497 1 d497.htm PIMCO CREDIT ABSOLUTE RETURN FUND PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund
Table of Contents
Share Classes:   Institutional      P    Administrative      D

 

August 17, 2011 (as supplemented August 26, 2011)

 

 

PIMCO Funds Prospectus

 

Bond Funds   Inst   P   Admin   D

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

  PCARX   PPCRX     PDCRX

 

As with other mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 

Fund Summary

  

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

     1   

Description of Principal Risks

     4   

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     7   

Management of the Fund

     7   

Classes of Shares—Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class and Class D Shares

     9   

Purchases, Redemptions and Exchanges

     12   

How Fund Shares are Priced

     19   

Fund Distributions

     20   

Tax Consequences

     21   

Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques

     22   

Financial Highlights

     36   

Appendix A—Description of Securities Ratings

     A-1   


Table of Contents
                 
       

 

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The Fund seeks maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

 

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

 

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This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): None

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

     Institutional
Class
    Class P     Administrative
Class
    Class D  
Management Fees     0.90     1.00     0.90     1.05
Distribution
and/or
Service (12b-1)
Fees
    N/A        N/A        0.25     0.25

Other Expenses
(1)
    0.01     0.01     0.01     0.01
Total Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
    0.91     1.01     1.16     1.31
Expense Reimbursement(2)     (0.01 )%      (0.01 )%      (0.01 )%      (0.01 )% 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement     0.90     1.00     1.15     1.30

 

(1) “Other Expenses” reflect estimated organizational expenses for the Fund’s first fiscal year.

 

(2) Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“PIMCO”) has contractually agreed, through July 31, 2013, to waive its supervisory and administrative fee, or reimburse the Fund, to the extent that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees exceed 0.0049% of the Fund’s average net assets attributable to Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class and Class D shares, respectively (the “Expense Limit”). Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, which renews annually for a full year unless terminated by PIMCO upon at least 30 days’ notice prior to the end of the contract term, PIMCO may recoup these waivers and reimbursements in future periods, not exceeding three years, provided organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees plus such recoupment, do not exceed the Expense Limit.

 

Example. The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class or Class D shares of the Fund with the costs of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the noted class of shares for the time periods indicated, and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the Example shows what your costs would be based on these assumptions.

     1 Year      3 Years  
Institutional Class     $92         $287   
Class P     $102         $318   
Administrative Class     $117         $365   
Class D     $132         $412   

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

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The Fund pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example tables, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund has not yet commenced operations. Thus, no portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

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The Fund invests under normal circumstances at least 80% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of Fixed Income Instruments of varying maturities, which may be represented by forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements. Security selection, industry and sector allocation, and management of market risk within and across credit and corporate markets are expected to be the main drivers of returns over time. “Fixed Income Instruments” include bonds, debt securities, bank loans and other similar instruments issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities. The average portfolio duration of this Fund normally varies within zero to six years. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates.

 

The Fund may invest in both investment grade and high yield securities (“junk bonds”) subject to a maximum of 50% of its total assets in securities rated below B- by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest without limitation in securities of foreign issuers and may also invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The Fund will normally limit its foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) to 20% of its total assets. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in preferred stock, convertible securities and other equity-related instruments.

 

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements, or in mortgage- or asset-backed securities, subject to applicable law and any other restrictions described in the Fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. The Fund may purchase or sell securities

 

 

 

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PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

 

on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls). The “total return” sought by the Fund consists of income earned on the Fund’s investments, plus capital appreciation, if any, which generally arises from decreases in interest rates, foreign currency appreciation, or improving credit fundamentals for a particular sector or security.

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

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It is possible to lose money on an investment in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value, yield and total return are:

 

Interest Rate Risk: the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration

 

Credit Risk: the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations

 

High Yield Risk: the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments

 

Market Risk: the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries

 

Issuer Risk: the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or service

 

Liquidity Risk: the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector

 

Derivatives Risk: the risk of investing in derivative instruments, including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, mispricing or improper valuation. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Risk: the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk and prepayment risk

 

Foreign (non-U.S.) Investment Risk: the risk that investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, and nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments

Senior Debt Risk: the risk that investing in senior debt exposes the

Fund to heightened credit risk and liquidity risk. If the issuer prepays, the Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior debt or instruments that may pay lower interest rates

 

Emerging Markets Risk: the risk of investing in emerging market securities, primarily increased foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk

 

Currency Risk: the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies

 

Equity Risk: the risk that the value of equity or equity-related securities may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity or equity-related securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities

 

Convertible Securities Risk: as convertible securities share both fixed income and equity characteristics, they are subject to risks to which fixed income and equity investments are subject. These risks include equity risk, interest rate risk and credit risk

 

Leveraging Risk: the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged

 

Management Risk: the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by PIMCO will not produce the desired results and that legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager in connection with managing the Fund. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Fund will be achieved

 

Short Sale Risk: the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund

 

Please see “Description of Principal Risks” in the Fund’s prospectus for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

 

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The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance. Thus, no bar chart or Average Annual Total Returns table is included for the Fund. Once the Fund commences operations, performance will be updated daily and quarterly and may be obtained as follows: daily updates on the net asset value and performance page at http://investments.pimco.com/DailyPerformance and quarterly updates at http://investments.pimco.com/QuarterlyPerformance.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER/PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

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PIMCO serves as the investment adviser for the Fund. The Fund’s portfolio is managed by Mark Kiesel. Mr. Kiesel is a Managing Director of PIMCO and he will manage the Fund as of its inception.          

