.S. and foreign governments, states and municipalities, as well as a wide variety of companies.
A bond`s annual interest income, set by its coupon rate
, is usually fixed for the life of the bond. Its yield (income as a percent of current price) will fluctuate to reflect changes in interest rate levels. A bond`s price usually rises when interest rates fall, and vice versa, so its yield stays consistent with current market
conditions.
Conventional fixed-rate bonds offer a coupon rate for a fixed maturity with no adjustme
nt for inflation. Real rate of return bonds also offer a fixed coupon but include ongoing inflation adjustments for the life of the bond.
Bonds may be unsecured (backed by the issuer`s general creditworthiness only) or secured (also backed by specified collateral). Bonds include asset- and mortgage-backed securities.
Certain bonds have interest rates that are adjusted periodically. These interest rate adjustments tend to minimize fluctuations in the bonds` principal values. The maturity of those securities may be shortened under certain specified
conditions.
Bonds may be designated as senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation`s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated debt.
Bond ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of an issuer`s fin
ancial strength. Ratings can change at any time due to real or perceived changes in an issuer`s credit or financial fundamentals.
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Incr
eases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company`s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities.
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While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, preferred stock may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. Some convertibles combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants can be highly volatile, have no voting rights, and pay no dividends.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets (not including cash) in preferred and common stocks and convertible securities, convertible into or which carry warrants for common stocks or other equity securities. These securities may or may not be rated.
Foreign Securities
Investments may be made in foreign securities. These include nondollar-denominated securities traded outside of the U.S. and dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the U.S. (such as Yankee bonds). Investing in foreign securities involves special risks that can increase the potential for losses. These include: exposure to potentially adverse local, political, and economic developments such as war, political instability, hyperinflation, currency devaluations, and overdependence on particular industries; government interference in markets such as nationalization and exchange controls, expropriation of assets, or imposition of punitive taxes; potentially lower liquidity and higher volatility; possible problems arising from accounting, disclosure, settlement, and regulatory practices and legal rights that differ from U.S. standards; and the chance that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will decrease the investment`s value (favorable changes can increase its value). These risks are heightened for investments in developing countries.
Operating policy There is no limit on fund investments in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued by foreign issuers, foreign branches of U.S. banks, and U.S. branches of foreign banks. The fund may also invest up to 20% of total assets (excluding reserves) in non-U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities.
T. Rowe Price32
Asset-Backed Securities
An underlying pool of assets, such as credit card or automobile trade receivables or corporate loans or bonds, backs these bonds and provides the interest and principal payments to investors. On occasion, the pool of assets may also include a swap obligation, which is used to change the cash flows on the underlying assets. As an example, a swap may be used to allow floating rate assets to back a fixed-rate obligation. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the underlying assets, the level of credit support, if any, provided by the structure or by a third-party insurance wrap, and the credit quality of the swap counterparty, if any. The underlying assets (i.e., loans) are sometimes subject to prepayments, which can shorten the security`s weighted average life and may lower its return. The value of these securities also may change because of actual or perceived <
/font>changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, the originator, the servicing agent, the financial institution providing the credit support, or the swap counterparty. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage lenders pool individual home mortgages with similar characteristics to back a certificate or bond, which is sold to investors such as the fund. Interest and principal payments generated by the underlying mortgages are passed through to the investors. The "big three" issuers are the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal
Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). GNMA certificates are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, while others, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates, are only supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the credit of the agency. Private mortgage bankers and other institutions also issue mortgage-backed securities.
Mortgage-backed securities are subject to scheduled and unscheduled princi
pal payments as homeowners pay down or prepay their mortgages. As these payments are received, they must be reinvested when interest rates may be higher or lower than on the original mortgage security. Therefore, these securities are not an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates. In addition, when interest rates fall, the pace of mortgage prepayments picks up. These refinanced mortgages are paid off at face value (par), causing a loss for any investor who may have purchased the security at a price above par. In such an environment, this risk limits the potential price appreciation of these securities and can negatively affect the fund`s net asset value. When rates rise, the prices of mortgage-backed securities can be expected to decline, although historically these securities have experienced smaller price declines than comparable quality bonds. In addition, when rates rise and prepayments slow, the effecti
ve duration of mortgage-backed securities extends, resulting in increased volatility.
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Operating Policy There is no limit on fund investments in mortgage-backed securities.
Additional mortgage-backed securities in which the fund may invest include:
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) CMOs are debt securities that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the CMOs in such a way as to create some classes with more stable average lives than the underlying mortgages and other classes with more volatile average lives. CMO classes may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain classes have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments.Stripped Mortgage Securities Stripped mortgage securities (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed securities or a CMO to create additional classes of securities. Generally, one class receives only interest payments (IOs), and another receives principal payments (POs). Unlike with other mortgage-backed securities and POs
, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The fund can use IOs as a hedge against falling prepayment rates (interest rates are rising) and/or a bear market environment. POs can be used as a hedge against rising prepayment rates (interest rates are falling) and/or a bull market environment. IOs and POs are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments.A rapid or unexpected i
ncrease in prepayments can severely depress the price of IOs, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on POs. Of course, under the opposite conditions these securities may appreciate in value. These securities can be very volatile in price and may have lower liquidity than most other mortgage-backed securities. Certain non-stripped CMO classes may also exhibit these qualities, especially those that pay variable rates of interest that adjust inversely with, and more rapidly than, short-term interest rates. In addition, if interest rates rise rapidly and prepayment rates slow more than expected, certain CMO classes, in addition to losing value, can exhibit characteristics of longer-term securities and become more volatile. There is no guarantee that fund investments in CMOs, IOs, or POs will be successful, and fund total return could be adversely affected as a result.
Operating policy Fund investments in stripped mortgage securities are limited to 10% of total assets.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) CMBS are securities created from a pool of commercial mortgage loans, such as loans for hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, apartment buildings, etc. Interest and principal payments from the loans are passed on to the investor according to a schedule of payments. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the loans themselves and on T. Rowe Price34
the structure of the particular deal. Generally, deals are structured with senior and subordinate classes. The amount of subordination is determined by the rating agencies who rate the individual classes of the structure. Commercial mortgages are generally structured with prepayment penalties, which greatly reduces prepayment risk to the investor. However, the value of these securities may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, their tenants, the servicing agents, or the general state of commercial real estate. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities.Hybrid Instruments
These instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency, or securities index or another interest rate (each a "benchmark"). Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a
variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shorta
ges and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrid. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total assets.
Deferrable Subordinated Securities
These are securities with long maturities that are deeply subordinated in the issuer`s capital structure. They generally have 30-year maturities and permit the issuer to defer distributions for up to five years. These characteristics give the issuer more financial flexibility than is typically the case with traditional bonds. As a
result, the securities may be viewed as possessing certain "equity-like" features by rating agencies and bank regulators. However, the securities are treated as debt securities by market participants, and the fund intends to treat them as such as well. These securities may offer a mandatory put or remarketing option that creates an effective maturity date significantly shorter than the stated one.
35
Fund investments will be made in these securities to the extent their yield, credit, and maturity characteristics are consistent with the fund`s investment objective and program.
Inflation-Linked Securities
Inflation-linked securities are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflationa sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, are inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. government. Inflation-linked bonds are also issued by corporations, U.S. government agencies, and foreign countries. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (CPI). A fixed coupon
rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation-adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.
Inflation-protected bonds normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the fund.
Illiquid Securities
These securities include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold, for example, under Rule 144A, others may have resale restrictions and be illiquid. The sale of i
lliquid securities may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and the fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what the fund believes they are worth.
Operating policy
Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Utility Industry Concentration
The fund may, under certain circumstances, invest a substantial amount of its assets in the utility industry. Investmen
ts in this industry may be affected by environmental conditions, energy conservation programs, fuel shortages, availability of capital to finance operations and construction programs, and federal and state legislative and regulatory actions. T. Rowe Price believes that any risk
T. Rowe Price36
to the fund which might result from concentrating in any such industry will be minimized by diversification of the fund`s investments.
Operating policy The fund has no current intention of concentrating in the utility industry.
Fundamental policy The fund will, under certain conditions, invest up to 50% of its assets in any one of the following industries: gas utility, gas transmission utility, electric utility, telephone utility, and petroleum.
Types of Investment Management Pr
actices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets will be held in money market reserves. Fund reserve positions are expected to consist primarily of shares of one or both T. Rowe Price internal money market funds. Short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements, may also be held. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on fund investments in money market reserves. Significant investments in reserves could compromise the ability to achieve fund objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses, and in the timing of new investments and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
Fund borrowings may be made from banks and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets.
Operating policy Fund transfers of portfolio securities as collateral will not be made except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets. Fund purchases of additional securities will not be made when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell a
n asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (where the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (where the investor "writes" or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including: to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of
37
increasing or decreasing fund overall exposure to a specific part or broad segment of the U.S. market or a foreign market; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower fund total return; and the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fun
d`s initial investment in such contracts.
Operating policies Futures: Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of net asset value. Options on securities: The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Swaps
Fund investments may be ma
de in interest rate, index, total return, and credit default swap agreements as well as options on swap agreements or swap options. All of these agreements are considered derivatives and, in certain cases, high-risk derivatives. Swap agreements are two-party contracts under which the fund and a counterparty, such as a broker or dealer, agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or indices. Swaps and swap options can be used for a variety of purposes, including: to manage fund exposure to changes in interest rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting fund overall exposure to certain markets; i
n an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration.
There are risks in the use of swaps and swap options. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps can increase fund exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if we do not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based. Swaps and swap options may not always be successful hedges; using them could lower fund total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed a fund`s initial investment in such instruments. Also, the other party to a swap agreement could default on its obligations or refuse to cash out a fund`s investment at a reasonable price, which could turn an expected gain into a loss.
T. Rowe Price38
Operating policies A swap agreement with any single counterparty will not be entered into if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets, or if the net amount owed or to be received by the fund under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Managing Foreign Currency Risk
Investors in foreign securities may attempt to "hedge" their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of "forwards" contracts to exchange one currency for another on some future date at a specified exchange rate. However, futures, swaps, and options on these instruments may also be used. In certain circumstances, a different
currency may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, a strategy known as "proxy hedging." The fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond issued i
n one currency, but with the currency component transformed into another currency. If the fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, they would be primarily to protect a fund`s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the
dollar. Such transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce fund total return. There are certain markets, including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging.
Operating policy The fund will not commit more than 20% of total assets to any combination of the types of foreign currency instruments described above.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
Fund securities may be lent to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
Fundamental policy The
value of loaned securities may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets.
When-Issued Securities and Forwards
The fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities. The price of these securities is fixed at the time of the commitment to buy, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more later. During the interim period, the market value of the securities can fluctuate, and no interest accrues to the purchaser. At the time of
39
delivery, the value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. To the extent the fund remains fully or almost fully invested (in securities with a remaining maturity of more than one year) at the same time it purchases these securities, there will be greater fluctuations in the fund`s net asset value than if the fund did not purchase them.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. We will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but, when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time the fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in the fund`s net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on the fund`s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions.
Funds investing in bonds may have higher turnover than funds investing in stocks. Unlike stocks, fixed-maturity bonds require reinvestment. For funds investing in mortgages and callable debt, frequent reinvestment of principal is often required. Common trading strategies, such as mortgage dollar rolls, can increase turnover. Active investment strategies, such as sector rotation and duration management, also necessitate more frequent trading. The fund`s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
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Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
The fund`s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual reports to shareholders, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund`s first and third fiscal quarter-end. In addition, the fund discloses its calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com 15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of the fund`s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would be omitted from the list if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be omitted from the list for more than one year. The fund also discloses its largest 10 holdings on troweprice.com seven days after each m
onth-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund`s total assets they represent. The quarter-end portfolio will remain on the Web site for one year. The top 10 list is replaced every six months. A description of the fund`s policy and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is in the Statement of Additional Information.
T. Rowe Price40
Financial Highlights
Table 6, which provides information about the fund`s financial history, is based on a single share outstanding throughout the periods shown. The table is part of the fund`s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of account or [if applicable] redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund`s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
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Table 6 Financial Highlights
| Year ended May 31
|
|
|
|
|
|
---|
| 2001
| 2002
| 2003
| 2004
| 2005 a
|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value,beginning of period
| $8.07
| $8.53
| $8.70
| $9.21
| $8.87
|
|
Income From Investment Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income
| 0.53
| 0.47
| 0.37
| 0.32
| 0.35
|
|
Net gains or losses on securities (both realized and unrealized)
| 0.46
| 0.17
| 0.52
| (0.34)
| 0.29
|
|
Total from investment operations
|
font>0.99
| 0.64
| 0.89
| (0.02)
| 0.64
|
|
Less Distributions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends (from net investment income)
| (0.53)
| (0.47)
| (0.38)
| (0.32)
| (0.36)
|
|
Distributions (fromcapital gains)
|
|
|
|
| (0.01)
|
|
Returns of capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total distributions
| (0.53)
| (0.47)
| (0.38)
| (0.32)
| (0.37)
|
|
Net asset value,end of period
| $8.53
| $8.70
| $9.21
| $8.87
| $9.14
|
|
Total return
|
font>12.54%
| 7.68%
| 10.52%
| (0.26<
font style="font-size:7.0pt;" face="MetaPlusLF-NormalRoman" color="Black">)%
| 7.27%
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (in millions)
| $
font>1,684
| $1,863
| $2,266
| $2,512
| $3,246
|
|
Ratio of expenses to average net assets
| 0.73%
| 0.72%
| 0.74%
| 0.71%
| 0.69%
|
|
Ratio of net income to average net assets
| 6.30%
| 5.38%
| 4.23%
| 3.56%
| 3.85%
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate
| 112.1%
| 222.0%
| 221.2%
| 219.0%
| 135.9%b
|
|
aPer share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
bThe portfolio turnover rate calculation includes purchases and sales from mortgage dollar roll transactions (see Note 2 of the Annual Report); had these transactions been excluded from the calculation, the portfolio turnover for the year ended May 31, 2005 would have been 108.5%.
4
Investing With T. Rowe Price
Investing With T. Rowe Price 4
Account Requirements and Transaction Information
Tax Identification
Number
We must have your correct Social Security or employer identification number on a signed New Account Form or W-9 Form. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of your dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions, and may subject you to an IRS fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after your account is established, your account may be redeemed at the fund`s net asset value (NAV) on the redemption date.
Transaction Confirmations
We send immediate confirmations for most of your fund transactions, but some, such as systematic purchases and dividend reinvestments, are reported on your account statement. Please review confirmations and statements as soon as you receive them and promptly report any discrepancies to Shareholder Services.
Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans and Institutional Accounts
T. Rowe Price
Trust Company
1-800-492-
7670
Transaction procedures in the following sections may not apply to employer-sponsored retirement plans and institutional accounts. For procedures regarding employer-sponsored retirement plans, please call T. Rowe Price Trust Company or consult your plan administrator. For institutional account procedur
es, please call your designated account manager or service representative.
We do not accept third-party checks, except for IRA rollover checks that are properly endorsed. In addition, T. Rowe Price does not accept purchases made by credit card check, cash, or traveler`s checks.
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Opening a New Account
$2,500 minimum initial investment; $1,000 for retirement plans or gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts ($25,000 minimum initial investment for Summit Funds only)
font>
Important Information About Opening an Account
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
When you open an account, you will be asked for the name, residential street address, date of birth, and Social Security number or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others, such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers. Entities are also required to provide documents such as articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, trust documents, and other applicable records.
We will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. We will not be able to open your account until we receive all of this information. If we are unable to verify your identity, we are authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.)
Account Registration
If you own other T. Rowe Price funds, be sure to register any new account just like your existing accounts so you can exchange among them easily. (The name and account type would have to be identical.)
For joint accounts or other types of accounts owned or controlled by more than one party, either owner/party has complete authority to act on behalf of all and give instructions concerning the account without notice to the other party. T. Rowe Price may, in its sole discretion, require written authorization from all owners/parties to act on the account for certain transactions (for example, to transfer ownership).
By Mail
Please make your check payable to T. Rowe Price Funds (otherwise it will be returned) and send your check, together with the New Account Form, to the appropriate address below:
T. Rowe Price44
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Account Services
P.O. Box 17300
Baltimore, MD 21297-1300
via private carriers/overnight services
T. Rowe Price Account Services
Mailcode 17300
4515 Painters Mill Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4903
By Wire
Call Investor Services for an account number and give the following wire information to your bank:
Receiving Bank: PNC Bank, N.A. (Pittsburgh)
Receiving Bank ABA#: 043000096
Beneficiary: T. Rowe Price [fund name]
Beneficiary Account: 1004397951
Originator to Beneficiary Information (OBI):
name of owner(s) and account number
In order to obtain an account number, you must supply the name, date of birth, Social Security or employer identification number, and residential or business street address for each owner on the account.
Complete a New Account Form and mail it to one of the appropriate T. Rowe Price addresses listed under "By Mail."