 

 

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Prospectus

 

 

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

 

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Institutional Class, Class P or Administrative Class shares: The minimum initial investment for Institutional Class, Class P or Administrative Class shares of the Fund is $1 million, except that the minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors.

 

Class D shares: The minimum initial investment for Class D shares of the Fund is $1,000, except that the minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors. The minimum subsequent investment for Class D shares is $50.

 

You may sell (redeem) all or part of your Fund shares on any business day. Depending on the elections made on the Client Registration Application, you may sell by:

n   

Sending a written request by mail to: PIMCO Funds at PIMCO Funds c/o BFDS Midwest 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105

n   

Calling us at 1-800-927-4648 and a Shareholder Services associate will assist you

n   

Sending a fax to our Shareholder Services department at 1-816-421-2861

n   

Sending an email to pimcoteam@bfdsmidwest.com

TAX INFORMATION

 

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The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or a combination of the two, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

 

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

LOGO

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies (including PIMCO) may pay the intermediary for the sale of those shares of the Fund and/or related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s Web site for more information.

 

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the values of the Fund’s investments. Many factors can affect those values. The factors that are most likely to have a material effect on the Fund’s portfolio as a whole are called “principal risks.” The principal risks of the Fund are identified in the Fund Summary and are described in this section. The Fund may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described below because the types of investments made by the Fund can change over time. Securities and investment techniques mentioned in this summary that appear in bold type are described in greater detail under “Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques.” That section and “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information also include more information about the Fund, its investments and the related risks. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities and other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates. As nominal interest rates rise, the value of certain fixed income securities held by the Fund is likely to decrease. A nominal interest rate can be described as the sum of a real interest rate and an expected inflation rate. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The values of equity and other non-fixed income securities may also decline due to fluctuations in interest rates. Inflation-indexed bonds, including Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”), decline in value when real interest rates rise. In certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, inflation-indexed bonds may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities with similar durations.

 

Variable and floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. Inverse floating rate securities may decrease in value if interest rates increase. Inverse floating rate securities may also exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation with similar credit quality. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate

securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.

 

Credit Risk

 

The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security (including a security purchased with securities lending collateral), or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by the Fund may decrease its value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. Municipal bonds are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions, or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer’s ability to make payments of principal and/or interest.

 

High Yield Risk

 

Funds that invest in high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Fund may lose its entire investment. Because of the risks involved in investing in high yield securities, an investment in the Fund that invests in such securities should be considered speculative.

 

Market Risk

 

The market price of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or

 

 

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Prospectus

 

adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

 

Issuer Risk

 

The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.

 

Liquidity Risk

 

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the securities. The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Additionally, the market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. In such cases, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve foreign (non-U.S.) securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk.

 

Derivatives Risk

 

Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. The various derivative instruments that the Fund may use are referenced under “Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques—Derivatives” in this prospectus and described in more detail under “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information. The Fund typically use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset and/or as part of a strategy designed

to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate or currency risk. The Fund may also use derivatives for leverage, in which case their use would involve leveraging risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this section, such as liquidity risk, interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk and management risk. They also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. If the Fund invests in a derivative instrument, it could lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Risk

 

Mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than risks associated with other types of debt instruments. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if the Fund holds mortgage-related securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, adjustable and fixed rate mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the Fund because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. The Fund’s investments in other asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets.

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk

 

To the extent the Fund invests in foreign (non-U.S.) securities, it may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies. The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. Additionally, issuers of foreign (non-U.S.) securities are usually not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Reporting,

 

 

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accounting and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Also, nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes or diplomatic developments could adversely affect the Fund’s investments in a foreign country. In the event of nationalization, expropriation or other confiscation, the Fund could lose its entire investment in foreign (non-U.S.) securities. Adverse conditions in a certain region can adversely affect securities of other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, the Fund will generally have more exposure to regional economic risks associated with foreign investments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.

 

Senior Debt Risk

 

Because it may invest in below-investment grade senior debt, the PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund may be subject to greater levels of credit risk than funds that do not invest in such debt. The PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund may also be subject to greater levels of liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in senior debt. Restrictions on transfers in loan agreements, a lack of publicly available information and other factors may, in certain instances, make senior debt more difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price than other types of securities or instruments. Additionally, if the issuer of senior debt prepays, the PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior debt or similar instruments that may pay lower interest rates.

 

Emerging Markets Risk

 

Foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk may be particularly high to the extent the Fund invests in emerging market securities. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, and potentially greater than, the risks of investing in securities and instruments economically tied to developed foreign countries. To the

extent the Fund invests in emerging market securities that are economically tied to a particular region, country or group of countries, the Fund may be more sensitive to adverse political or social events affecting that region, country or group of countries. Economic, business, political, or social instability may affect emerging market securities differently. Accordingly, to the extent the Fund invests in a wide range of emerging market securities (e.g., different regions or countries, asset classes, issuers, sectors or credit qualities) it may perform differently in response to such instability than if the Fund invested in a more limited range of emerging market securities. For

example, if the Fund focuses its investments in multiple asset classes of emerging market securities, the Fund may have a limited ability to mitigate losses in an environment that is adverse to emerging market securities in general. Emerging market securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to value than securities economically tied to developed foreign countries. The systems and procedures for trading and settlement of securities in emerging markets are less developed and less transparent and transactions may take longer to settle. The Fund may not know the identity of trading counterparties, which may increase the possibility of the Fund not receiving payment or delivery of securities in a transaction.

 

Currency Risk

 

If the Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged.

 

Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. As a result, the Fund’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities may reduce the returns of the Fund.

 

Currency risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or engages in foreign currency transactions that are economically tied to emerging market countries. These currency transactions may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or engaging in foreign currency transactions that are economically tied to developed foreign countries.

 

Equity Risk

 

Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Equity securities also include, among other things, preferred stocks, convertible stocks and warrants. The values of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market

 

 

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Prospectus

 

conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

 

Convertible Securities Risk

 

Convertible securities are fixed income securities, preferred stocks or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock of the issuer (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at either a stated price or a stated rate. The market values of convertible securities may decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. A convertible security’s market value, however, tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price approaches or is greater than the convertible security’s “conversion price.” The conversion price is defined as the predetermined price at which the convertible security could be exchanged for the associated stock. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the yield of the convertible security. Thus, it may not decline in price to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities may be paid before the company’s common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. Consequently, the issuer’s convertible securities generally entail less risk than its common stock but more risk than its debt obligations.

 

Leveraging Risk

 

Certain transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions. The use of derivatives may also create leveraging risk. To mitigate leveraging risk, PIMCO will segregate or “earmark” liquid assets or otherwise cover the transactions that may give rise to such risk. Leveraging may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous to do so. Leveraging may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if the Fund had

not been leveraged. This is because leveraging tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Certain types of leveraging transactions, such as short sales that are not “against the box,” could theoretically be subject to unlimited losses in cases where a Fund, for any reason, is unable to close out the transaction. In addition, to the extent the Fund borrows money, interest costs on such borrowings may not be recovered by any appreciation of the securities purchased with the borrowed amounts and could exceed the Fund’s investment returns, resulting in greater losses.

 

Management Risk

 

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available to PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Short Sale Risk

 

The Fund’s short sales, if any, are subject to special risks. A short sale involves the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. The Fund may also enter into a short position through a forward commitment or a short derivative position through a futures contract or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative has increased during this time, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the actual cost of the investment. Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

Please see “Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings” in the Statement of Additional Information for information about the availability of the complete schedule of the Fund’s holdings.

 

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Investment Adviser and Administrator

 

PIMCO serves as the investment adviser and the administrator (serving in its capacity as administrator, the “Administrator”) for the Fund. Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees of PIMCO Funds (the “Trust”), PIMCO is responsible for managing the investment activities of the Fund and the Fund’s business affairs and other administrative matters.

 

PIMCO is located at 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Organized in 1971, PIMCO provides investment management and advisory services to private accounts of institutional and individual clients and to mutual funds. As of June 30, 2011, PIMCO had approximately $1.3 trillion in assets under management.

 

Management Fees

 

The Fund pays for the advisory and supervisory and administrative services it requires under what is essentially an all-in fee structure. The Management Fees shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table reflect both an advisory fee and a supervisory and administrative fee (less the service fee for Class D, which is reflected on a separate line item in the table). The Fund will pay monthly Management Fees to PIMCO at the annual rate (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund):

 

Management Fee

Institutional
Class
   Class P   Administrative
Class
  Class D

0.90%

   1.00%   0.90%   1.05%

 

  n   

Advisory Fee. The Fund pays PIMCO fees in return for providing investment advisory services. The Fund will pay monthly advisory fees to PIMCO at the annual rate (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund) of 0.60%.