Note: Investment will be made, but services may not be established and IRS penalty withholding may occur until we receive a signed New Account Form.
Online
You can open a new mutual fund account online. Go to troweprice.com/newaccount on our Web site where you can choose the type of account you wish to open.
To open an account electronically, you must be a U.S. citizen residing in the U.S. or a resident alien and not subject to IRS backup withholding. Additionally, you must provide consent to receive certain documents electronically.
45
You will have the option of providing your bank account information that will enable you to make electronic funds transfers (EFT) to and from your bank account. To set up this banking service online, additional steps will be taken to verify your identity.
By Exchange
Call Shareholder Services or use Tele*Access or your personal computer (see Automated Services under Information About Your Services). The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging. Services for the new account may be carri
ed over by telephone request if they are preauthorized on the existing account. For limitations on exchanging, see the explanation of Excessive Trading under Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements.
In Person
Drop off your New Account Form at any location listed on the back cover and obtain a receipt.
Purchasing Additional Shares
$100 minimum additional purchase ($1,000 for Summit Funds); $50 minimum for retirement plans and gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts; $50 minimum for Automatic Asset Builder ($100 for Summit Funds)
By ACH Transfer
Use Tele*Access or your personal computer or call Shareholder Services if you have established electronic transfers using the ACH system.
By Wire
Call Shareholder Services or use the wire instructions listed in Opening a New Account.
By Mail
1. Make your check payable to T.
Rowe Price Funds (otherwise it may be returned).
2. Mail the check to us at the following address with either a fund reinvestment slip or a note indicating the fund you want to buy and your fund account number.
3. Remember to provide your account number and the fund name on the memo line of your check.
T. Rowe Price46
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Account Services
P.O. Box 17300
Baltimore, MD 21297-1300
(For mail via private carriers and overnight services, see previous section.)
By Automatic
Asset Builder
Fill out the Automatic Asset Builder section on the New Account or Shareholder Services Form.<
/font>
Exchanging and Redeeming Shares
Exchange Service
You can move money from one account to an existing identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. Remember, exchanges are purchases and sales for tax purposes. (Exchanges into a state tax-free fund are limited to investors living in states where the fund is registered.) For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements Excessive Trading.
Redemptions
Redemption proceeds can be mailed to your account address, sent by ACH transfer to your bank, or wired to your bank (provided your bank information is already on file). For charges, see Electronic TransfersBy Wire under Information About Your Services. Please note that large redemption requests initiated through automated services may be routed to a service representative.
If you request to redeem a specific dollar amount, and the market value of your account is less than the amount of your request, we will redeem all shares from your account.
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund`s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund.
For redemptions by check or electronic transfer, please see Information About Your Services.
47
By Phone
Call Shareholder Services
If you find our phones busy during unusually volatile markets, please consider placing your order by your personal computer or Tele*Access (if you have previously authorized these
services), mailgram, or express mail.
By Mail
For each account involved, provide the account name, number, fund name, and exchange or redemption amount. For exchanges, be sure to specify any fund you are exchanging out of and the fund or funds you are e
xchanging into. T. Rowe Price may require a signature guarantee of all registered owners (see Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements Signature Guarantees). Please use the appropriate address below:
For nonretirement and IRA accounts:
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Account Services
P.O. Box 17302
Baltimore, MD 21297-1302
via private carriers/overnight services
T. Rowe Price Account Services
Mailcode 17302
4515 Painters Mill Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4903
For employer-sponsored retirement accounts:
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Trust Company
P.O. Box 17479
Baltimore, MD 21297-1479
via private carriers/overnight ser
vices
T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Mailcode 17479
4515 Painters Mill Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4903
Requests for redemptions from employer-sponsored retirement accounts may be required to be in writing; please call T. Rowe Price Trust Company or your plan administrator for instructions. IRA distributions may be requested in writing or by telephone; please call
T. Rowe Price48
Shareholder Services to obtain an IRA Distribution Form or an IRA Shareholder Services Form to authorize the telephone redemption service.
Online
Customers with Account Access can electronically exchange shares between identical
ly registered T. Rowe Price accounts and electronically redeem shares from their mutual fund accounts.
Rights Reserved by the Funds
T. Rowe Price fun
ds and their agents reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone or mailgram; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary, no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership
); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners or there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; and (10) to involuntarily redeem your account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account.
These acti
ons will be taken when, in the sole discretion of management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the fund or if required by law.
49
In an effort to protect T. Rowe Price funds from the possible adverse effects of a substantial redemption in a large account, as a matter of general policy, no shareholder or group of shareholders controlled by the same person or group of persons will knowingly be permitted to purchase in excess of 5% of the outstanding shares of a fund, except upon approval of the fund`s management.
information about your Services
Shareholder Services
1-800-225-5132
<
/font>
Investor Services
1-800-638-5660
Many services are available to you as a shareholder; some you receive automatically, and others you must authorize or request on the New Account Form. By signing up for services on the New Account Form rather than later on, you avoid having to complete a separate form and obtain a signature guarantee. This section discusses some of the services currently offered. Our Services Guide, which we mail to all new shareholders, contains detailed descriptions of these and other services.
Note: Corporate and other institutional accounts require <
/font>documents showing the existence of the entity to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney to open an account. For more information, call Investor Services.
Retirement Plans
We offer a wide range of plans for individuals, institutions, and large and small businesses: Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Keoghs (profit sharing, money purchase pension), 401(k)s, and 403(b)(7)s. For information on IRAs or our no-load variable annuity, call Investor Services. For information on all other retirement plans, please call our Trust Company at 18004927670.
Investing for College Expenses
We can help you save for future college expenses on a tax-advantaged basis.
T. Rowe Price50
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) (formerly known as Education IRAs)
Invest up to $2,000 a year per beneficiary depending on your annual income; account earnings are federal income tax-free when used for qualified expenses.
529 Plans
T. Rowe Price offers three 529 plans: the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (a national plan sponsored by the Education Trust of Alaska), the Maryland College Investment Plan, and the University of
Alaska College Savings Plan. Account earnings are currently federal income tax-free when used for qualified expenses. For more information on the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (national plan), call 1-800-369-3641; Maryland College Investment Plan, call 1-888-4-MD-GRAD; and University of Alaska College Savings Plan, call
1-866-277-1005.
Automate
d Services
Tele*Access
1-800-638-2587
24 hours, 7 days
Tele*Access
24-hour service via a toll-free number enables you to (1) access information on fund performance, prices, distributions, account balances, and your latest transaction; (2) request checks, prospectuses, services forms, duplicate statements,
and tax forms; and (3) buy, sell, and exchange shares in your accounts (see Electronic Transfers in this section).
Web Address
troweprice.com
Online Account Access
You can sign up online to conduct account transactions through our Web site on the Internet. If you subscribe to America Online®, you can access our Web site via keyword "T. Rowe Price" and conduct transactions in your account.
Plan Account Line
1-800-401-3279
This 24-hour service is similar to Tele*Access but is designed specifically to meet the
needs of retirement plan investors.
By Telephone and
In Person
Buy, sell, or exchange shares by calling one of our service representatives or by visiting one of our investor center locations whose addresses are listed on the
back cover.
51
Electronic Transfers
By ACH
With no charges to pay, you can move as little as $100 or as much as $250,000 between your bank account and fund
account using the ACH system. Enter instructions via Tele*Access or your personal computer, or call Shareholder Services.
By Wire
Electronic transfers can be conducted via bank wire. There is a $5 fee for wire redemptions under $5,000, and your bank may charge for incoming or outgoing wire transfers regardless of size.
Checkwriting
(Not available for equity funds or the Emerging Markets Bond, High Yield, International Bond, or U.S. Bond Index Funds) You may write an unlimited number of free checks on any money market fund and most bond funds, with a minimum of $500 per check. Keep in mind, however, that a check results in a redemption; a check written on a bond fund will create a taxable event which you and we must report to the IRS.
Automatic Investing
Automatic Asset Builder
You can instruct us to move $50 ($100 for Summit Funds) or more from your bank account, or you can instruct your employer to send all or a portion of your paycheck to the fund or funds you designate.
Automatic Exchange
You can set up systematic investments from one fund account into another, such as from a money fund into a stock fund.
t. ROWE PRICE Brokerage
To Open an Account
1-800-638-5660
For Existing
Brokerage Customers
1-800-225-7720
<
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">Investments available through our brokerage service include stocks, options, bonds, and others at commission savings over full-service brokers.* We also provide a wide range of services, including:
Automated Telephone and Computer Services
You can enter stock and option orders, access quotes, and review account information around the clock by phone with Tele-Trader or via the Internet with Account
T. Rowe Price52
Access-Brokerage. For stock trades entered through Tele-Trader, you will pay a commission of $35 for up to 1,000 shares plus $.02 for each share over 1,000. For stock trades entered through Account Access-Brokerage, you will pay a commission of $19.95 for up to 1,000 shares plus $.02 for each share over 1,000. Option trades entered through Account Access-Brokerage or Tele-Trader save you 10% over our standard commission schedule. All trades are subject to a $40 minimum commission except stock trades placed through Account Access-Broke
rage and Tele-Trader. All limit and stop orders entered, regardless of order entry means, are subject to a $5 order handling fee assessed upon execution.
Investor Information
A variety of informative reports, such as our Brokerage Insights series, as well as access to online research tools, can help you better evaluate economic trends and investment opportunities.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
If you elect to participate in this service, the cash dividends from the eligible securities held in your account will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the same securities free of charge. Most securities listed on national securities exchanges or NASDAQ are eligible for this service.
*Services vary by firm.
T. Rowe Price Brokerage is a division of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., Member NASD/SIPC.
Investment Information
To help you monitor your investments and make decisions that accurately reflect your financial goals, T. Rowe Price offers a wide variety of information in addition to account statements. Most of this information is also available on our Web site at troweprice.com.
A note on mailing procedures: If two or more members of a household own the same fund, we economize on fund expenses by sending only one fund report and
53
prospectus. If you need additional copies or do not want your mailings to be "householded," please call Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132 or write to us at P.O. Box 17630, Baltimore, MD 21297-1630.
Shareholder Reports
Fund managers` annual and semiannual reviews of their strategies and performance.
The T. Rowe Price Report
A quarterly investment newsletter discussing markets and financial strategies and including the Performance Update, a review of all T. Rowe Price fund results.
Insights
Educational reports on investment strategies and financial markets.
Investment Guides
Asset Mix Worksheet, Diversifying Overseas: A T. Rowe Price Guide to International Investing, Managing Your Retirement Distribution, Retirement Readiness Guide, and Retirement Planning Kit.
T. Rowe Price54
T. rowe price Privacy Policy
In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confid
ential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies` use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confidence.
___________________________________________________________________
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Savings Bank; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
55
To help you achieve your financial goals, T. Rowe Price offers a wide range of stock, bond, and money market investments, as well as convenient services and
informative reports.
For mutual fund or T. Rowe Price Brokerage information
Investor Services
1-800-638-5660For existing accounts
Shareholder Services
1-800-225-5132
For the hearing impaired
1-800-367-0763
For performance, prices,
account information, or
to conduct transactions
Tele*Access®
24 hours, 7 days
1-800-638-2587
Internet address
troweprice.com
Plan Account Line
For retirement plan
investors: The
appropriate 800
number appears on your retirement account statem
ent.
A fund Statement of Additional Information has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager`s recent strategies and their impact on performance, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, or for shareholder inquiries, call
1-
800-638-5660. These documents are also available at troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the Securities and
font>Exchange Commission. Infor-
mation on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC`s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington D.C. 20549-0102.
Investor Centers
For directions, call
1-800-225-5132 or
visit our Web site
Baltimore Area
Downtown
105 East Lombard Street
Owings Mills
Three Financial Center
4515 Painters Mill Road
Boston Area
386 Washington Street
Wellesley
Chicago Area
1900 Spring Road
Suite 104
Oak Brook
Colorado Springs
2260 Briargate Parkway
Los Angeles Area
Warner Cente
r
21800 Oxnard Street
Suite 270
Woodland Hills
New Jersey/New York Area
51 JFK Parkway, 1st Floor
Short Hills, New Jersey
San Francisco Area
1990 N. California Boulevard
Suite 100
Walnut Creek
Tampa
4211 W. Boy Scout Boulevard
8th Floor
Washington, D.C. Area
Downtown
900 17th Street, N.W.
Farragut Square
Tysons Corner
1600 Tysons Boulevard
Suite 150
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
1940 Act Fil
e No. 811-2396
T. Rowe Price56
<R>
F43-040 10/3/05
</R>
<R>
October 1, 2005 revised to October 3, 2005
</R>
Prospectus
T. Rowe Price
New Income FundAdvisor Class
A bond fund investing primarily in investment-grade bonds to achieve an attractive level of income. This class of shares is sold only through financial intermediaries.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
57
1
|
| About the Fund
|
|
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| Objective, Strategy, Risks, and Expenses
| 1
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| Other Information About the Fund
| 6
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| Some Basics of Fixed-Income Investing
| 8
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2
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| Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds
|
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| Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds
| 11
|
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| Useful Information on Distributionsand Taxes
| 15
|
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| Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
| 19
|
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| Distribution, Shareholder Servicing, and Recordkeeping Fees
| 21
|
|
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3
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| More About the Fund
|
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| Organization and Management
| 22
|
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| Understanding Performance Information
| 24
|
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| Investment Policies and Practices
| 25
|
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| Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
| 36
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| Financial Highlights
| 36
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4
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| Investing With T. Rowe Price
|
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| Account Requirements and Transaction Information
| 38
|
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| Purchasing Additional Shares
| 39
|
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| Exchanging and Redeeming Shares
| 40
|
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| Rights Reserved by the Funds
| 40
|
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| T. Rowe Price Privacy Policy
| 42
|
T. Rowe Price58
59
Founded in 1937 by the late Thomas Rowe Price, Jr., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates managed $244.8 billion for more than nine million individual and institutional investor accounts as of June 30, 2005. T. Rowe Price is the fund`s investment manager.
Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depository institution. Shares are not insured by the FDIC, Federal Reserve, or any other government agency, and are
subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
T. Rowe Price New Income Fund, Inc.
T. Rowe Price New Income FundAdvisor Class
About the Fund 1
objective, strategy, risks, and expenses
A word about the fund`s name and structure. The Advisor Class is a share class of its respective T. Rowe Price fund and is not a separate mutual fund. The Advisor Class shares are designed to be sold only through brokers, dealers, banks, insurance companies, and other financial intermediaries that provide various distribution and administrative services.
What is the fund`s objective?
The fund seeks the highest level of income consistent with the preservation of capital over time by investing primarily in marketable debt securities.
What is the fund`s principal investment strategy?
In seeking income and capital preservation, the fund pursues a total return strategy. Active management of the portfolio can result in bonds being sold at gains or losses. However, over the long term, the fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in income-producing securities that possess what we believe are favorable total return (income plus changes in principal
) characteristics.
The fund will invest at least 80% of the fund`s total assets in income-producing securities, which may include U.S. government and agency obligations, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, foreign securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and others, including, on occasion, equities.
<R>
Eighty percent of the debt securities purchased by the fund will be rated investment grade (AAA, AA, A, BBB, or equivalent) by each of the major credit rating agencies (Standard & Poor`s, Moody`s, and Fitch IBCA, Inc.) that have assigned a rating to the security. If the security is unrated, it must be deemed to be of investment-grade quality by T. Rowe Price. Up to 15% of total assets may be invested in "split-rated securities," or those rated investment grade by at least one rating agency but below investment grade by others. In addition, the fund may invest up to 5% of total assets in securities that have not received an investment grade rating by any major credit rati
ng agency.
</R>
Investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time the fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of the fund`s securities may change after they are purchased, and this may cause the amount of the fund`s assets
invested in such securities to exceed the stated maxi
T. Rowe Price60
mum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If this occurs, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction.
The fund has considerable flexibility in seeking high yields. There are no maturity restrictions, so we can purchase longer-term bonds, which tend to have higher yields than shorter-term issues. However, the portfolio`s weighted average maturity is expected to be between four and 15 years. In addition, when there is a large yield difference between the various quality levels, we may move down the credit scale and purchase lower-rated bonds with higher yields. When the difference is small or the outlook warrants, we may concentrate investments in higher-rated issues.
The fund may also invest in other securities, including futures, options, and swaps, in keeping with its objective.
The fund may sell holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust the portfolio`s average maturity or quality or to shift assets into higher-yielding securities or different sectors.
For details about the fund`s investment program, please see the Investment Policies and Practices section.
What are the main risks of investing in the fund?