 

A discussion of the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s investment advisory contract will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

 

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Supervisory and Administrative Fee. The Fund pays for the supervisory and administrative services it requires under what is essentially an all-in fee structure. Shareholders of the Fund pay a supervisory and administrative fee to PIMCO, computed as a percentage of the Fund’s assets attributable in the aggregate to that class of shares. PIMCO, in turn, provides or procures supervisory and administrative services for shareholders and also bears the costs of various third-party services required by the Fund, including audit,

   

custodial, portfolio accounting, legal, transfer agency and printing costs. The Fund bears other expenses which are not covered under the supervisory and administrative fee which may vary and affect the total level of expenses paid by the shareholders, such as taxes and governmental fees, brokerage fees, commissions and other transaction expenses, costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses, extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses) and fees and expenses of the Trust’s Independent Trustees and their counsel. PIMCO generally earns a profit on the supervisory and administrative fee paid by the Fund. Also, under the terms of the supervision and administration agreement, PIMCO, and not Fund shareholders, would benefit from any price decreases in third-party services, including decreases resulting from an increase in net assets.

 

The Fund will pay PIMCO monthly supervisory and administrative fees for the Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class and Class D shares at the following annual rates (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets attributable in the aggregate to each class taken separately):

 

Supervisory and Administrative Fee

Institutional
Class
   Class P   Administrative
Class
  Class D(1)
0.30%    0.40%   0.30%   0.70%

 

  (1)   

As described below under “12b-1 Plan for Class D Shares,” the supervision and administration agreement includes a plan adopted in conformity with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act which provides for the payment of up to 0.25% of the supervisory and administrative fee as reimbursement for expenses in respect of activities that may be deemed to be primarily intended to result in the sale of Class D shares. In the Fund Summary above, the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table provided under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” shows the supervisory and administrative fee rate under two separate columns entitled “Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees” and “Management Fees.” The table above shows the total supervisory and administrative fee rate, including the 0.25% fee adopted in conformity with Rule 12b-1.

 

PIMCO has contractually agreed, through July 31, 2013, to reduce total annual fund operating expenses for the Fund’s separate classes of shares, by waiving a portion of the Fund’s supervisory and administrative fee or reimbursing the Fund, to the extent that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees exceed 0.0049% of the Fund’s average net assets attributable to a separate class of shares, respectively. Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, which renews annually for a full year unless terminated by PIMCO upon at least 30 days notice prior to the end of the contract term, PIMCO may recoup these waivers and reimbursements in future periods not exceeding three years, provided that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees, plus recoupment, do not exceed the Expense Limit.

 

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12b-1 Plan for Class D Shares. The Fund’s supervision and administration agreement includes a

 

 

 

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plan for Class D shares that has been adopted in conformity with the requirements set forth in Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The plan provides that up to 0.25% per annum of the Class D supervisory and administrative fees paid under the supervision and administration agreement may represent reimbursement for activities that may be deemed to be primarily intended to result in the sale of Class D shares. The principal types of activities for which such payments may be made are services in connection with the distribution of Class D shares and/or the provision of shareholder services. Although the Fund intends to treat any fees paid under the plan as

 

“service fees” for purposes of applicable rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), to the extent that such fees are deemed not to be “service fees”, Class D shareholders may, depending on the length of time the shares are held, pay more than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charges permitted by the relevant rules of the FINRA. Because 12b-1 fees would be paid out of the Fund’s Class D share assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees would increase the cost of a shareholder’s investment in Class D shares and may cost more than other types of sales charges.

 

 

Individual Portfolio Manager

 

The following individual has primary responsibility for managing the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager         Since      Recent Professional Experience

Mark Kiesel

       *      

Managing Director, PIMCO. He is a portfolio manager and a senior member of PIMCO’s investment strategy group. He has served as a portfolio manager, head of equity derivatives and as a senior Credit Analyst since joining PIMCO in 1996.

 

  *   Inception of the Fund.

 

Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information about other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, the portfolio manager’s compensation and the portfolio manager’s ownership of shares of the Fund.

 

Distributor

 

The Trust’s Distributor is PIMCO Investments LLC (“Distributor”). The Distributor, located at 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Please note all account requests should be mailed to the Trust’s transfer agent and should not be mailed directly to the Distributor.

 

CLASSES OF SHARES—INSTITUTIONAL CLASS, CLASS P, ADMINISTRATIVE CLASS AND CLASS D SHARES

 

The Trust offers investors Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class and Class D shares of the Fund in this prospectus.

 

The Fund does not charge any sales charges (loads) or other fees in connection with purchases, redemptions or exchanges of Institutional Class, Class P, Administrative Class or Class D shares of the Fund offered in this prospectus.

  n   

Service and Distribution (12b-1) Fees— Administrative Class Shares. The Trust has adopted both an Administrative Services Plan and a Distribution Plan for the Administrative Class shares of the Fund. The Distribution Plan has been adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Plan allows the Fund to use its Administrative Class assets to reimburse financial intermediaries that provide services relating to Administrative Class shares. The Distribution Plan permits reimbursement for costs and expenses incurred in connection with the distribution and marketing of Administrative Class shares and/or the provision of certain shareholder services to Administrative Class shareholders. The Administrative Services Plan permits reimbursement for costs and expenses incurred in connection with providing certain administrative services to Administrative Class shareholders.

 

In combination, the Plans permit the Fund to make total reimbursements at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Administrative Class shares. The same entity may not receive both distribution and administrative services fees with respect to the same Administrative Class assets, but may receive fees under each Plan with respect to separate assets. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s Administrative Class assets on an

 

 

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ongoing basis, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in Administrative Class shares, and Distribution Plan fees may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

 

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Arrangements with Service Agents—Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class Shares. Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares of the Fund may be offered through certain brokers and financial intermediaries (“service agents”) that have established a shareholder servicing relationship with the Trust on behalf of their customers. The Trust pays no compensation to such entities other than service and/or distribution fees paid with respect to Administrative Class shares. Service agents may impose additional or different conditions than the Trust on purchases, redemptions or exchanges of Fund shares by their customers. Service agents may also independently establish and charge their customers transaction fees, account fees and other amounts in connection with purchases, sales and redemptions of Fund shares in addition to any fees charged by the Trust. These additional fees may vary over time and would increase the cost of the customer’s investment and lower investment returns. Each service agent is responsible for transmitting to its customers a schedule of any such fees and information regarding any additional or different conditions regarding purchases, redemptions and exchanges. Shareholders who are customers of service agents should consult their service agents for information regarding these fees and conditions. Among the service agents with whom the Trust may enter into a shareholder servicing relationship are firms whose business involves or includes investment consulting, or whose parent or affiliated companies are in the investment consulting business, that may recommend that their clients utilize PIMCO’s investment advisory services or invest in the Fund or in other products sponsored by PIMCO and its affiliates.

 

In addition, PIMCO and/or its affiliates makes payments to selected brokers and other financial intermediaries (“service agents”) for providing administrative, sub-transfer agency, sub-accounting and other shareholder services to shareholders holding Class P shares in nominee or street name, including, without limitation, the following services: providing explanations and answering inquiries regarding the Fund and shareholder accounts; providing recordkeeping and other administrative services; acting as the shareholder of record and nominee for holders of Class P shares; maintaining records of and receiving, aggregating and processing shareholder purchases and

redemptions; communicating periodically with shareholders; processing and mailing trade confirmations, periodic statements, prospectuses, shareholder reports, shareholder notices and other SEC-required communications to shareholders; processing, collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of shareholder accounts; capturing and processing tax data; providing sub-accounting services; providing and maintaining elective services with respect to Class P shares such as check writing and wire transfer services; providing and maintaining pre-authorized investment plans; providing recordkeeping services related to purchase and redemption transactions, including providing such information as may be necessary to assume compliance with applicable blue sky requirements; and performing similar administrative services. The actual services provided, and the payments made for such services, vary from firm to firm. PIMCO currently estimates that it and/or its affiliates will pay up to 0.10% per annum of the value of assets in the relevant accounts for providing the services described above. Payments described above may be material to service agents relative to other compensation paid by the Fund and/or PIMCO and/or its affiliates and may be in addition to other fees, such as the revenue sharing or “shelf space” fees paid to such service agents. The payments described above may differ depending on the Fund and may vary from amounts paid to the Trust’s transfer agent for providing similar services to other accounts. PIMCO and/or its affiliates do not audit the service agents to determine whether such agents are providing the services for which they are receiving such payments.

 

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Financial Service Firms—Class D Shares. Broker-dealers, registered investment advisers and other financial service firms provide varying investment products, programs or accounts, pursuant to arrangements with the Distributor, through which their clients may purchase and redeem Class D shares of the Fund. Firms will generally provide or arrange for the provision of some or all of the shareholder servicing and account maintenance services required by a shareholder’s account, including, without limitation, transfers of registration and dividend payee changes. Firms may also perform other functions, including generating confirmation statements and disbursing cash dividends, and may arrange with their clients for other investment or administrative services. A firm may independently establish and charge transaction fees and/or other additional amounts for such services, which may change over time. These fees and additional amounts

 

 

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could reduce a shareholder’s investment returns on Class D shares of the Fund.

 

A financial service firm may have omnibus accounts and similar arrangements with the Trust and may be paid for providing sub-transfer agency and other services. A firm may be paid for its services directly or indirectly by the Fund, the Administrator or another affiliate of the Fund at an annual rate generally not to exceed 0.35% (up to 0.25% may be paid by the Fund) of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class D shares purchased through such firm for its clients, although payments with respect to shares in retirement plans are often higher. A firm may establish various minimum investment requirements for Class D shares of the Fund and may also establish certain privileges with respect to purchases, redemptions and exchanges of Class D shares or the reinvestment of dividends. Shareholders who hold Class D shares of the Fund through a financial service firm should contact that firm for information.

 

This prospectus should be read in connection with a financial service firm’s materials regarding its fees and services.

 

  n   

Payments to Financial Firms—Class D Shares. Some or all of the distribution fees and servicing fees described above for Class D shares are paid or “reallowed” to the broker, dealer, financial adviser, insurance company, bank or other financial entity through which a shareholder purchases shares. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for more details. A financial firm is one that, in exchange for compensation, sells, among other products, mutual fund shares (including the shares offered in this prospectus) or provides services for mutual fund shareholders.