Interest rate risk This is the risk that an increase in interest rates will likely cause the fund`s share price to fall, resulting in a loss of principal (see Table 3). That`s because the bonds and notes in the fund`s portfolio become less attractive to other in
vestors when securities with higher yields become available. Even GNMAs and other securities (whose principal and interest payments are guaranteed) can decline in price if rates rise. Generally speaking, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater its potential for price declines if rates rise and for price gains if rates fall. Because the fund may invest in bonds of any maturity, it carries more interest rate risk than short-term bond funds. If the fund purchases longer-maturity bonds and interest rates rise unexpectedly, the fund`s price could decline.Credit risk This risk is the chance that any of the fund`s holdings will have their credit ratings downgraded or will default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the fund`s income level and share price. While the fund`s overall credit quality is high, it can own BBB securities, which are more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and may have speculative characteristics.Most investment-grade (AAA through BBB) securities have relatively low financial risk and a relatively high probability of future payment. However, securities rated BBB are more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and may have speculative characteristics. Securities rated below investment grade (junk or
61
high-yield bonds) should be regarded as speculative because their issuers are more susceptible to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy companies. If the fund invests in securities whose issuers develop unexpected credit problems, the fund`s price could decline.
The fund may continue to hold a security that has been downgraded or loses its investment-grade rating after purchase.
Foreign investing risk To the extent the fund h
olds foreign bonds, it will be subject to special risks, whether the bonds are denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. These risks include potentially adverse political and economic developments overseas, greater volatility, lower liquidity, and the possibility that foreign currencies will decline against the dollar, lowering the value of secur
ities denominated in those currencies and possibly the fund`s share price.Prepayment risk and extension risk A mortgage-backed bond, unlike most other bonds, can be hurt when interest rates fall because homeowners tend to refinance and prepay principal. Recei
ving increasing prepayments in a falling interest rate environment causes the average maturity of the portfolio to shorten, reducing its potential for price gains. It also requires the fund to reinvest proceeds at lower interest rates, which reduces the portfolio`s total return and yield, and may even cause certain bond prices to fall below the level the fund paid for them, resulting in a capital loss. Any of these developments could result in a decrease in the fund`s income, share price, or total return.Extension risk refers to a rise in interest rates that causes a fund`s average maturity to lengthen unexpectedly due to a drop in mortgage prepay
ments. This would increase the fund`s sensitivity to rising rates and its potential for price declines.
Derivatives risk Shareholders are also exposed to derivatives risk, the potential that our investments in these complex and volatile instruments could affect the fund`s share price. In addition to CMOs and better-known instruments such as swaps and futures, other derivatives that may be used in limited fashion by the fund include interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities known as "strips." Some of these instruments can be
highly volatile, and their value can fall dramatically in response to rapid or unexpected changes in the mortgage, interest rate, or economic environment.As with any mutual fund, there can be no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective.
The share price and income level of the fund will fluctuate with changing market conditions and interest rate levels. When you sell your shares, you may lose money.
T. Rowe Price62
How can I tell if the fund is appropriate for me?
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The fund may be appropriate for you if you seek an attractive level of income and are willing to accept the risk of a declining share price when interest rates rise. Steadily reinvesting the fund`s income is a conservative strategy for building capital over time. If you are investing primarily for safety and liquidity, you should consider a money market fund.
The fund can be used in both regular and tax-deferred accounts, such as IRAs.
The fund should not represent your complete investment program or be used for short-term trading purposes.
How has the fund performed in the past?
The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparab
le market index. Fund past returns (before and after taxes) are not necessarily an indication of future performance.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted.
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by the shareholder may influence returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor`s situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant if the shares are held in a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. During periods of fund losses, the post-liquidation after-tax return may exceed the fund`s other returns because the loss generates a t
ax benefit that is factored into the result.
63
The fund`s return for the six months ended 6/30/05 was 2.57%.
Table 1 Average Annual Total Returns
| Periods ended December 31, 2004
|
|
|
---|
| 1 year
| Since inception (9/30/02)
|
|
---|
New Income FundAdvisor Class
|
|
|
|
Returns before taxes
| 4.48%
| 5.11%
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions
| 3.18
| 3.77
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares
| 2.90
| 3.56
|
|
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index
| 4.34
| 4.46
|
|
Lipper Corporate Debt Funds A-Rated Average
| 4.09
| 4.92
|
|
Returns are based on changes in principal value, reinvested dividends, and capital gain distributions, if any. Returns before taxes do not reflect effects of any income or capital gains taxes. Taxes are computed using the highest federal income tax rate. The after-tax returns reflect the rates applicable to ordinary and qualified dividends
and capital gains effective in 2003. The returns do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Returns after taxes on distributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares assume the shares were sold at period-end and, therefore, are also adjusted for any capital gains or losses incurred by the shareholder. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns, or taxes.
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index tracks domestic investment-grade bonds, including corporate, government, and mortgage-backed securities.
T. Rowe Price64
What fees and expenses will I pay?
Table 2 Fees and Expenses of the Advisor Class*
| Annual fund oper
ating expenses (expenses that are deducted from fund assets)
|
|
---|
Management fee
| 0.46%
td> |
|
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
| 0.25%
|
|
Other expenses
| 0.90%
|
|
Total annual fund operating expenses
| 1.61%
|
|
Fee waiver/reimbursement
| 0.71%a
|
|
Net expenses
| 0.90%a
|
|
*Redemption proceeds of less than $5,000 sent by wire are subject to a $5 fee paid to the fund.
aEffective October 1, 2004, T. Rowe Price is contractually obligated to bear any expenses and/or waive its fees through September 30, 2006, that would cause the class`s ratio of expenses to average net assets to exceed 0.90%. Expenses paid or assumed or fees waived under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price by the
fund whenever the class`s expense ratio is below 0.90%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after any waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 0.90%. Any amounts reimbursed will have the effect of increasing fees otherwise paid by the class. The class operated under a previous limitation for which T. Rowe Pri
ce may be reimbursed.
Example. The following table gives you an idea of how expense ratios may translate into dollars and helps you to compare the cost of investing in this class with that of oth
er mutual funds. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the table shows how much you would pay if operating expenses remain the same, the expense limitation currently in place is not renewed, you invest $10,000, earn a 5% annual return, hold the investment for the following periods, and then redeem:
1 year
| 3 years
| 5 years
| 10 years
|
---|
$92
| $414
| $785
| $1,830
|
other INFORMATION about the fund
What are the fund`s potential rewards?
The fund can provide an attractive level of income. It should offer higher yields than money market and short-term bond funds and generally less volatility than longer-term bond funds. In addition, the portfolio is widely diversified among various fixed-income securities, thus reducing the effect of a single bond`s price fluctuations on the fund`s share price or total return.
65
How does the portfolio manager try to reduce risk?
Consistent with the fund`s objective, the portfolio manager uses various tools to try to reduce risk and increase total return, including:
Diversification of assets to reduce the impact of a single holding or sector on the fund`
s net asset value.Thorough credit research by our own analysts.Adjustment of fund duration to try to reduce the drop in price when interest rates rise or to benefit from the rise in price when rates fall. Duration is a measure of a fund`s sensitivity to interest rate changes.Is the fund a substitute for a money market fund?
No. Money market funds, which have an average maturity under one year, ordinarily generate lower income in return for stability of net asset value. The fund`s total return is expected to fluctuate more than a money market fund`s and, as such, it should be viewed as a longer-term and riskier investment.
Do mortgage-backed securities differ from other high-quality bonds?
Yes, in one major respect. Non-mortgage bonds generally repay principal (face value of the bond) when their maturity date is reached, but most mortgage-backed securities repay principal continually as homeowners make mortgage payments. Homeowners have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, perhaps to refinance or buy a new home. As a result, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is virtually always shorter than its stated maturity.
For example, a new GNMA certificate backed by 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages will generally have a far shorter life than 30 y
ears probably 12 or less. Therefore, it will usually be about as volatile as a 10-year Treasury note. It is possible to estimate the average life of an entire mortgage pool backing a particular security with some accuracy, but not with certainty.
Why are yields on mortgage-backed securities higher than yields on Treasuries of similar maturity?
The structure of mortgage-backed securities is much more complex and their effective maturities are uncertain because of unscheduled prepayments. Higher yields compensate investors for these potentially negative features. See the previous discussion of prepayment risk and extension risk.
What are derivatives and can the fund invest in them?
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security such as a stock or bond or from a market benchmark, such as an interest rate index. Many types of investments representing a wide range of risks and potential rewards are derivatives, including conventional instruments such as
T. Rowe Price66
callable bonds, futures, and options, as well as more exotic investments such as swaps and structured notes. Investment managers have used derivatives for many years.
Derivatives will be used only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with fund objectives, policies, and overall risk profile as described in this prospectus. The fund uses derivatives in situations in which they may help accomplish the following: hedge against decline in principal value, increase yield, invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or adjust portfolio duration.
We will not invest in any high-risk, highly leveraged derivative that we believe would cause the portfolio to be more volatile than a long-term, investment-grade bond.
Is there other information I can review before making a decision?
Investment Policies and Practices in Section 3 discusses various types of portfolio securities the fund may purchase as well as types of management practices the fund may use.
some basics of Fixed-Income investing
Is a fund`s yield fixed or will it vary?
It will vary. The yield is calculated every day by dividing a fund`s net income per share, expressed at annual rates, by the share price. Since both income and share price will fluctuate, a fund`s yield will also vary. (Although money fund prices are stable, income is variable.)
Is yield the same as total return?
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No. A fund`s yield is the annualized dividends earned for a given period (typically 30 days for bond funds), divided by the share price at the end of the period. A fund`s total return includes distributions from income and capital gains and the change in share price for a given period.
What is credit quality and how does it affect yield?
Credit quality refers to a bond issuer`s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments on time. Because highly rated issuers represent less risk, they can borrow at lower interest rates than less creditworthy issuers. Therefore, a fund investing in high-quality securities should have a lower yield than an otherwise comparable fund investing in lower-quality securities.
67
What is meant by a bond fund`s maturity?
Every bond has a stated maturity date when the issuer must repay the bond`s entire principal value to the investor. However, many bonds are "callable," meaning their principal can be repaid before the stated maturity date. Bonds are most likely to be called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate, just as a homeowner refinances a mortgage. In that environment, a bond`s "effective maturity" is usually its nearest call date. For example, the rate at which homeowners pay down their mortgage principal determines the effective maturity of mortgage-backed bonds.
A bond fund has no real maturity, but it does have a weighted average
maturity and a weighted average effective maturity. Each of these numbers is an average of the stated or effective maturities of the underlying bonds, with each bond`s maturity "weighted" by the percentage of fund assets it represents. (The fund`s average effective maturity is calculated by reference to the nearest call dates or coupon reset dates of the underlying holdings.) Some funds target effective maturities rather than stated maturities when computing the average. This provides additional flexibility in portfolio management.
What is meant by a bond fund`s duration?
Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or a bond fund
to changes in interest rates. It is expressed in years, like maturity, but it is a better indicator of price sensitivity than maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated over the bond`s life. Future interest and principal payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then are multiplied by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in years <
/font> the duration. "Effective" duration takes into account call features and sinking fund payments that may shorten a bond`s life.
Since duration can be computed for bond funds, you can estimate the effect of interest rates on share prices by multiplying fund duration by an expected change in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond fund with a duration of five years would be expected to fall approximately 5% if rates rose by one percentage point. (T. Rowe Price shareholder reports show duration.)
How is a bond`s price affected by changes in interest rates?
When interest rates rise, a bond`s price usually falls, and vice versa. In general, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater the price increase or decrease in response to a given change in rates, as shown in Table 3.
T. Rowe Price68
Table 3 How Interest Rates May Affect Bond Prices
|
| Price of a $1,000 face value bond if interest rates:
|
|
|
|
|
---|
Bond maturity
| Coupon
| Increase
| Decrease
|
|
|
|
---|
|
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
|
|
---|
2 years
| 3.63%
| $981
| $963
| $1,019
| $1,039
|
|
5 years
| 3.70
| 956
| 914
| 1,046
| 1,095
|
|
10 years
| 3.91
| 922
| 851
| 1,086
| 1,181
|
|
30 years
| 4.19
| 849
| 729
| 1,192
| 1,438
|
|
Coupons reflect yields on Treasury securities as of June 30, 2005. The table may not be representative of price changes for mortgage-backed securities because of prepayments. This is an illustration and does not represent expected yields or share price changes of any T. Rowe Price fund.
69
Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds 2
As a T. Rowe Price shareholder, you
will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to all Advisor Class accounts.
Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds
How and when shares are priced
The share price (also called "net asset value" or NAV per sh
are) for each class of shares is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange, normally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the NAV, the fund`s assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and each class`s proportiona
te share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price stocks and bonds. Market values represent the prices at which securities actually trade or evaluations based on the judgment of the fund`s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Investments in mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. For securities primarily traded in the Far East, for example, the most recent closing prices may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. If a fund determines that developments between the close of the foreign market and 4 p.m. ET will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund`s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. A fund may also fair value securities in other situations, for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices and information used for adjusting those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day`s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices.
T. Rowe Price70
How your purchase, sale, or exchange price is determined
Advisor Class shares are intended for purchase, and may be held only, through various third-party intermediaries including brokers, dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others. Consult your intermediary to find out about how to purchase, sell, or exchange your shares, trade deadlines, and other applicable procedures for these transactions. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
The fu
nd may have an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until 4 p.m. ET. In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by 4 p.m. ET, transmitted to the fund, and paid for in accordance with the agreement, it will be priced at the next NAV computed after the intermediary received your order.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or an intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Sto
ck Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET.
How proceeds are received
Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, d
epending on the arrangement with the intermediary. Under certain circumstances and when deemed to be in the fund`s best interests, proceeds may not be sent to intermediaries for up to seven calendar days after receipt of the redemption order. You must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund`s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed below, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges) of fund shares held for less than the period shown, which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Funds With Redemption Fees
|
|
|
|
---|
Fund name
| Redemption fee
| Holding period*
|
|
---|
High YieldAdvisor Class
| 1%
font>
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International BondAdvisor Class
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International Growth & IncomeAdvisor Class
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International StockAdvisor Class
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Real EstateAdvisor Class
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Small-Cap ValueAdvisor Class
| 1%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
71
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund`s long-term shareholders. All persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or any other third party.
*Computation of holding period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee, T. Rowe Price will use the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold before the end of the required holding period.
If you purchase shares held directly with T. Rowe Price, the holding period is three months. For example, if you purchase shares on March 1 and redeem before June 1, you will be assessed the redemption fee.
If you purchase shares through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, the holding period is 90 days. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day from the date of purchase, you will be asses
sed the redemption fee.
If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period (for example, 90 days versus three months) will be applied.
Transactions not <
font style="font-size:9.5pt;" face="MetaPlusLF-BoldRoman" color="PANTONE 302">subject to redemption fees
The T. Rowe Price funds will not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
1.Shares redeemed via an automated systematic withdrawal plan;
2.Shares redeemed through or used to establish an automated, nondiscretionary rebalancing or asset allocation program, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
3.Shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;*
4.Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
5.Shares redeemed by a fund (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums or to cover various fees such as fiduciary fees);
T. Rowe Price72
6.Shares purchased by rollover and changes of account registration within the same fund;*
7.Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution in an IRA account;
8.Shares purchased by a fund-of-fund product, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
9.Shares transferred to T.<
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black"> Rowe Price or a third party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically;*
10.Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
*Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption fees on shares held in retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally redemption fees will be assessed only on shares redeemed by exchange that were originally purchased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe P
rice or how the fees are applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus accounts
If your shares are he
ld through an intermediary in an omnibus account,
T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on
underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries
establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the intermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not apply the exemptions listed above to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries may be subject to the fee. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Implementation
Recordkeepers for retirement plan participants who are unable to implement redemption fees due to system limitations must either (1) implement short-term trading restrictions approved by T. Rowe Price until they have the system capabilities to assess the fees or (2) set forth an implementation plan acceptable to T. Rowe Price. <
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">Any person purchasing shares through a retirement plan record
73
keeper should check with their recordkeeper to determine when purchases will be subject to redemption fees.
Shares held or purchased prior to January 1, 2005, are subject to the terms for holding periods and early redemption as set forth in the prospectus in effect when the shares were originally purchased. For example, shares of the T. Rowe Price International Stock FundAdvisor Class purchased on December 31, 2004, would be subject to a one-year holding period and 2% redemption fee if sold within one year; shares of the fund purchased on January 3, 2005, would be subject to the new 90-day/three-month holding period and a 2% redemption fee if sold within the 90-day/three-month holding period.
Useful Information on Distributions and Taxes
All net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option on your New Account Form. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, that is, receiving income dividends and capital gain distributions on a rising number of shares.
Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Table 4 Dividend Payment Schedule Fund
| Dividends
|
|
---|
Bond funds
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the bus
iness day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month.
|
|
These stock funds only:Equity Income Fund Advisor ClassReal Estate Fund Advisor Class
| Declared quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Retirement Funds:Retirement Income Fund Advisor ClassAll others
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Paid on the first business day of each month.Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Other stock funds
| Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
T. Rowe Price74
If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends; the information described above may vary.