 

In addition, the Distributor, PIMCO and their affiliates (for purposes of this subsection only, collectively, the “Distributor”) may from time to time make payments such as cash bonuses or provide other incentives to selected financial firms as compensation for services such as, without limitation, providing the Fund with “shelf space” or a higher profile for the financial firms’ financial consultants and their customers, placing the Fund on the financial firms’ preferred or recommended fund list, granting the Distributor access to the financial firms’ financial consultants, providing assistance in training and educating the financial firms’ personnel, and furnishing marketing support and other specified services. These payments may be significant to the financial firms and may also take the form of sponsorship of seminars or informational meetings or

payment for attendance by persons associated with the financial firms at seminars or informational meetings.

 

A number of factors will be considered in determining the amount of these payments to financial firms. On some occasions, such payments may be conditioned upon levels of sales, including the sale of a specified minimum dollar amount of the shares of the Fund, all other series of the Trust, other funds sponsored by the Distributor and/or a particular class of shares, during a specified period of time. The Distributor may also make payments to one or more participating financial firms based upon factors such as the amount of assets a financial firm’s clients have invested in the Fund and the quality of the financial firm’s relationship with the Distributor.

 

The payments described above are made at the Distributor’s expense. These payments may be made to financial firms selected by the Distributor, generally to the financial firms that have sold significant amounts of shares of the Fund. The level of payments made to a financial firm in any given year will vary and generally will not exceed the sum of (a) 0.10% of such year’s fund sales by that financial firm and (b) 0.03% of the assets invested in series of the Trust and PIMCO Equity Series. In certain cases, the payments described in the preceding sentence may be subject to certain minimum payment levels. In lieu of payments pursuant to the foregoing formulae, the Distributor may make payments of an agreed upon amount which normally will not exceed the amount that would have been payable pursuant to the formulae. There are a few existing relationships on different bases that are expected to terminate, although the actual termination date is not known. In some cases, in addition to the payments described above, the Distributor will make payments for special events such as a conference or seminar sponsored by one of such financial firms.

 

If investment advisers, distributors or affiliates of mutual funds pay bonuses and incentives in differing amounts, financial firms and their financial consultants may have financial incentives for recommending a particular mutual fund over other mutual funds. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a financial firm and its financial consultants may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. A shareholder who holds Class D shares of the Fund through a financial firm should consult with the shareholder’s financial advisor and review carefully any disclosure by the financial firm as to its compensation received by the financial advisor.

 

 

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Wholesale representatives of the Distributor visit brokerage firms on a regular basis to educate financial advisors about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Although the Fund may use financial firms that sell Fund shares to effect transactions for the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund and PIMCO will not consider the sale of Fund shares as a factor when choosing financial firms to effect those transactions.

 

For further details about payments made by the Distributor to financial firms, please see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

  n   

Payments by PIMCO. From time to time, PIMCO may pay or reimburse broker-dealers, banks, recordkeepers or other financial institutions for PIMCO’s attendance at investment forums sponsored by such firms, or PIMCO may co-sponsor such investment forums with such financial institutions. Payments and reimbursements for such activities are made out of PIMCO’s own assets and at no cost to the Fund. These payments and reimbursements may be made from profits received by PIMCO from advisory fees and supervisory and administrative fees paid to PIMCO by the Fund. Such activities by PIMCO may provide incentives to financial institutions to sell shares of the Fund. Additionally, these activities may give PIMCO additional access to sales representatives of such financial institutions, which may increase sales of Fund shares.

 

From time to time, PIMCO or its affiliates may pay investment consultants or their parent or affiliated companies for certain services including technology, operations, tax, or audit consulting services, and may pay such firms for PIMCO’s attendance at investment forums sponsored by such firms or for various studies, surveys, or access to databases. Subject to applicable law, PIMCO and its affiliates may also provide investment advisory services to investment consultants and their affiliates and may execute brokerage transactions on behalf of the Fund with such investment consultants or their affiliates. These consultants or their affiliates may, in the ordinary course of their investment consultant business, recommend that their clients utilize PIMCO’s investment advisory services or invest in the Fund or in other products sponsored by PIMCO and its affiliates.

PURCHASES, REDEMPTIONS AND EXCHANGES

 

Purchasing Shares—Institutional Class, Class P, and Administrative Class Shares

 

Investors may purchase Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares of the Fund at the relevant net asset value (“NAV”) of that class without a sales charge.

 

Institutional Class shares are offered primarily for direct investment by investors such as pension and profit sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations, corporations and high net worth individuals. Institutional Class shares may also be offered through certain financial intermediaries that charge their customers transaction or other fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Fund.

 

Class P shares are offered through certain asset allocation, wrap fee and other similar programs offered by broker-dealers and other intermediaries. Broker- dealers, other intermediaries, pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts and employee benefit plan alliances also may purchase Class P shares. These entities may purchase Class P shares only if the plan or program for which the shares are being acquired will not require the Fund to pay any type of administrative payment per participant account to any third party.