Capital gain payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price
of a security.If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the follow
ing year.Tax Information
You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the IRS.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distr
ibutions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you will generally be subject to tax when:
You sell fund shares, including an exchange from
one fund to another.The fund makes a distribution to your account.For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing "qualified dividend
income" received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rate applicable to long-term capital gains, rather than ordinary income. You may report it as "qualified dividend income" in computing your taxes provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend
75
date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor`s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from certain nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the Real Estate FundAdvisor Class or the <
/font>bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for
the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund`s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international or bond fund Advisor Classes is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Note: Regular monthly dividends you receive from the Tax-Free Income FundAdvisor
Class are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. Exemption is not guaranteed since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. You must report your total tax-free income on IRS Form 1040. The IRS uses this information to help determine the tax status of any Social Security payments you may have received dur
ing the year. Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax.
If the Tax-Free Income Fu
nd invests in certain "private activity" bonds, shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) must include income generated by these bonds in their AMT calculation. The portion of this fund`s income dividend that should be included in your AMT calculation, if any
, will be reported to you in January.
Taxes on fund redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another is a sale for tax purposes.
Taxes on fund distributions
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. If you realize a loss on the sale or exchange of Tax-Free Income FundAdvisor Class shares held six months or less, your capital loss is reduced by the tax-exempt dividends received on those shares. For funds investing in
T. Rowe Price76
foreign securities, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the currency portion of gains on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as a return of capital.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an
offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income
taxes paid. For the Tax-Free Income FundAdvisor Class, gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. To the extent the fund invests in these securities, the l
ikelihood of a taxable gain distribution will be increased.
Retirement Funds
Distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
Tax consequences of hedging
Entering into certain options, futures, swaps, and forward foreign exchange contracts and transactions may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash
to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Distributions are taxable whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
Tax effect of buying shares before an income dividend or capital gain distribution
If you buy shares shortly before or on the "record date" the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution you may receive a portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund`s record date before investing. Of course, a fund`s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return.
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/p>
77
Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
Purchase Conditions for Intermediaries
Nonpayment
If the fund receives a check or ACH transfer that does not clear or the payment is not received in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The intermediary will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The fund and its agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
U.S. dollars
All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on immediate redemptions: 10-day hold
If an intermediary sells shares that it just purchased and paid for by check or ACH transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire.) Redemptions over $
250,000
Large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager`s ability to implement a fund`s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held. If, in any 90-day period, you redeem (sell) more than $250,000, or your sale amounts to more than 1% of fund net assets, the fund has the right to pay the difference between the redemption amount and the lesser of the two previously mentioned figures with securities from the fund.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading
T. Rowe Price may bar excessive and short-term traders from purchasing shares.
Excessive or short-term trading in fund shares may disrupt management of a fund and raise its costs. Short-term traders in funds investing in foreign securities may se
ek to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund`s shares and price movements in overseas markets (see "How and when shares are priced"). While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Board of Directors/Trustees of each fund has adopted the policy set forth below to deter such activity. Persons trading directly with T. Rowe Price or indirectly through intermediaries in violation of this policy or persons believed to be short-term traders may be barred for 90 calendar days or permanently from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds. Purchase transactions placed by such persons are subject
to rejection without notice.
T. Rowe Price78
All persons purchasing shares held directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, or through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, who make more than one purchase and one sale or one sale and one purchase involving the same fund within any 90-day calendar period will violate the policy.All persons purchasing fund shares held through an intermediary, including a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper, insurance company, or other third party, and who hold the shares for less than 90 calendar days will violate the policy.Omnibus accounts
Intermediaries often establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds for their customers. In such situations, T. Rowe Price cannot always monitor trading activity by individual shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level and looks for activity that indicates potential excessive or shortterm trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price contacts the intermediary to determine whether the excessive trading policy has been violated and, if so, a
sks the intermediary to take action to restrict transactions by the underlying shareholder in accordance with the policy.
Retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the fund`s excessive trading policy only applies to shares purchased and redeemed by exchange. However, the policy may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the excessive trading policy is applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to the fund`s excessive trading policy, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Exceptions to policy
The following types of transactions are exempt from this policy: 1) trades solely in money market funds (exchanges between a money fund and a non<
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">money fund are not exempt); 2) systematic purchases and redemptions; and 3) checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds.
In addition, transactions in automated nondiscretionary rebalancing programs, nondiscretionary asset allocation programs, or fund-of-funds products may be exempt from the excessive trading policy subject to prior written approval by designated persons at T. Rowe Price.
T. Rowe Price may modify the 90-day policy set forth above (for example, in situations where a retirement plan with multiple investment options imposes a uniform restriction on trading in the plan that differs from the T. Rowe Price fund`s policy). These modifications would be authorized only if the fund deter 79
mines, in its discretion, that the modified policy provides protection to the fund that is substantially equivalent to the fund`s regular policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will detect or prevent excessive or short-term trading.
Signature Guarantees
An intermediary may need to obtain a signature guarantee in certain situations and should consult its T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative.
You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions,
broker-de
alers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
distribution, shareholder servicing, and recordkeeping fees
The Advisor Class has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which it pays a fee at the rate of up to 0.25% of its daily net assets per year to various intermediaries for distribution and servicing of its shares. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the Advisor Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, could result in your paying more than with other types of sales charges. The Advisor Class may also separately compensate intermediaries at a rate of up to 0.10% of daily net assets per year for various recordkeeping and transfer agent services they perform.
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More About the Fund 3
Organization and Management
How is the fund organized?
The fund was incorporated in Maryland in 1973 and is an "open-end investment company," or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2002, the fund issued two separate share classes known as the Advisor Class and R Class.
Shareholders benefit from T. Rowe Price`s 68 years of investment management experience.
What is meant by "shares"?
As with all mutual funds, inve
stors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund`s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. The income dividends for the Advisor Class shares will generally differ from those of the original class to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of changes in the fund`s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voti
ng rights on matters affecting only that class.Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold annual meetings and, to avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, do not do so except when certain matters, such as a change in fundamental policies, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting, if they wish, for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee.
If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send you proxy materials that explain the issues to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail or telephone, or on the Internet.
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Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors/Trustees that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The
Board elects the fund`s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price.
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price specifically by the fund`s portfolio managers.
Portfolio Management
The fund has an Investment Advisory Committee with the following members: Daniel O. Shackelford, Chairman, Connice A. Bavely, Brian J. Brennan, Patrick S. Cassidy, Alan D. Levenson, Mary J. Miller, Edmund M. Notzon III, Vernon A. Reid, Jr., and David A. Tiberii. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund`s investment program. Mr. Shackelford became chairman of the fund`s committee in 2002. He joined T. Rowe Price in 1999 and has been managing investments since that time. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager`s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager`s ownership of securities in the fund.
The Management Fee
This fee has two parts an "individual fund fee," which reflects a fund`s particular characteristics, and a "group fee." The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (shown below) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule0.334%*
| First $50 billion
|
|
|
0.305%
| Next $30 billion
|
|
|
0.300%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.295%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.290%
| Thereafter
|
*Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
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2
The fund`s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund`s average daily net assets. At May 31, 2005, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.31%. The individual fund fee is 0.15%.
A discussion about the factors and conclusions considered by the Board in approving the fund`s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price appears in the fund`s annual report to shareholders for the period ending May 31, 2005.
Understanding Performance Information
This section should help you understand the terms used to describe fund
performance.
Total Return
This tells you how much an investment has changed in value over a given period. It reflects any net increase or decrease in the share price and assumes that all dividends and capital gains (if any) paid during the period were reinvested in additional shares. Therefore, total return numbers include the effect of compounding.
Advertisements may include cumulative or average annual total return figures, which may be compared with various indices, other performance measures, or other mutual funds.
Cumulative Total Return
This is the actual return of an investment for a specified period. A cumulative return does not indicate how much the value of the investment may have fluctuated during the period. For example, an investment could have a 10-year positive cumulative return despite experiencing some negative years during that time.
Average Annual Total Return
This is always hypothetical and should not be confused with actual year-by-year results. It smooths out all the variations in annual performance to tell you what constant year-by-year return would have produced the investment`s actual cumulative return. This gives you an idea of an investment`s annual contribution to your portfolio, provided you held it for the entire period.
Yield
The current or "dividend" yield on a fund or any investment tells you the relationship between the investment`s current level of annual income and its price on a particular day. The dividend yield reflects the actual income paid to
shareholders for a given period, annualized and divided by the price at the end
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of the period. For example, a fund providing $5 of annual income per share and a price of $50 has a current yield of 10%. Yields can be calculated for any time period.
For bond funds, the advertised or SEC yield is found by determining the net income per share (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission) earned by a fund during a 30-day base period and dividing this amount by the share price on the last day of the base period. The SEC yieldalso called the
standardized yieldmay differ from the dividend yield.
Investme
nt Policies and Practices
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as "fundamental policies." The managers also follow certain "operating policies" that can be changed without shareholder approval. Fund investment restrictions and policies apply at the time of purchase. A later change in circumstances will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time it was made. (This exception does not apply to the fund`s borrowing policy.)
Fund holdings of certain
kinds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages of total assets, which are set forth in this prospectus. For instance, fund investments in certain derivatives are limited to 10% of total assets. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have significantly more of an impact on a fund`s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments are
discussed in the shareholder reports sent to you.
Fund managers have considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
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Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are con
sistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund securities and investment management practices.
Fundamental policy The fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund. These limitations do not apply to the fund`s purchase of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities.
Bonds
A bond is an interest-bearing security. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond`s face value) on a specified date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, and the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Bonds can be issued by U.S. and foreign governments, states and municipalities, as well as a wide variety of companies.
A bond`s annual interest income, set by its coupon rate, is usually fixed for the life of the bond. Its yield (income as a percent of current price) will fluctuate to reflect changes in interest rate levels. A bond`s price usually rises when interest rates fall, and vice versa, so its
yield stays consistent with current market conditions.
Conventional fixed-rate bonds offer a coupon rate for a fixed maturity with no adjustment for inflation. Real rate of return bonds also offer a fixed coupon but include ongoing inflation adjustments for the life of the bond.
Bonds may be unsecured (backed by the issuer
`s general creditworthiness only) or secured (also backed by specified collateral). Bonds include asset- and mortgage-backed securities.
Certain bonds have interest rates that are adjusted periodically. These interest rate adjustm
ents tend to minimize fluctuations in the bonds` principal values. The maturity of those securities may be shortened under certain specified
conditions.
Bonds may be designated as senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation`s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated debt.
font>
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Bond ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of an issuer`s financial strength. Ratings can change at any time due to real or perceived changes in an issuer`s credit or financial fundamentals.
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividen
d payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company`s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, preferred sto
ck may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities convertible into,
or exchangeable for, equity securities. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. Some convertibles combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants can be highly volatile, have no voting rights, and pay no dividends.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets (not including cash) in preferred and common stocks and convertible securities, convertible into or which carry warrants for common stocks or other equity securities. These securities may or may not be rated.
Foreign Securities
Investments may be made in foreign securities. These include nondollar-denominated securities traded outside of the U.S. and dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the U.S. (such as Yankee bonds). Investing in foreign securities involves special risks that can increase the potential for losses. These include: exposure to potentially adverse local, political, and economic developments such as war, political instability, hyperinflation, currency devaluations, and overdependence on particular industries; government interference in markets such as natio
nalization and exchange controls, expropriation of assets, or imposition of punitive taxes; potentially lower
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liquidity and higher volatility; possible problems arising from accounting, disclosure, settlement, and regulatory practices and legal rights that differ from U.S. standards; and the chance that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will decrease the investment`s value (favorable changes can increase its value). These
font>risks are heightened for investments in developing countries.
Operating policy There is no limit on fund investments in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued by foreign issuers, foreign branches of U.S. banks, and U.S. branches of foreign banks. The fund may also invest up to
20% of total assets (excluding reserves) in non-U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities.
Asset-Backed Securities
An underlying pool of assets, such as credit card or automobile trade receivables or corporate loans or bonds, backs these bonds and provides the interest and principal payments to investors. On occasion, the pool of assets may also include a swap obligation, which is used to change the cash flows on the underlying assets. As an example, a swap may be used to allow floating rate assets to back a fixed-rate obligation. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the und
erlying assets, the level of credit support, if any, provided by the structure or by a third-party insurance wrap, and the credit quality of the swap counterparty, if any. The underlying assets (i.e., loans) are sometimes subject to prepayments, which can shorten the security`s weighted average life and may lower its return. The value of these securities also may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, the originator, the servicing agent, the financial institution providing the credit support, or the swap counterparty. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage lenders pool individual home mortgages with similar characteristics to b
ack a certificate or bond, which is sold to investors such as the fund. Interest and principal payments generated by the underlying mortgages are passed through to the investors. The "big three" issuers are the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). GNMA certificates are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, while others, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac certificates, are only supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the credit of the agency. Private mortgage bankers and other institutions also issue mortgage-backed securities.
Mortgage-backed securities are subject to scheduled and unscheduled principal payments as homeowners pay down or prepay their mortgages. As these payments are received, they
must be reinvested when interest rates may be higher or
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lower than on the original mortgage security. Therefore, these securities are not an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates. In addition, when interest rates fall, the pace of mortgage prepayments picks up. These refinanced mortgages are paid off at face value (par), causing a loss for any investor who may have purchased the security at a price above par. In such an environment,
this risk limits the potential price appreciation of these securities and can negatively affect the fund`s net asset value. When rates rise, the prices of mortgage-backed securities can be expected to decline, although historically these securities have experienced smaller price declines than comparable quality bonds. In addition, when rates rise and prepayments slow, the effective duration of mortgage-backed securities extends, resulting in increased volatility.
Operating Policy There is no limit on fund investments in mortgage-backed securities.
Additional mortgage-backed securities in which the fund may invest include:
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) CMOs are debt securities that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the CMOs in such a way as to create some classes with more stable average lives than the underlying mortgages and other classes with more volatile average lives. CMO classes may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain classes have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments.Stripped Mortgage Securities Stripped mortgage securities (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed securities or a CMO to create additional classes of securities. Generally, one class receives only interest payments (IOs), and another receives principal payments (POs). Unlike with other mortgage-backed securities and POs, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The fund can use IOs as a hedge against falling prepayment rates (interest rates are rising) and/or a bear market environment. POs can be used as a hedge against rising prepayment rates (interest rates are falling) and/or a bull market environment. IOs and POs are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments.A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can severely depress the price of IOs, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on POs. Of course, under the opposite conditions these securities may appreciate in value. These securities can be very volatile in price and may have lower liquidity than most other mortgage-backed securities. Certain non-stripped CMO classes may also exhibit these qualities, especially those that pay variable rates of interest that adjust inversely with, and more rapidly than, short-term interest rates. In addition, if interest rates rise rapidly an
d prepayment rates slow
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more than expected, certain CMO classes, in addition to losing value, can exhibit characteristics of longer-term securities and become more volatile. There is no guarantee that fund investments in CMOs, IOs, or POs will be successful, and fund total return could be adversely affected as a result.
Operating policy Fund investments in stripped mortgage securities are limited to 10% of total assets.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) CMBS are securities created from a pool of commercial mortgage loans, such as loans for hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, apartment buildings, etc. Interest and principal payments from the loans are passed on to the investor according to a schedule of payments. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the loans themselves and on the structure of the particular deal. Generally, deals are structured with senior and subordinate classes. The amount of subordination is determined by the rating agencies who rate the individual classes of the structure. Commercial mortgages are generally structured with prepayment penalties, which greatly reduces prepayment risk to the investor. However, the value of these securities may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, their tenants, the servicing agents, or the general state of commercial real estate. There is no limit on fund investments
in these securities.Hybrid Instruments
These instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency, or securities index or another interest rate (each a "benchmark"). Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensiti
ve to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and
pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrid. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
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Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total asse
ts.
Deferrable Subordinated Securities
These are securities with long maturities that are deeply subordinated in the issuer`s capital structure. They generally have 30-year maturities and permit the issuer to defer distributions for up to five years. These characteristics give the issuer more financial flexibi
lity than is typically the case with traditional bonds. As a result, the securities may be viewed as possessing certain "equity-like" features by rating agencies and bank regulators. However, the securities are treated as debt securities by market participants, and the fund intends to treat them as such as well. These securities may offer a mandatory put or remarketing option that creates an effective maturity date significantly shorter than the stated one. Fund investments will be made in these secu
rities to the extent their yield, credit, and maturity characteristics are consistent with the fund`s investment objective and program.
Inflation-Linked Securities
Inflation-linked securities are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflationa sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, are inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. government. Inflation-linked bonds are also issued by corporations, U.S. government agencies, and foreign countries. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (CPI). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation-adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.
Inflation-protected bonds normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the fund.
Illiquid Securities
These securities include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold, for example, under Rule 144A, others may have resale restrictions and be illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and addi
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tional costs, and the fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what the fund believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund investments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Utility Industry Concentration
The fund may, under certain circumstances, invest a substantial amount of its assets in the utility industry. Investments in this industry may be affected by environmental conditions, energy conservation programs, fuel shortages, availability of capital to finance operations and construction programs, and federal and state legislative and regulatory actions. T. Rowe Price believes that any risk to the fund which might result from concentrating in any such industry will be minimized by diversification of the fund`s investments.
Operating policy The fund has no current intention of concentrating in the utility industry.
Fundamental policy The fund will, under certain conditions, invest up to 50% of its assets in any one of the following industries: gas utility, gas transmission utility, electric utility, telephone utility, and petroleum.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets will be held in money marke
t reserves. Fund reserve positions are expected to consist primarily of shares of one or both T. Rowe Price internal money market funds. Short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements, may also be held. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on fund investments in mo
ney market reserves. Significant investments in reserves could compromise the ability to achieve fund objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses, and in the timing of new investments and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
Fund borrowings may be made from banks and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3%
of total assets.
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Operating policy Fund transfers of portfolio securities as collateral will not be made except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets. Fund purchases of additional securities will not be made when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (where the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (where the investor "writes" or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including: to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing fund overall exposure to a specific part or broad segment of the U.S. market or a foreign market; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower fund total return; and the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund`s initial investment in such contracts.
Operating policies &
#160;Futures: Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of net asset value. Options on securities: The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Swaps
Fund investments may be made in interest rate, index, total return, and credit default swap agreements as well as options on swap agreements or swap options. All of these agreements are considered derivatives and, in certain cases, high-risk derivatives. Swap agreements are two-party contracts under which the fund and a counterparty, such as a broker or d
ealer, agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or indices. Swaps and swap options can be used for a variety of purposes, i
ncluding: to manage fund exposure to changes in interest rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting fund overall exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration.
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There are risks in the use of swaps and swap options. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or <
/font>investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps can increase fund exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if we do not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based. Swaps and swap options may not always be
successful hedges; using them could lower fund total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed a fund`s initial investment in such instruments. Also, the other party to a swap agreement could default on its obligations or refuse to cash out a fund`s investment at a reasonable price, which could turn an expected gain into a loss.
Operating policies A swap agreement with any single counterparty will not be entered into if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets, or if the net amount owed or to be received by the fund under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets
will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Managing Foreign Currency Risk
Investors in foreign securities may attempt to "hedge" their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of "forwards" contracts to exchange one currency for another on some future date at a specified exchange rate. However, futures, swaps, and options on these instruments ma
y also be used. In certain circumstances, a different currency may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, a strategy known as "proxy hedging." The fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond issued in one currency, but with the currency component transformed into another currency. If the fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, they would be primarily to protect a fund`s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the
dollar. Such transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce fund total return. There are certain markets, including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective <
/font>foreign currency hedging.
Operating policy The fund will not commit more than 20% of total assets to any combination of the types of foreign currency instruments described above.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
Fund securities may be lent to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and
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capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
Fundamental policy
160;The value of loaned securities may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets.
When-Issued Securities and Forwards
The fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities. The price of these securities is fixed at the time of the commitment to buy, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more later. During the interim period, the market value of the securities can fluctuate, and no interest accrues to the purchaser. At the time of delivery, the value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. To the extent the fund remains fully or almost fully invested (in securities with a remaining maturity of more than one year) at the same time it purchases these securities, there will be greater fluctuations in the fund`s net asset value than if the fund did not purchase them.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. We will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but, when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time the fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in the fund`s net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on the fund`s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions.
Funds investing in bonds may have higher turnover than funds investing in stocks. Unlike stocks, fixed-maturity bonds require reinvestment. For funds investing in mortgages and callable debt, frequent reinvestment of principal is often required. Common trading strategies, such as mortgage dollar rolls, can increase turnover. Active investment strategies, such as sector rotation and duration management, also necessitate more frequent trading. The fund`s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
The fund`s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual reports to shareholders, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund`s first and third fiscal quarter-end. In addition, the fund discloses its calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com
T. Rowe Price94
15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of the fund`s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would be omitted from the list if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be omitted from the list for more than one year. The fund also discloses its largest
10 holdings on troweprice.com seven days after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund`s total assets they represent. The quarter-end portfolio will remain on the Web site for one year. The top 10 list is replaced every six months. A description of the fund`s policy and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is in the Statement of Additional Information.
Financial Highlights
Table 5, which provides information about the class`s financial history, is based on a single share outstanding throughout the periods shown. The table is part of the fund`s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available
upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of account or [if applicable] redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund`s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
95
Table 5 Financial Highlights
|
| 9/30/02* through 5/31/03
| Year ended May 31
|
|
|
---|
|
|
| 2004
| 2005 a
|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value,beginning of period
|
| $8.84
| $9.21
| $8.87
|
|
Income From Investment Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment inc
ome
|
| 0.23b
| 0.30b
| 0.31b
|
|
Net gains or losses on securities (both realized and unrealized)
|
| 0.38
| (0.34)
| 0.30
|
|
Total from investment operations
|
| 0.61
| (0.04)
| 0.61
|
|
Less Distributions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends (from net investment income)
|
| (0.24)
| (0.30)
| (0.33)
|
|
Distributions (fromcapital gains)
|
|
|
| (0.01
font>)
|
|
Returns of capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total distributions
|
| (0.24)
| (0.30)
| (0.34)
|
|
Redemption fees addedto paid in capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value,end of period
|
| $9.21
| $8.87
| $9.14
|
|
Total return
|
| 7.02%b
| (0.45)%b
| 7.01%b
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period(in thousands)
|
| $107
| $139
| $1,932
|
|
Ratio of expenses to average net assets
|
| 0.90%bc
| 0.90%b
| 0.90%b
|
|
Ratio of net income to average net assets
|
| 2.61%bc
| 3.36%b
| 3.55%b
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate
|
| 221.2%
| 219.0%
| 135.
9%d
|
|
*Inception date.
aPer share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
bExcludes expenses in excess of a 0.90% contractual expense limitation in effect through September 30, 2006.
cAnnualized.
dThe portfolio turnover rate calculation includes purchases and sales from mortgage dollar roll transactions (see Note 2 of the Annual Report); had these transactions been excluded from the calculation, the portfolio turnover for the year ended May 31, 2005 would have been 108.5%.
T. Rowe Price96
Investing With T. Rowe Price 4
Account Requirements and Transaction Information
The information in this section is for use by intermediaries only. Shareholders should contact their interm
ediary for information regarding the intermediary`s policies on purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming fund shares as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums.
Tax Identification
Number
The i
ntermediary must provide us with its certified Social Security or employer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions, and may subject the intermediary or account holder to an IRS fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after the account is established, the account may be redeemed at the fund`s net asset value (NAV) on the redemption date.
All initial and subsequent investments by intermediaries should be made by bank wire or electronic payment. For more information, contact Financial Institution Services.
Opening a New Account
$2,500 minimum initial investment; $1,000 for retirement plans or gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts
Important Information About Opening an Account
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
When you open an account, you will be asked for the name, residential street address, date of birth, and Social Security number or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others, such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers. Entities are also required to provide documents such as articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, trust documents, and other applicable records.
97
We will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. We will not be able to open your account until we receive all of this information. If we are unable to verify your identity, we are authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.)
Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services for an account number and assignment to a dedicated service representative and give the following wire information to their bank:
Receiving Bank:
font> PNC Bank, N.A. (Pittsburgh)
Receiving Bank ABA#: 043000096
Beneficiary: T. Rowe Price [fund name]
Beneficiary Account: 1004397951
Originator to Beneficiary Information (OBI):
name of owner(s) and account number
In order to obtain an account number, the intermediary must supply the name, Social Security or employer identification number, and business street address for the account.
Intermediaries should complete a New Account Form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm, to one of the appropriate addresses listed below. Intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent.
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services
P.O. Box 17603
Baltimore, MD 21297-1603
via private carriers/overnight services
T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services
Mail Code: OM-4232
4515 Painters Mill Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4842
T. Rowe Price98
Purchasing Additional ShareS
$100 minimum additional purchase; $50 minimum for retirement plans, Automatic Asset Builder, and gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts
By Wire Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services or use the wire instructions listed in Opening a New Account.
Exchanging and redeeming ShareS
Exchange Service
You can move money from one account to an existing identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. Intermediaries should call their Financial Institution Services representative for more information or to place a trade. For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special RequirementsExcessive Trading.
Redemptions
Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be wired to the intermediary`s designated bank. Intermediaries should contact their Financial Institution Services representative.
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund`s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund.
Rights Reserved by the Funds
T. Rowe Price funds and their agents reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone or mailgram; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary, no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (includ
ing, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership) upon notice to the shareholder within five business days of the trade or
99
if the written confirmation has not been received by the shareholder, whichever is sooner; (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6
) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners or there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuin
e; and (10) to involuntarily redeem your account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account.
These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the fund or if required by law.
In an effort to protect T. Rowe Price funds from the possible adverse effects of a substantial redemption in a large account, as a matter of general policy, no shareholder or group of shareholders controlled by the same person or group of persons will knowingly be permitted to purchase in excess of 5% of the outstanding shares of a fu
nd, except upon approval of the fund`s management.
T. Rowe Price100
T. rowe price Privacy Policy
In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confid
ential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies` use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal infor
mation. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confiden
ce.
___________________________________________________________________
This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price A
ssociates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Savings Bank; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
101
<R>October 1, 2005 revised to October 3, 2005
</R>Prospectus
T.<
b> Rowe Price
New Income FundR Class
A bond fund investing primarily in investment-grade bonds to achieve an attractive level of income. This class of shares is sold only through financial intermediaries.
T. Rowe Price102
1940 Act File No. 811-2396
<R>E243-040 10/3/05
</R>T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
A fund Statement of Additional Information has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager`s recent strategies and their impact on performance, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copies of any of these documents, call your intermediary. These documents are also available at troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the
EDGAR Database on the SEC`s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington D.C. 20549-0102.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
103
1
|
| About the Fund
|
|
|
| Objective, Strategy, Risks, and Expenses
| 1
|
|
| Other Information About the Fund
| 6
|
|
| Some Basics of Fixed-Income Investing
| 8
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
| Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds
|
|
|
| Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds
| 11
|
|
| Useful Information on Distributionsand Taxes
| 15
|
|
| Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
| 18
|
|
| Distribution, Shareholder Servicing, and Recordkeeping Fees
| 21
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
| More About the Fund
|
|
|
| Organization and Management
| 22
|
|
| Understanding Performance Information
| 24
|
|
| Investment Policies and Practices
| 25
|
|
| Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
| 36
|
|
| Financial Highlights
| 36
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
| Investing With T. Rowe Price
|
|
|
| Account Requirements and Transaction Information
| 38
|
|
| Purchasing Additional Shares
| 39
|
|
| Exchanging and Redeeming Shares
| 40
|
|
| Rights Reserved by the Funds
| 40
|
|
| T. Rowe Price Privacy Policy
| 42
|
T. Rowe Price104
105
Founded in 1937 by the late Thomas Rowe Price, Jr., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates managed $244.8 billion for more than nine million individual and institutional investor accounts as of June 30, 2005. T. Rowe Price is the fund`s investment manager.
Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depository institution. Shares are not insured by the FDIC, Federal Reserve, or any other government agency, and are
subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
T. Rowe Price New Income Fund, Inc.
T. Rowe Price New Income FundR Class
About the Fund 1
objective, strategy, risks, and expenses
A word about the fund`s name and structure. The R Class is a share class of its respective T. Rowe Price fund and is not a separate mutual fund. The R Class shares are designed to be sold only through various third-party intermediaries that offer employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans, including brokers, dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others.
What is the fund`s objective?
The fund seeks the highest level of income consistent with the preservation of capital over time by investing primarily in marketable debt securities.
What is the fund`s principal investment strategy?
In seeking income and capital preservation, the fund pursues a total return strategy. Active management of the portfolio can result in bonds being sold at gains or losses. However, over the long term, the fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in income-producing securities that possess what we believe are favorable total return (income plus changes in principal) characteristics.
The fund will invest at least 80% of the fund`s total assets in income-producing securities, which may include U.S. government and agency obligations, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, foreign securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and others, including, on occasion, equities.
<R>Eighty percent of the debt securities purchased by the fund will be rated investment grade (AAA, AA, A, BBB, or equivalent) by each of the major credit rating agencies (Standard & Poor`s, Moody`s, and Fitch IBCA, Inc.) that have assigned a rating to the security. If the security is unrated, it must be deemed to be of invest<
/u>ment-grade quality by T. Rowe Price. Up to 15% of total assets may be invested in "split-rated securities," or those rated investment grade by at least one rating agency but below investment grade by others. In addition, the fund may invest up to 5% of total assets in securities that have not received an investment g
rade rating by any major credit rating agency.
</R>Investment restrictions, such as a required minimum or maximum investment in a particular type of security, are measured at the time the fund purchases a security. The status, market value, maturity, credit quality, or other characteristics of the fund`s securities may change after they are purchased, and thi
s may cause the amount of the fund`s assets invested in such securities to exceed the stated maxi
T. Rowe Price106
mum restriction or fall below the stated minimum restriction. If this occurs, it would not be considered a violation of the investment restriction.
The fund has considerable flexibility in seeking high yields. There are no maturity restrictions, so we can purchase longer-term bonds, which tend to have higher yields than shorter-term issues. However, the portfolio`s weighted average maturity is expected to be between four and 15 years. In addition, when there is a large yield difference between the various quality levels, we may move down the credit scale and purchase lower-rated bonds with higher yields. When the difference is small or the outlook warrants, we may concentrate investments in higher-rated issues.
The fund may also invest in other securities, including futures, options, and swaps, in keeping with its objective.
The fund may sell holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust the portfolio`s average maturity or quality or to shift assets into higher-yielding securities or different sectors.
For details about the fund`s investment program, please see the Investment Policies and Practices section.
What are the main risks of investing in the fund?
Interest rate risk This is the risk that an increase in interest rates will likely cause the fund`s share price to fall, resulting in a loss of principal (see Table 3). That`s because the bonds and notes in the fund`s portfolio become less attractive to other in
vestors when securities with higher yields become available. Even GNMAs and other securities (whose principal and interest payments are guaranteed) can decline in price if rates rise. Generally speaking, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater its potential for price declines if rates rise and for price gains if rates fall. Because the fund may invest in bonds of any maturity, it carries more interest rate risk than short-term bond funds. If the fund purchases longer-maturity bonds and interest rates rise unexpectedly, the fund`s price could decline.Credit risk This risk is the chance that any of the fund`s holdings will have their credit ratings downgraded or will default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the fund`s income level and share price. While the fund`s overall credit quality is high, it can own BBB securities, which are more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and may have speculative characteristics.Most investment-grade (AAA through BBB) securities have relatively low financial risk and a relatively high probability of future payment. However, securities rated BBB are more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and may have speculative characteristics. Securities rated below investment grade (junk or
107
high-yield bonds) should be regarded as speculative because their issuers are more susceptible to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy companies. If the fund invests in securities whose issuers develop unexpected credit problems, the fund`s price could decline.
The fund may continue to hold a security that has been downgraded or loses its investment-grade rating after purchase.
Foreign investing risk To the extent the fund h
olds foreign bonds, it will be subject to special risks, whether the bonds are denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. These risks include potentially adverse political and economic developments overseas, greater volatility, lower liquidity, and the possibility that foreign currencies will decline against the dollar, lowering the value of secur
ities denominated in those currencies and possibly the fund`s share price.Prepayment risk and extension risk A mortgage-backed bond, unlike most other bonds, can be hurt when interest rates fall because homeowners tend to refinance and prepay principal. Recei
ving increasing prepayments in a falling interest rate environment causes the average maturity of the portfolio to shorten, reducing its potential for price gains. It also requires the fund to reinvest proceeds at lower interest rates, which reduces the portfolio`s total return and yield, and may even cause certain bond prices to fall below the level the fund paid for them, resulting in a capital loss. Any of these developments could result in a decrease in the fund`s income, share price, or total return.Extension risk refers to a rise in interest rates that causes a fund`s average maturity to lengthen unexpectedly due to a drop in mortgage prepay
ments. This would increase the fund`s sensitivity to rising rates and its potential for price declines.
Derivatives risk Shareholders are also exposed to derivatives risk, the potential that our investments in these complex and volatile instruments could affect the fund`s share price. In addition to collateralized mortgage obligations and better-known instruments such as swaps and futures, other derivatives that may be used in limited fashion by the fund include interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities known as "strips." S
ome of these instruments can be highly volatile, and their value can fall dramatically in response to rapid or unexpected changes in the mortgage, interest rate, or economic environment.As with any mutual fund, there can be no guarantee the fund will achieve its objective.
The share price and income level of the
fund will fluctuate with changing market conditions and interest rate levels. When you sell your shares, you may lose money.
T. Rowe Price108
How can I tell if the fund is appropriate for me?