 

Administrative Class shares are offered primarily through employee benefit plan alliances, broker-dealers and other intermediaries, and the Fund pays service and/or distribution fees to these entities for services they provide to Administrative Class shareholders.

 

Pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts and employee benefit plan alliances and “wrap account” programs established with broker-dealers or financial intermediaries may purchase shares of either Institutional Class, Class P or Administrative Class only if the plan or program for which the shares are being acquired will maintain an omnibus or pooled account for the Fund and will not require the Fund to pay any type of administrative payment per participant account to any third party. Shares may be offered to clients of PIMCO and its affiliates, and to the benefit plans of PIMCO and its affiliates.

 

  n   

Investment Minimums. The minimum initial investment for shares of the Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class is $1 million, except that the minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors.

 

 

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The Trust or the Distributor may lower or waive the minimum initial investment for certain categories of investors at their discretion. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

  n   

Initial Investment. Investors may open an account by completing and signing an Account Application Form and sending a facsimile to 1-816-421-2861. The completed Account Application Form may also be mailed to PIMCO Funds, c/o BFDS Midwest, 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. An Account Application Form may be obtained online at www.pimco.com/investments under Literature, or by calling 1-800-927-4648.

 

Except as described below, an investor may purchase Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares only by wiring federal funds to:

 

PIMCO Funds c/o State Street Bank & Trust Co.

225 Franklin St., Boston, MA 02110

ABA: 011000028

DDA: 7432 Acct: Your PIMCO Account Number

FCC: Name of entity and Name of Fund(s) in which you wish to invest

 

Before wiring federal funds, the investor must provide trade instructions to the Trust by facsimile at 1-816-421-2861 or by telephone at 1-800-927-4648. In order to receive the current day’s NAV, trade instructions must be received in good order to market close. Instructions must include the name of Authorized Person with the following information: name of authorized person, account name, account number, name of Fund and share class, and amount being wired. Wires received without trade instructions will result in a processing delay or a return of wire. Failure to send the accompanying wire on the same day may result in the cancellation of the trade. An investor may purchase shares without first wiring federal funds if the proceeds of the investment are derived from an advisory account the investor maintains with PIMCO or one of its affiliates, or from an investment by broker-dealers, institutional clients or other financial intermediaries which have established a shareholder servicing relationship with the Trust on behalf of their customers.

 

  n   

Additional Investments. An investor may purchase additional Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares of the Fund at any time by calling the Trust and wiring federal funds to the Transfer Agent as outlined above.

 

  n   

Other Purchase Information. Purchases of the Fund’s Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares will be made in full and fractional shares. In

 

the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.

 

The Trust typically does not offer or sell its shares to non-U.S. residents. For purposes of this policy, a U.S. resident is defined as an account with (i) a U.S. address of record and (ii) all account owners residing in the U.S. at the time of sale.

 

The Trust and the Distributor each reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of shares of the Fund or to reject any purchase order, in whole or in part, when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interests of the Trust.

 

Subject to the approval of the Trust, an investor may purchase shares of the Fund with liquid securities that are eligible for purchase by the Fund (consistent with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions) and that have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies. These transactions will be effected only if PIMCO intends to retain the security in the Fund as an investment. Assets purchased by the Fund in such a transaction will be valued in generally the same manner as they would be valued for purposes of pricing the Fund’s shares, if such assets were included in the Fund’s assets at the time of purchase. The Trust reserves the right to amend or terminate this practice at any time.

 

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Retirement Plans. Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares of the Fund are available for purchase by retirement and savings plans, including Keogh plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) custodial accounts, and Individual Retirement Accounts. The administrator of a plan or employee benefits office can provide participants or employees with detailed information on how to participate in the plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option. Participants in a retirement or savings plan may be permitted to elect different investment options, alter the amounts contributed to the plan, or change how contributions are allocated among investment options in accordance with the plan’s specific provisions. The plan administrator or employee benefits office should be consulted for details. For questions about participant accounts, participants should contact their employee benefits office, the plan administrator, or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for the plan. Investors who purchase shares through retirement plans should be aware that plan administrators may aggregate purchase and redemption orders for participants in the plan. Therefore, there may be a delay between the time the

 

 

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investor places an order with the plan administrator and the time the order is forwarded to the Transfer Agent for execution.

 

Purchasing Shares—Class D Shares

 

Class D shares of the Fund are continuously offered through financial service firms, such as broker-dealers or registered investment advisers, with which the Distributor has an agreement for the use of the Fund in particular investment products, programs or accounts for which a fee may be charged. See “Financial Service Firms—Class D Shares” above.

 

In connection with purchases, a financial service firm is responsible for forwarding all necessary documentation to the Distributor, and may charge for such services. To purchase shares of the Fund directly from the Distributor, an investor should inquire about the other classes of shares offered by the Trust. An investor may call the Distributor at 1-800-426-0107 for information about other investment options.