Consider your investment goals, your time horizon for achieving them, and your tolerance for risk. The fund may be appropriate for you if you seek an attractive level of income and are willing to accept the risk of a declining share price when interest rates rise. Steadily reinvesting the fund`s income is a conservative strategy for building capital over time. If you are investing primarily for safety and liquidity, you should consider a money market fund.
The fund should not represent your complete investment program or be used for short-term trading purposes.
How has the fund performed in the past?
The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. Fund past returns (before and after taxes) are not necessarily an indication of future performance.
The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted.
In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by the
shareholder may influence returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor`s situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant if the shares are held in a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. During periods of fund losses, the post-liquidation after-tax return may exceed the fund`s other returns because the loss generates a tax benefit that is factored into the result.
109
The fund`s return for the six months ended 6/30/05 was 2.57%.
Table 1 Average Annual Total Returns
| Periods ended December 31, 2004
|
|
|
---|
| 1 year
| Since inception (9/30/02)
|
|
---|
New Income FundR Class
|
|
|
|
Returns before taxes
| 4.12%
| 4.86%
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions
| 2.91
| 3.61
|
|
Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares
| 2.67
| 3.41
|
|
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index
| 4.34
| 4.46
|
|
Lipper Corporate Debt Funds A-Rated Average
| 4.09
| 4.92
|
|
Returns are based on changes in principal value, reinvested dividends, and capital gain distributions, if any. Returns before taxes do not reflect effects of any income or capital gains taxes. Taxes are computed using the highest federal income tax rate. The after-tax returns reflect the rates applicable to ordinary and qualified dividends and capital gains effective in 2003. The returns do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Returns after taxes on di
stributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares assume the shares were sold at period-end and, therefore, are also adjusted for any capital gains or losses incurred by the shareholder. M
arket indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns, or taxes.
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index tracks domestic investment-grade bonds, including corporate, government, and mortgage-backed securities.
T. Rowe Price110
What fees and expenses will I pay?
Table 2 Fees and Expenses of the R Class*
| Annual fund operating
expenses (expenses that are deducted from fund assets)
|
|
---|
Management fee
| 0.46%
|
|
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
| 0.50%
|
|
Other expenses
| 0.42%
|
|
Total annual fund operating expenses
| 1.38%
|
|
Fee waiver/reimbursement
| 0.23%a
|
|
Net expenses
| 1.15%a
|
|
*Redemption proceeds of less than $5,000 sent by wire are subject to a $5 fee paid to the fund.
aEffective October 1, 2004, T. Rowe Price is contractually obligated to bear any expenses and/or waive its fees through September 30, 2006, that would cause the class`s ratio of expenses to average net assets to exceed 1.15%. Expenses paid or assumed or fees waived under this agreement are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price by the fund
whenever the class`s expense ratio is below 1.15%. However, no reimbursement will be made more than three years after any waiver or payment, or if it would result in the expense ratio exceeding 1.15%. Any amounts reimbursed will have the effect of increasing fees otherwise paid by the class. The class operated under a previous limitation for which T. Rowe Price may
be reimbursed.
Example. The following table gives you an idea of how expense ratios may translate into dollars and helps you to compare the cost of investing in this class with that of other mut
ual funds. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the table shows how much you would pay if operating expenses remain the same, the expense limitation currently in place is not renewed, you invest $10,000, earn a 5% annual return, hold the investment for the following periods, and then redeem:
1 year
| 3 years
| 5 years
| 10 years
|
---|
$117
| $406
| $726
| $1,630
|
other INFORMATION about the fund
What are the fund`s potential rewards?
The fund can provide an attractive level of income. It should offer higher yields than money market and short-term bond funds and generally less volatility than longer-term bond funds. In addition, the portfolio is widely diversified among various fixed-income securities, thus reducing the effect of a single bond`s price fluctuations on the fund`s share price or total return.
111
How does the portfolio manager try to reduce risk?
Consistent with the fund`s objective, the portfolio manager uses various tools to try to reduce risk and increase total return, including:
Diversification of assets to reduce the impact of a single holding or sector on the fund`
s net asset value.Thorough credit research by our own analysts.Adjustment of fund duration to try to reduce the drop in price when interest rates rise or to benefit from the rise in price when rates fall. Duration is a measure of a fund`s sensitivity to interest rate changes.Is the fund a substitute for a money market fund?
No. Money market funds, which have an average maturity under one year, ordinarily generate lower income in return for stability of net asset value. The fund`s total return is expected to fluctuate more than a money market fund`s and, as such, it should be viewed as a longer-term and riskier investment.
Do mortgage-backed securities differ from other high-quality bonds?
Yes, in one major respect. Non-mortgage bonds generally repay principal (face value of the bond) when their maturity date is reached, but most mortgage-backed securities repay principal continually as homeowners make mortgage payments. Homeowners have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, perhaps to refinance or buy a new home. As a result, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is virtually always shorter than its stated maturity.
For example, a new GNMA certificate backed by 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages will generally have a far shorter life than 30 y
ears probably 12 or less. Therefore, it will usually be about as volatile as a 10-year Treasury note. It is possible to estimate the average life of an entire mortgage pool backing a particular security with some accuracy, but not with certainty.
Why are yields on mortgage-backed securities higher than yields on Treasuries of similar maturity?
The structure of mortgage-backed securities is much more complex and their effective maturities are uncertain because of unscheduled prepayments. Higher yields compensate investors for these potentially negative features. See the previous discussion of prepayment risk and extension risk.
What are derivatives and can the fund invest in them?
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security such as a stock or bond or from a market benchmark, such as an interest rate index. Many types of investments representing a wide range of risks and potential rewards are derivatives, including conventional instruments such as
T. Rowe Price112
callable bonds, futures, and options, as well as more exotic investments such as swaps and structured notes. Investment managers have used derivatives for many years.
Derivatives will be used only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with fund objectives, policies, and overall risk profile as described in this prospectus. The fund uses derivatives in situations in which they may help accomplish the following: hedge against decline in principal value, increase yield, invest in eligible asset classes with greater efficiency and lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or adjust portfolio duration.
We will not invest in any high-risk, highly leveraged derivative that we believe would cause the portfolio to be more volatile than a long-term, investment-grade bond.
Is there other information I can review before making a decision?
Investment Policies and Practices in Section 3 discusses various types of portfolio securities the fund may purchase as well as types of management practices the fund may use.
some basics of Fixed-Income investing
Is a fund`s yield fixed or will it vary?
It will vary. The yield is calculated every day by dividing a fund`s net income per share, expressed at annual rates, by the share price. Since both income and share price will fluctuate, a fund`s yield will also vary. (Although money fund prices are stable, income is variable.)
Is yield the same as total return?
<
/p>
No. A fund`s yield is the annualized dividends earned for a given period (typically 30 days for bond funds), divided by the share price at the end of the period. A fund`s total return includes distributions from income and capital gains and the change in share price for a given period.
What is credit quality and how does it affect yield?
Credit quality refers to a bond issuer`s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments on time. Because highly rated issuers represent less risk, they can borrow at lower interest rates than less creditworthy issuers. Therefore, a fund investing in high-quality securities should have a lower yield than an otherwise comparable fund investing in lower-quality securities.
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What is meant by a bond fund`s maturity?
Every bond has a stated maturity date when the issuer must repay the bond`s entire principal value to the investor. However, many bonds are "callable," meaning their principal can be repaid before the stated maturity date. Bonds are most likely to be called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate, just as a homeowner refinances a mortgage. In that environment, a bond`s "effective maturity" is usually its nearest call date. For example, the rate at which homeowners pay down their mortgage principal determines the effective maturity of mortgage-backed bonds.
A bond fund has no real maturity, but it does have a weighted average
maturity and a weighted average effective maturity. Each of these numbers is an average of the stated or effective maturities of the underlying bonds, with each bond`s maturity "weighted" by the percentage of fund assets it represents. (The fund`s average effective maturity is calculated by reference to the nearest call dates or coupon reset dates of the underlying holdings.) Some funds target effective maturities rather than stated maturities when computing the average. This provides additional flexibility in portfolio management.
What is meant by a bond fund`s duration?
Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or a bond fund
to changes in interest rates. It is expressed in years, like maturity, but it is a better indicator of price sensitivity than maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated over the bond`s life. Future interest and principal payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then are multiplied by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in years <
/font> the duration. "Effective" duration takes into account call features and sinking fund payments that may shorten a bond`s life.
Since duration can be computed for bond funds, you can estimate the effect of interest rates on share prices by multiplying fund duration by an expected change in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond fund with a duration of five years would be expected to fall approximately 5% if rates rose by one percentage point. (T. Rowe Price shareholder reports show duration.)
How is a bond`s price affected by changes in interest rates?
When interest rates rise, a bond`s price usually falls, and vice versa. In general, the longer a bond`s maturity, the greater the price increase or decrease in response to a given change in rates, as shown in Table 3.
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Table 3 How Interest Rates May Affect Bond Prices
|
| Price of a $1,000 face value bond if interest rates:
|
|
|
|
|
---|
Bond maturity
| Coupon
| Increase
| Decrease
|
|
|
|
---|
|
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
| 1 percent
| 2 percent
|
|
---|
2 years
| 3.63%
| $981
| $963
| $1,019
| $1,039
|
|
5 years
| 3.70
| 956
| 914
| 1,046
| 1,095
|
|
10 years
| 3.91
| 922
| 851
| 1,086
| 1,181
|
|
30 years
| 4.19
| 849
| 729
| 1,192
| 1,438
|
|
Coupons reflect yields on Treasury securities as of June 30, 2005. The table may not be representative of price changes for mortgage-backed securities because of prepayments. This is an illustration and does not represent expected yields or share price changes of any T. Rowe Price fund.
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Information About Accounts in T. Rowe Price Funds 2
As a T. Rowe Price shareholde
r, you will want to know about the following policies and procedures that apply to all R Class accounts.
Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds
How and when shares are priced
The share price (also called "net asset value" or NAV per share) for each class of shares is calculated at the close of the New York Stock Exchange, normally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the exchange is open for business. To calculate the NAV, the fund`s assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and each class`s proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price stocks and bonds. Market values represent the prices at which securities actually trade or evaluations based on the judgment of the fund`s pricing services. If a market value for a security is not available, the fund will make a good faith effort to assign a fair value to the security. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities. Investments in mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET except under the circumstances described below. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. For securities primarily traded in the Far East, for
example, the most recent closing prices may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. If a fund determines that developments between the close of the foreign market and 4 p.m. ET will, in its judgment, materially affect the value of some or all of the fund`s securities, the fund will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding whether to make these adjustments, the fund reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. A fund may also fair value securities in other situations, for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with closing market prices and information used for adjusting those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use closing prices and how often it will adjust those prices. As a means of evaluating its fair value process, the fund routinely compares closing market prices, the next day`s opening prices in the same markets, and adjusted prices.
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How your purchase, sale, or exchange price is determined
R Class shares are intended for purchase and may be held only through various third-party intermediaries including brokers, dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and others. Consult your intermediary to find out about how to purchase, sell, or exchange your shares, trade deadlines, and other applicable procedures for these transactions. The intermediary may charge a fee for its services.
The fund may have an agreement with your intermediary that permits the intermediary to accept orders on behalf of the fund until 4 p.m. ET. In such cases, if your order is received by the intermediary in correct form by 4 p.m. ET, transmitted to the fund, and paid for in accordance with the agreement, it will be priced at the next NAV computed after the intermediary received your order.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or an intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the New York Stock Exchange closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET.
How proceeds are received
Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next or third business day after receipt, depending on the arrangement with the intermediary. Under certain circumstances and when deemed to be in the fund`s best interests, proceeds may not be sent to intermediaries for up to seven calendar days after receipt of the redemption order. You must contact your intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Contingent Redemption Fee
Short-term trading can disrupt a fund`s investment program and create additional costs for long-term shareholders. For these reasons, certain T. Rowe Price funds, listed below, assess a fee on redemptions (including exchanges) of fund shares held for less than the period shown, which reduces the proceeds from such redemptions by the amounts indicated:
T. Rowe Price Funds With Redemption Fees
|
|
|
|
---|
Fund name
| Redemption fee
| Holding period*
|
|
---|
International Growth & IncomeR Class
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
International StockR Class
| 2%
| 90 days/3 months
|
|
Redemption fees are paid to a fund to deter short-term trading, offset costs, and protect the fund`s long-term shareholders. All persons holding shares of a T. Rowe Price fund that imposes a redemption fee are subject to the fee, whether
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the person is holding shares directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper for retirement plan participants, or any other third party.
*Computation of holding period
When an investor sells shares of a fund that assesses a redemption fee
, T. Rowe Price will use the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. A redemption fee will be charged on shares sold before the end of the required holding period.
If you purchase shares held directly with T. Rowe Price, the holding period is three months. For example, if you purchase shares on March 1 and redeem before June 1, you will be assessed the redemption fee.
If you purchase shares through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, the holding period is 90 days. For example, if you redeem your shares on or before the 90th day from the date of purchase, you will be assessed the redemption fee.
If you purchase shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine how the holding period (for example, 90 days versus three months) will be applied.
Transactions not subject to redemption fees
The T. Rowe Price funds w
ill not assess a redemption fee with respect to certain transactions. As of the date of this prospectus, the following shares of T. Rowe Price funds will not be subject to redemption fees:
1.Shares redeemed via an automated systematic withdrawal plan;
2.Shares redeemed through or used to establish an automated, nondiscretionary rebalancing or asset allocation program, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
3.Shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;*
4.Shares converted from one share class to another share class of the same fund;*
5.Shares redeemed by a fund (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums or to cover various fees such as fiduciary fees);
6.Shares purchased by rollover and changes of account registration within the same fund;*
7.Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution in an IRA account;
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8.Shares purchased by a fund-of-fund product, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price;
9.Shares transferred to T. Rowe Price or a third party intermediary acting as a service provider when the age of the shares cannot be determined systematically;*
10.Shares redeemed in retirement plans or other products that restrict trading to no more frequently than once per quarter, if approved in writing by T. Rowe Price.
*Subsequent exchanges of these shares into funds that assess redemption fees will subject such shares to the fee.
Redemption fees on shares held in retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally redemption fees will be assessed only on shares redeemed by exchange that were originally purch
ased by exchange. However, redemption fees may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the fees are applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to redemption fees, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Omnibus accounts
If your shares are held through an intermediary in an omnibus account, T. Rowe Price relies on the intermediary to assess the redemption fee on underlying shareholder accounts. T. Rowe Price seeks to identify intermediaries establishing omnibus accounts and to enter into agreements requiring the int
ermediary to assess the redemption fees. There are no assurances that T. Rowe Price will be successful in identifying all intermediaries or that the intermediaries will properly assess the fees.
Certain intermediaries may not have the capability to apply the exemptions listed above to the redemption fee policy; all redemptions by persons trading through such intermediaries ma
y be subject to the fee. Persons redeeming shares through an intermediary should check with their respective intermediary to determine which transactions are subject to the fees.
Implementation
Recordkeepers for retirement plan participants who are unable to implement redemption fees due to system limitations must either (1) implement short-term trading restrictions approved by T. Rowe Price until they have the system capabilities to assess the fees or (2) set forth an implementation plan acceptable to T. Rowe
Price. Any person purchasing shares through a retirement plan recordkeeper should check with their recordkeeper to determine when purchases will be subject to redemption fees.
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Shares held or purchased prior to January 1, 2005, are subject to the terms for holding periods and early redemption as set forth in the prospectus in effect when the shares were originally purchased. For example, shares of the T. Rowe Price International Stock FundR Class purchased on December 31, 2004, would be subject to a one-year holding period and 2% redemption fee if sold within one year; shares of the fund purchased on January 3, 2005, would be subject to the new 90-day/three-month holding period and a 2% redemption fee if sold within the 90-day/three-month holding period.
Useful Information on Distributions and Taxes
All net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option on your New Account Form. <
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, that is, receiving income dividends and capital gain distributions on a rising number of shares.
Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Table 4 Dividend Payment Schedule Fund
| Dividends
|
|
---|
Bond funds
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month.
|
|
Equity Income Fund R Class
| Declared quarterly, if any, in March, June, September, and December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
Retirement Funds:Retirement Income Fund R ClassAll others
| Shares normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price.Paid on the first business day of each month.Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder
on the record date.
|
|
Other stock funds
| Declared annually, if any, generally in December.Must be a shareholder on the record date.
|
|
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If you purchase and sell your shares through an intermediary, consult your intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends; the information described above may vary.
Capital gain payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price
of a security.If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is paid the follow
ing year.Tax Information
You should contact your intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the IRS.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred retirement account, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distr
ibutions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you will generally be subject to tax when:
You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.The fund makes a distribution to your account.For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing "qualified dividend income" received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rate applicable to long-term capital gains, rather than ordinary income. You may report it as "qualified dividend income" in computing your taxes provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor`s marginal income ta
x rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, distributions from
certain nonqualified foreign corporations, and dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the bond fund R Classes is expected to qualify for this lower rate.
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For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund`s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international or bond fund R Classes is expected to qualify for this deduction.
Taxes on fund redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another is a sale for tax purposes.
Taxes on fund distributions
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securitie
s, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign securities, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the currency portion of gains on debt securities are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as a return of capital.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an
offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
Retirement Funds
Distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains.
Tax consequences of hedging
Entering into certain options, futures, swaps, and forward foreign exchange contracts and transactions may result in the application of the mark-to-market a
nd straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Distributions are taxable whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
T. Rowe Price122
Tax effect of buying shares before an income dividend or capital gain distribution
If you buy shar
es shortly before or on the "record date" the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution you may receive a
portion of the money you just invested in the form of a taxable distribution.
Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund`s record date before investing. Of course, a fund`s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when
the fund has a negative return.
Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
The R Class is designed for shares held by employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans through intermediaries. Investments in the R Class that are not held through (1) employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans or (2) an intermediary with the required agreement with T. Rowe Price to offer the R Class are subject to rejection or cancellation and existing shares may be transferred by T. Rowe Price to another class in the fund without prior notice to the intermediary or shareholder.
Purchase Conditions for Intermediaries
Nonpayment
If the fund receives a check or ACH transfer that does not clear or the payment is not received in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. The intermediary will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or transfer agent. The fund and its agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayme
nt.
U.S. dollars
All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks.
Sale (Redemption) Conditions
Holds on immediate redemptions: 10-day hold
If an intermediary sells shares that it just purchased and paid for by check or ACH transfer, the fund will process the redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to 10 calendar days to allow the check or transfer to clear. (The 10-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire.)
Redemptions over $250,000
Large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager`s ability to implement a fund`s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held. If, in any 90-day period, you redeem (sell) more
123
than $250,000, or your sale amounts to more than 1% of fund net assets, the fund has the right to pay the difference between the redemption amount and the lesser of the two previously mentioned figures with securities from the fund.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading
T. Rowe Price may bar excessive and short-term traders from purchasing shares.
Excessive or short-term trading in fund shares may disrupt management of a fund and raise its costs. Short-term traders in funds investing in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the price of the fund`s shares and price movements in overseas markets (see "How and when shares are priced"). While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Board of Directors/Trustees of each fund has adopted the policy set forth below to deter such activity. Persons trading directly w
ith T. Rowe Price or indirectly through intermediaries in violation of this policy or persons believed to be short-term traders may be barred for 90 calendar days or permanently from further purchases of T. Rowe Price funds. Purchase transactions placed by such persons are subject to rejection without notice.
All persons purchasing shares held directly with a T. Rowe Price fund, or through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, who make more than one purchase and one sale or one sale and one purchase involving the same fund within any 90-day calendar period will violate the policy.All persons purchasing fund shares held through an intermediary, including a broker, bank, investment adviser, recordkeeper, insurance company, or other third party, and who hold the shares for less than 90 calendar days will violate the policy.Omnibus accounts
Intermediaries often establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price funds for their customers. In such situations, T. Rowe Price cannot always monitor trading activity by individual shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level and looks for activity that indicates
potential excessive or shortterm trading. If it detects suspicious trading activity, T. Rowe Price contacts the intermediary to determine whether the excessive trading policy has been violated and, if so, asks the intermediary to take action to restrict transactions by the underlying shareholder in accordance with the policy.
Retirement plans
If shares are held in a retirement plan, generally the fund`s excessive trading policy only applies to shares purchased and redeemed by exchange. However, the policy may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares
T. Rowe Price124
of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or how the excessive trading policy is applied by your plan`s recordkeeper. To determine which of your transactions are subject to the fund`s excessive trading policy, you should contact T. Rowe Price or your plan recordkeeper.
Exceptions to policy
The following types of transactions are exempt from this policy: 1) trades
solely in money market funds (exchanges between a money fund and a nonmoney fund are not exempt); 2) systematic purchases and redemptions; and 3) checkwriting redemptions from bond and money funds.
In addition, transactions in automated nondiscretionary rebalancing programs, nondiscretionary asset allocation programs, or fund-of-funds products may be exempt from the excessive trading policy subject to prior written approval by designated persons at T. Rowe Price.
T. Rowe Price may modify the 90-day policy set forth above (for example, in situations where a retirement plan with multiple investment options imposes a uniform restriction on trading in the plan that differs from the T. Rowe Price fund`s policy). These modifications would be authorized only if the fund determines, in its discretion, that the modified policy provides protection to the fund that is substantially equivalent to the fund`s regular policy.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will detect or prevent excessive or short-term trading.
Signature Guarantees
An intermediary may need to obtain a signature guarantee in certain situations and should consult its T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services representative.
You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks, savings institutions,
broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. We cannot acc
ept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
125
Distribution, Shareholder Servicing, and Recordkeeping Fees
The R Class has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which it pays a fee at the rate of up to 0.50% of its daily net assets per year to various intermediaries for distribution and servicing of i
ts shares. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the R Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, could result in your paying more than with other types of sales charges. The R Class may also separately compensate intermediaries at a rate of up to 0.10% of daily net assets per year for various recordkeeping and transfer agent services they perform.
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More About the Fund 3
Organization and Management
How is the fund organized?
The fund was incorporated in Maryland in 1973 and is an "open-end investment company," or mutual fund. Mutual funds pool money received from shareholders and invest it to try to achieve specified objectives. In 2002, the fund issued two separate share classes known as the Advisor Class and R Class.
Shareholders benefit from T. Rowe Price`s 68 years of investment management experience.
What is meant by "shares"?
As with all mutual funds, inv
estors purchase shares when they put money in a fund. These shares are part of a fund`s authorized capital stock, but share certificates are not issued.
Each share and fractional share entitles the shareholder to:
Receive a proportional interest in income and capital gain distributions. The income dividends for the R Class shares will generally differ from those of the original class to the extent that the expense ratios of the classes differ.Cast one vote per share on certain fund matters, including the election of fund directors/trustees, changes in fundamental policies, or approval of changes in the fund`s management contract. Shareholders of each class have exclusive voting
font>rights on matters affecting only that class.Do T. Rowe Price funds have annual shareholder meetings?
The funds are not required to hold annual meetings and, to avoid unnecessary costs to fund shareholders, do not do so except when certain matters, such as a change in fundamental policies, must be decided. In addition, shareholders representing at least 10% of all eligible votes may call a special meeting, if they wish, for the purpose of voting on the removal of any fund director or trustee.
If a meeting is held and you cannot attend, you can vote by proxy. Before the meeting, the fund will send you proxy materials that explain the issues to be decided and include instructions on voting by mail or telephone, or on the Internet.
127
Who runs the fund?
General Oversight
The fund is governed by a Board of Directors/Trustees that meets regularly to review fund investments, performance, expenses, and other business affairs. The
Board elects the fund`s officers. At least 75% of Board members are independent of T. Rowe Price.
All decisions regarding the purchase and sale of fund investments are made by T. Rowe Price specifically by the fund`s portfolio managers.
Portfolio Management
The fund has an Investment Advisory Committee with the following members: Daniel O. Shackelford, Chairman, Connice A. Bavely, Brian J. Brennan, Patrick S. Cassidy, Alan D. Levenson, Mary J. Miller, Edmund M. Notzon III, Vernon A. Reid, Jr., and David A. Tiberii. The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund`s investment program. Mr. Shackelford became chairman of the fund`s committee in 2002. He joined T. Rowe Price in 1999 and has been managing investments since that time. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager`s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager`s ownership of securities in the fund.
The Management Fee
This fee has two parts an "individual fund fee," which reflects a fund`s particular characteristics, and a "group fee." The group fee, which is designed to reflect the benefits of the shared resources of the T. Rowe Price investment management complex, is calculated daily based on the combined net assets of all T. Rowe Price funds (except the Spectrum Funds, Retirement Funds, TRP Reserve Investment Funds, and any index or private label mutual funds). The group fee schedule (shown below) is graduated, declining as the asset total rises, so shareholders benefit from the overall growth in mutual fund assets.
Group Fee Schedule0.334%*
| First $50 billion
|
|
|
0.305%
| Next $30 billion
|
|
|
0.300%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.295%
| Next $40 billion
|
|
|
0.290%
| Thereafter
|
*Represents a blended group fee rate containing various breakpoints.
T. Rowe Price1
28
The fund`s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund`s average daily net assets. At May 31, 2005, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.31%. The individual fund fee is 0.15%.
A discussion about the factors and conclusions considered by the Board in approving the fund`s investment management contract with T. Rowe Price appears in the fund`s annual report to shareholders for the period ending May 31, 2005.
Understanding Performance Information
This section should help you understand the terms used to describe fund
performance.
Total Return
This tells you how much an investment has changed in value over a given period. It reflects any net increase or decrease in the share price and assumes that all dividends and capital gains (if any) paid during the period were reinvested in additional shares. Therefore, total return numbers include the effect of compounding.
Advertisements may include cumulative or average annual total return figures, which may be compared with various indices, other performance measures, or other mutual funds.
Cumulative Total Return
This is the actual return of an investment for a specified period. A cumulative return does not indicate how much the value of the investment may have fluctuated during the period. For example, an investment could have a 10-year positive cumulative return despite experiencing some negative years during that time.
Average Annual Total Return
This is always hypothetical and should not be confused with actual year-by-year results. It smooths out all the variations in annual performance to tell you what constant year-by-year return would have produced the investment`s actual cumulative return. This gives you an idea of an investment`s annual contribution to your portfolio, provided you held it for the entire period.
Yield
The current or "dividend" yield on a fund or any investment tells you the
relationship between the investment`s current level of annual income and its price on a particular day. The dividend yield reflects the actual income paid to shareholders for a given period, annualized and divided by the price at the end of
129
the period. For example, a fund providing $5 of annual income per share and a price of $50 has a current yield of 10%. Yields can be calculated for any time period.
For bond funds, the advertised or SEC yield is found by determining the net income per share (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission) earned by a fund during a 30-day base period and dividing this amount by the share price on the last day of the base period. The SEC yieldalso called the
standardized yieldmay differ from the dividend yield.
Investment
Policies and Practices
This section takes a detailed look at some of the types of fund securities and the various kinds of investment practices that may be used in day-to-day portfolio management. Fund investments are subject to further restrictions and risks described in the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder approval is required to substantively change fund objectives. Shareholder approval is also required to change certain investment restrictions noted in the following section as "fundamental policies." The managers also follow certain "operating policies" that can be changed without shareholder approval. Fund investment restrictions and policies apply at the time of purchase. A later change in circumstances will not require the sale of an investment if it was proper at the time it was made. (This exception does not apply to the fund`s borrowing policy.)
Fund holdings of certain ki
nds of investments cannot exceed maximum percentages of total assets, which are set forth in this prospectus. For instance, fund investments in certain derivatives are limited to 10% of total assets. While these restrictions provide a useful level of detail about fund investments, investors should not view them as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of such investments. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in derivatives could have significantly more of an impact on a fund`s share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return in relation to the performance of all other fund investments.
Changes in fund holdings, fund performance, and the contribution of various investments are dis
cussed in the shareholder reports sent to you.
Fund managers have considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help achieve fund objectives.
T. Rowe Price130
Types of Portfolio Securities
In seeking to meet its investment objective, fund investments may be made in any type of security or instrument (including certain potentially high-risk derivatives described in this section) whose investment characteristics are con
sistent with its investment program. The following pages describe various types of fund securities and investment management practices.
Fundamental policy The fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of its total assets, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in securities of a single issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer would be held by the fund. These limitations do not apply to the fund`s purchase of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities.
Bonds
A bond is an interest-bearing security. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond`s face value) on a specified date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, and the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Bonds can be issued by U.S. and foreign governments, states and municipalities, as well as a wide variety of companies.
A bond`s annual interest income, set by its coupon rate, is usually fixed for the life of the bond. Its yield (income as a percent of current price) will fluctuate to reflect changes in interest rate levels. A bond`s price usually rises when interest rates fall, and vice versa, so its
yield stays consistent with current market
conditions.
Conventional fixed-rate bonds offer a coupon rate for a fixed maturity with no adjustment for inflation. Real rate of return bonds also offer a fixed coupon but include ongoing inflation adjustments for the life of the bond.
Bonds may be unsecured (backed by the is
suer`s general creditworthiness only) or secured (also backed by specified collateral). Bonds include asset- and mortgage-backed securities.
Certain bonds have interest rates that are adjusted periodically. These interest rate adj
ustments tend to minimize fluctuations in the bonds` principal values. The maturity of those securities may be shortened under certain specified
conditions.
Bonds may be designated as senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation`s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated deb
t.
131
Bond ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of an issuer`s financial strength. Ratings can change at any time due to real or perceived changes in an issuer`s credit or financial fundamentals.
Common and Preferred Stocks
Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividen
d payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis; profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company`s stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred stocks pay a dividend, preferred sto
ck may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential.
Convertible Securities and Warrants
Investments may be made in debt or preferred equity securities convertible into,
or exchangeable for, equity securities. Traditionally, convertible securities have paid dividends or interest at rates higher than common stocks but lower than nonconvertible securities. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. Some convertibles combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Warrants can be highly volatile, have no voting rights, and pay no dividends.
Operating policy The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets (not including cash) in preferred and common stocks and convertible securities, convertible into or which carry warrants for common stocks or other equity securities. These securities may or may not be rated.
Foreign Securities
Investments may be made in foreign securities. These include nondollar-denominated securities traded outside of the U.S. and dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the U.S. (such as Yankee bonds). Investing in foreign securities involves special risks that can increase the potential for losses. These include: exposure to potentially adverse local, political, and economic developments such as war, political instability, hyperinflation, currency devaluations, and overdependence on particular industries; government interference in markets such as natio
nalization and exchange controls, expropriation of assets, or imposition of punitive taxes; potentially lower
T. Rowe Price132
liquidity and higher volatility; possible problems arising from accounting, disclosure, settlement, and regulatory practices and legal rights that differ from U.S. standards; and the chance that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will decrease the investment`s value (favorable changes can increase its value). These
font>risks are heightened for investments in developing countries.
Operating policy There is no limit on fund investments in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued by foreign issuers, foreign branches of U.S. banks, and U.S. branches of foreign banks. The fund may also invest up to
20% of total assets (excluding reserves) in non-U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities.
Asset-Backed Securities
An underlying pool of assets, such as credit card or automobile trade receivables or corporate loans or bonds, backs these bonds and provides the interest and principal payments to investors. On occasion, the pool of assets may also include a swap obligation, which is used to change the cash flows on the underlying assets. As an example, a swap may be used to allow floating rate assets to back a fixed-rate obligation. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the und
erlying assets, the level of credit support, if any, provided by the structure or by a third-party insurance wrap, and the credit quality of the swap counterparty, if any. The underlying assets (i.e., loans) are sometimes subject to prepayments, which can shorten the security`s weighted average life and may lower its return. The value of these securities also may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, the originator, the servicing agent, the financial institution providing the credit support, or the swap counterparty. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The fund may invest in a variety of mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage lenders pool individual home mortgages with similar characteristics to b
ack a certificate or bond, which is sold to investors such as the fund. Interest and principal payments generated by the underlying mortgages are passed through to the investors. The "big three" issuers are the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). GNMA certificates are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, while others, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac certificates, are only supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or by the credit of the agency. Private mortgage bankers and other institutions also issue mortgage-backed securities.
Mortgage-backed securities are subject to scheduled and unscheduled principal payments as homeowners pay down or prepay their mortgages. As these payments are received, they
must be reinvested when interest rates may be higher or
133
lower than on the original mortgage security. Therefore, these securities are not an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates. In addition, when interest rates fall, the pace of mortgage prepayments picks up. These refinanced mortgages are paid off at face value (par), causing a loss for any investor who may have purchased the security at a price above par. In such an environment,
this risk limits the potential price appreciation of these securities and can negatively affect the fund`s net asset value. When rates rise, the prices of mortgage-backed securities can be expected to decline, although historically these securities have experienced smaller price declines than comparable quality bonds. In addition, when rates rise and prepayments slow, the effective duration of mortgage-backed securities extends, resulting in increased volatility.
Operating Policy There is no limit on fund investments in mortgage-backed securities.
Additional mortgage-backed securities in which the fund may invest include:
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) CMOs are debt securities that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the CMOs in such a way as to create some classes with more stable average lives than the underlying mortgages and other classes with more volatile average lives. CMO classes may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain classes have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments.Stripped Mortgage Securities Stripped mortgage securities (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed securities or a CMO to create additional classes of securities. Generally, one class receives only interest payments (IOs), and another receives principal payments (POs). Unlike with other mortgage-backed securities and POs, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The fund can use IOs as a hedge against falling prepayment rates (interest rates are rising) and/or a bear market environment. POs can be used as a hedge against rising prepayment rates (interest rates are falling) and/or a bull market environment. IOs and POs are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments.A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can severely depress the price of IOs, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on POs. Of course, under the opposite conditions these securities may appreciate in value. These securities can be very volatile in price and may have lower liquidity than most other mortgage-backed securities. Certain non-stripped CMO classes may also exhibit these qualities, especially those that pay variable rates of interest that adjust inversely with, and more rapidly than, short-term interest rates. In addition, if interest rates rise rapidly an
d prepayment rates slow
T. Rowe Price134
more than expected, certain CMO classes, in addition to losing value, can exhibit characteristics of longer-term securities and become more volatile. There is no guarantee that fund investments in CMOs, IOs, or POs will be successful, and fund total return could be adversely affected as a result.
Operating policy Fund investments in stripped mortgage securities are limited to 10% of total assets.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) CMBS are securities created from a pool of commercial mortgage loans, such as loans for hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, apartment buildings, etc. Interest and principal payments from the loans are passed on to the investor according to a schedule of payments. Credit quality depends primarily on the quality of the loans themselves and on the structure of the particular deal. Generally, deals are structured with senior and subordinate classes. The amount of subordination is determined by the rating agencies who rate the individual classes of the structure. Commercial mortgages are generally structured with prepayment penalties, which greatly reduces prepayment risk to the investor. However, the value of these securities may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the individual borrowers, their tenants, the servicing agents, or the general state of commercial real estate. There is no limit on fund investments
in these securities.Hybrid Instruments
These instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) can combine the characteristics of securities, futures, and options. For example, the principal amount or interest rate of a hybrid could be tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency, or securities index or another interest rate (each a "benchmark"). Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may or may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensiti
ve to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and
pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrid. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the fund.
Hybrids can have volatile prices and limited liquidity, and their use may not be successful.
135
Operating policy Fund investments in hybrid instruments are limited to 10% of total asse
ts.
Deferrable Subordinated Securities
These are securities with long maturities that are deeply subordinated in the issuer`s capital structure. They generally have 30-year maturities and permit the issuer to defer distributions for up to five years. These characteristics give the issuer more financial flexibi
lity than is typically the case with traditional bonds. As a result, the securities may be viewed as possessing certain "equity-like" features by rating agencies and bank regulators. However, the securities are treated as debt securities by market participants, and the fund intends to treat them as such as well. These securities may offer a mandatory put or remarketing option that creates an effective maturity date significantly shorter than the stated one. Fund investments will be made in these secu
rities to the extent their yield, credit, and maturity characteristics are consistent with the fund`s investment objective and program.
Inflation-Linked Securities
Inflation-linked securities are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflationa sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, are inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. government. Inflation-linked bonds are also issued by corporations, U.S. government agencies, and foreign countries. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (CPI). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation-adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.
Inflation-protected bonds normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the fund.
Illiquid Securities
These securities include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold, for example, under Rule 144A, others may have resale restrictions and be illiquid. The sale of illiquid securities may involve substantial delays and
T. Rowe Price136
additional costs, and the fund may only be able to sell such securities at prices substantially less than what the fund believes they are worth.
Operating policy Fund in
vestments in illiquid securities are limited to 15% of net assets.
Utility Industry Concentration
The fund may, under certain circumstances, invest a substantial amount of its assets in the utility industry. Investments in this industry may be affected by environmental conditions, energy conservation programs,
fuel shortages, availability of capital to finance operations and construction programs, and federal and state legislative and regulatory actions. T. Rowe Price believes that any risk to the fund which might result from concentrating in any such industry will be minimized by diversification of the fund`s investments.
Operating policy The fund has no current intention of concentrating in the utility industry.
Fundamental policy The fund will, under certain conditions, invest up to 50% of its as
sets in any one of the following industries: gas utility, gas transmission utility, electric utility, telephone utility, and petroleum.
Types of Investment Management Practices
Reserve Position
A certain portion of fund assets will be held in money market reserves. Fund reserve positions are expected to consist primarily of shares of one or both T. Rowe Price internal money market funds. Short-term, high-quality U.S. and foreign dollar-denominated money market securities, including repurchase agreements, may also be held. For temporary, defensive purposes, there is no limit on fund investments in money market reserves. Significant investments in reserves could compromise the ability to achieve fund objectives. The reserve position provides flexibility in meeting redemptions, paying expenses, and in the timing of new investments and can serve as a short-term defense during periods of unusual market volatility.
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
Fund borrowings may be made from banks and other T. Rowe Price funds for temporary emergency purposes to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with fund policies as set forth in this prospectus. Such borrowings may be collateralized with fund assets, subject to restrictions.
Fundamental policy Borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets.
137
Operating policy Fund transfers of portfolio securities as collateral will not be made except as necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments, and then such transfers may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets. Fund purchases of additional securities will not be made when borrowings exceed 5% of total assets.
Futures and Options
Futures, a type of potentially high-risk derivative, are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options, another type of potentially high-risk derivative, give the investor the right (where the investor purchases the option), or the obligation (where the investor "writes" or sells the option), to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including: to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing fund overall exposure to a specific part or broad segment of the U.S. market or a foreign market; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies.
Futures contracts and options may not always be successful hedges; their prices can be highly volatile; using them could lower fund total return; and the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund`s initial investment in such contracts.
Operating policies &
#160;Futures: Initial margin deposits on futures and premiums on options used for non-hedging purposes will not exceed 5% of net asset value. Options on securities: The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Swaps
Fund investments may be made in interest rate, index, total return, and credit default swap agreements as well as options on swap agreements or swap options. All of these agreements are considered derivatives and, in certain cases, high-risk derivatives. Swap agreements are two-party contracts under which the fund and a counterparty, such as a broker or d
ealer, agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or indices. Swaps and swap options can be used for a variety of purposes, i
ncluding: to manage fund exposure to changes in interest rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting fund overall exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration.
T. Rowe Price138
There are risks in the use of swaps and swap options. Swaps could result in losses if interest rate or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or <
/font>investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps can increase fund exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if we do not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based. Swaps and swap options may not always be
successful hedges; using them could lower fund total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed a fund`s initial investment in such instruments. Also, the other party to a swap agreement could default on its obligations or refuse to cash out a fund`s investment at a reasonable price, which could turn an expected gain into a loss.
Operating policies A swap agreement with any single counterparty will not be entered into if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets, or if the net amount owed or to be received by the fund under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets. The total market value of securities covering call or put options may not exceed 25% of total assets. No more than 5% of total assets
will be committed to premiums when purchasing call or put options.
Managing Foreign Currency Risk
Investors in foreign securities may attempt to "hedge" their exposure to potentially unfavorable currency changes. The primary means of doing this is through the use of "forwards" contracts to exchange one currency for another on some future date at a specified exchange rate. However, futures, swaps, and options on these instruments ma
y also be used. In certain circumstances, a different currency may be substituted for the currency in which the investment is denominated, a strategy known as "proxy hedging." The fund may also use these instruments to create a synthetic bond issued in one currency, but with the currency component transformed into another currency. If the fund were to engage in any of these foreign currency transactions, they would be primarily to protect a fund`s foreign securities from adverse currency movements relative to the
dollar. Such transactions involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not occur, which could reduce fund total return. There are certain markets, <
font style="font-size:10.0pt;" face="Berkeley Book" color="Black">including many emerging markets, where it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging.
Operating policy The fund will not commit more than 20% of total assets to any combination of the types of foreign currency instruments described above.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
Fund securities may be lent to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and
139
capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
Fundamental policy
160;The value of loaned securities may not exceed 33 1/3% of total assets.
When-Issued Securities and Forwards
The fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. There is no limit on fund investments in these securities. The price of these securities is fixed at the time of the commitment to buy, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more later. During the interim period, the market value of the securities can fluctuate, and no interest accrues to the purchaser. At the time of delivery, the value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. To the extent the fund remains fully or almost fully invested (in securities with a remaining maturity of more than one year) at the same time it purchases these securities, there will be greater fluctuations in the fund`s net asset value than if the fund did not purchase them.
Portfolio Turnover
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. We will not generally trade in securities for short-term profits, but, when circumstances warrant, securities may be purchased and sold without regard to the length of time held. Each time the fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in the fund`s net asset value but not in its operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on the fund`s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions.
Funds investing in bonds may have higher turnover than funds investing in stocks. Unlike stocks, fixed-maturity bonds require reinvestment. For funds investing in mortgages and callable debt, frequent reinvestment of principal is often required. Common trading strategies, such as mortgage dollar rolls, can increase turnover. Active investment strategies, such as sector rotation and duration management, also necessitate more frequent trading. The fund`s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights table.
Disclosure of Fund Portfolio Information
The fund`s portfolio holdings are disclosed on a regular basis in its semiannual and annual reports to shareholders, and on Form N-Q, which is filed with the SEC within 60 days of the fund`s first and third fiscal quarter-end. In addition, the fund discloses its calendar quarter-end portfolio holdings on troweprice.com
T. Rowe Price140
15 calendar days after each quarter. Under certain conditions, up to 5% of the fund`s holdings may be included in this portfolio list without being individually identified. Generally, securities would be omitted from the list if they are being actively bought or sold and it is determined that the quarter-end disclosure of the holding could be harmful to the fund. A security will not be omitted from the list for more than one year. The fund also discloses its largest
10 holdings on troweprice.com seven days after each month-end. These holdings are listed in alphabetical order along with the aggregate percentage of the fund`s total assets they represent. The quarter-end portfolio will remain on the Web site for one year. The top 10 list is replaced every six months. A description of the fund`s policy and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio information is in the Statement of Additional Information.
Financial Highlights
Table 5, which provides information about the class`s financial history, is based on a single share outstanding throughout the periods shown. The table is part of the fund`s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information (available
upon request). The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions and no payment of account or [if applicable] redemption fees). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund`s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
141
Table 5 Financial Highlights
|
| 9/30/02* through 5/31/03
| Year ended May 31
|
|
|
---|
|
|
| 2004
| 2005 a
|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value,beginning of period
|
| $8.84
| $9.21
| $8.88
|
|
Income From Investment Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income
|
| 0.22b
| 0.28b
| 0.31b
|
|
Net gains or losses on securities (both realized and unrealized)
|
| 0.38
| (0.33)
| 0.28
|
|
Total from investment operations
|
| 0.60
| (0.05)
| 0.59
|
|
Less Distributions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends (from net investment income)<
/font>
|
| (0.23)
| (0.28)
| (0.31)
|
|
Distributions (fromcapital gains)
|
|
font>
|
| (0.01)
|
|
Returns of capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total distributions
|
| (0.23)
| (0.28)
| (0.32)
|
|
Redemption fees addedto paid in capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value,end of period
|
| $9.21
| $8.88
| $9.15<
/font>
|
|
Total return
|
| 6.84%b
| (0.57)%b
| 6.77%b
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period(in thousands)
|
| $321
| $2,885
| $3,674
|
|
Ratio of expenses to average net assets
|
| 1.15%bc
| 1.15%b
| 1.15%b
|
|
Ratio of net income to average net assets
|
| 2.32%bc
| 3.12%b
| 3.39%b
|
|
Portfolio turnover rate
|
| 221.2%
| 219.0%
| 135.9%d
|
|
*Inception date.
aPer share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method.
bExcludes expenses in excess of a 1.15% contractual expense limitation in effect through September 30, 2006.
cAnnualized.
dThe portfolio turnover rate calculation includes purchases and sales from mortgage dollar roll transactions (see Note 2 of the Annual Report); had these transactions been excluded from the calculation, the portfolio turnover for the year ended May 31, 2005 would have been 108.5%.
T. Rowe Price142
Investing With T. Rowe Price 4
Account Requirements and Transaction Information
The information in this section is for use by intermediaries only. Shareholders should contact their interm
ediary for information regarding the intermediary`s policies on purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming fund shares as well as initial and subsequent investment minimums.
Tax Identification
Number
The i
ntermediary must provide us with its certified Social Security or employer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions, and may subject the intermediary or account holder to an IRS fine. If this information is not received within 60 days after the account is established, the account may be redeemed at the fund`s net asset value (NAV) on the redemption date.
All initial and subsequent investments by intermediaries should be made by bank wire or electronic payment. For more information, contact Financial Institution Services.
Opening a New Account
$2,500 minimum initial investment; $1,000 for retirement plans or gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts
Important Information About Opening an Account
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.
When you open an account, you will be asked for the name, residential street address, date of birth, and Social Security number or employer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others, such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers. Entities are also required to provide documents such as articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, trust documents, and other applicable records.
143
We will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. We will not be able to open your account until we receive all of this information. If we are unable to verify your identity, we are authorized to take any action permitted by law. (See Rights Reserved by the Funds.)
Intermediaries should call Financial Institution Services for an account number and assignment to a dedicated service representative and give the following wire information to their bank:
Receiving Bank:
font> PNC Bank, N.A. (Pittsburgh)
Receiving Bank ABA#: 043000096
Beneficiary: T. Rowe Price [fund name]
Beneficiary Account: 1004397951
Originator to Beneficiary Information (OBI):
name of owner(s) and account number
In order to obtain an account number, the intermediary must supply the name, Social Security or employer identification number, and business street address for the account.
Intermediaries should complete a New Account Form and mail it, with proper documentation identifying your firm, to one of the appropriate addresses listed below. Intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent.
via U.S. Postal Service
T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services
P.O. Box 17603
Baltimore, MD 21297-1603
via private carriers/overnight services
T. Rowe Price Financial Institution Services
Mail Code: OM-4232
4515 Painters Mill Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4842
T. Rowe Price144
Purchasing Additional ShareS
$100 minimum additional purchase; $50 minimum for retirement plans, Automatic Asset Builder, and gifts or transfers to minors (UGMA/UTMA) accounts
By WireIntermediaries should call Financial Institution Services or use the wire instructions listed in Opening a New Account.
Exchanging and redeeming ShareS
Exchange Service
You can move money from one account to an existing identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. Intermediaries should call their Financial Institution Services representative for more information or to place a trade. For exchange policies, please see Transaction Procedures and Special RequirementsExcessive Trading.
Redemptions
Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be wired to the intermediary`s designated bank. Intermediaries should contact their Financial Institution Services representative.
Some of the T. Rowe Price funds may impose a redemption fee. Check the fund`s prospectus under Contingent Redemption Fee in Pricing Shares and Receiving Sale Proceeds. The fee is paid to the fund.
Rights Reserved by the Funds
T. Rowe Price funds and their agents reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone or mailgram; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through an intermediary, no later than the business day after the order is received by the intermediary (includ
ing, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership) upon notice to the shareholder within five business days of the trade or
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if the written confirmation has not been received by the shareholder, whichever is sooner; (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6
) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners or there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuin
e; and (10) to involuntarily redeem your account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed, in cases of threatening conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account.
These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the fund or if required by law.
In an effort to protect T. Rowe Price funds from the possible adverse effects of a substantial redemption in a large account, as a matter of general policy, no shareholder or group of shareholders controlled by the same person or group of persons will knowingly be permitted to purchase in excess of 5% of the outstanding shares of a fu
nd, except upon approval of the fund`s management.
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T. rowe price Privacy Policy
In the course of doing business with T. Rowe Price, you share personal and financial information with us. We treat this information as confid
ential and recognize the importance of protecting access to it.
You may provide information when communicating or transacting business with us in writing, electronically, or by phone. For instance, information may come from applications, requests for forms or literature, and your transactions and account positions with us. On occasion, such information may come from consumer reporting agencies and those providing services to us.
We do not sell information about current or former customers to any third parties, and we do not disclose it to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. We may share information within the T. Rowe Price family of companies in the course of providing or offering products and services to best meet your investing needs. We may also share that information with companies that perform administrative or marketing services for T. Rowe Price, with a research firm we have hired, or with a business partner, such as a bank or insurance company with which we are developing or offering investment products. When we enter into such a relationship, our contracts restrict the companies` use of our customer information, prohibiting them from sharing or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were hired.
We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal infor
mation. Within T. Rowe Price, access to such information is limited to those who need it to perform their jobs, such as servicing your accounts, resolving problems, or informing you of new products or services. Our Code of Ethics, which applies to all employees, restricts the use of customer information and requires that it be held in strict confiden
ce.
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This Privacy Policy applies to the following T. Rowe Price family of companies: T. Rowe Price A
ssociates, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.; T. Rowe Price Savings Bank; T. Rowe Price Trust Company; and the T. Rowe Price Funds.
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T. Rowe Price148
1940 Act File No. 811-2396
<R>E443-040 10/3/05
</R>T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
A fund Statement of Additional Information has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Further information about fund investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager`s recent strategies and their impact on performance, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. To obtain free copi
es of any of these documents, call your intermediary. These documents are also available at troweprice.com.
Fund information and Statements of Additional Information are also available from the Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC`s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Room, Washington D.C. 20549-0102.
To help you achieve your financial goals, T. Rowe Price offers a wide range of stock, bond, and money market investments, as well as convenient services and
informative reports.
For mutual fund or T. Rowe Price Brokerage information
Investor Services