 

Class D shares of the Fund will be held in a shareholder’s account at a financial service firm and, generally, the firm will hold a shareholder’s Class D shares in nominee or street name as your agent. In most cases, the Trust’s transfer agent will have no information with respect to or control over accounts of specific Class D shareholders and a shareholder may obtain information about accounts only through the financial service firm. In certain circumstances, the firm may arrange to have shares held in a shareholder’s name or a shareholder may subsequently become a holder of record for some other reason (for instance, if you terminate your relationship with your firm). In such circumstances, a shareholder may contact the Distributor at 1-800-426-0107 for information about the account. In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for Class D shares will not be issued.

 

The Distributor reserves the right to require payment by wire. The Distributor generally does not accept payments made by cash, temporary/starter checks, third-party checks, credit cards, traveler’s checks, credit card checks, or checks drawn on non-U.S. banks even if payment may be effected through a U.S. bank.

 

Investment Minimums.  The following investment minimums apply for purchases of Class D shares.

 

  Initial Investment  

  

  Subsequent Investments  

$1,000    $50

 

The minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors. The Trust or the Distributor may lower or waive the minimum

investment for certain categories of investors at their discretion. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

A financial service firm may impose different investment minimums than the Trust. For example, if a shareholder’s firm maintains an omnibus account with the Fund, the firm may impose higher or lower investment minimums than the Trust when a shareholder invests in Class D shares of the Fund through the firm. A Class D shareholder should contact the financial service firm for information.

 

Acceptance and Timing of Purchase Orders, Redemption Orders and Share Price Calculations

 

A purchase order received by the Trust or its designee prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), on a day the Trust is open for business, together with payment made in one of the ways described below, will be effected at that day’s NAV. An order received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE will be effected at the NAV determined on the next business day. However, orders received by certain retirement plans and other financial intermediaries on a business day prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE and communicated to the Trust or its designee prior to such time as agreed upon by the Trust and intermediary will be effected at the NAV determined on the business day the order was received by the intermediary. The Trust is “open for business” on each day the NYSE is open for trading, which excludes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Fund reserves the right to close if the primary trading markets of the Fund’s portfolio instruments are closed and the Fund’s management believes that there is not an adequate market to meet purchase, redemption or exchange requests. On any business day when the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) recommends that the securities markets close trading early, the Fund may close trading early. Purchase orders for the Fund will be accepted only on days on which the Fund is open for business.

 

A redemption request received by the Trust or its designee prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (“NYSE Close”), on a day the Trust is open for business, is effective on that day. A redemption request received after that time becomes effective on the next business day. Redemption requests for Fund shares are effected at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of a

 

 

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redemption request by the Trust or its designee. However, orders received by certain broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries on a business day prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE and communicated to the Trust or its designee prior to such time as agreed upon by the Trust and intermediary will be effected at the NAV determined on the business day the order was received by the intermediary. The request must properly identify all relevant information such as account number, redemption amount (in dollars or shares), the Fund name and the class of shares and must be executed by an Authorized Person (as defined below).

 

The Distributor, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject any order for purchase of Fund shares. The sale of shares will be suspended during any period in which the NYSE is closed (for other than weekends or holidays), or if permitted by the rules of the SEC, when trading on the NYSE is restricted or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. Additionally, redemptions of Fund shares may be suspended when trading on the NYSE is restricted or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. Under these and other unusual circumstances, the Trust may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by law.

 

An investor should invest in the Fund for long-term investment purposes only. The Trust reserves the right to refuse purchases if, in the judgment of PIMCO, the purchases would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. In particular, the Trust and PIMCO each reserves the right to restrict purchases of Fund shares (including exchanges) when a pattern of frequent purchases and sales made in response to short-term fluctuations in share price appears evident. Notice of any such restrictions, if any, will vary according to the particular circumstances.

 

Abusive Trading Practices

 

The Trust encourages shareholders to invest in the Fund as part of a long-term investment strategy and discourages excessive, short-term trading and other abusive trading practices, sometimes referred to as “market timing.” However, because the Trust will not always be able to detect market timing or other abusive trading activity, investors should not assume that the

Trust will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Fund.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investment strategies may expose the Fund to risks associated with market timing activities. For example, since the Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities, it may be subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the Fund’s non-U.S. portfolio securities and the determination of the Fund’s NAV as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling Fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for the Fund’s potential investment in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets, securities of distressed companies or high yield securities that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices.

 

To discourage excessive, short-term trading and other abusive trading practices, the Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent short-term trading activity that may be harmful to the Fund and its shareholders. Such activities may have a detrimental effect on the Fund and its shareholders. For example, depending upon various factors such as the size of the Fund and the amount of its assets maintained in cash, short-term or excessive trading by Fund shareholders may interfere with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, increase transaction costs and taxes, and may harm the performance of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

The Trust seeks to deter and prevent abusive trading practices, and to reduce these risks, through several methods. First, to the extent that there is a delay between a change in the value of a mutual fund’s portfolio holdings, and the time when that change is reflected in the NAV of the fund’s shares, the fund is exposed to the risk that investors may seek to exploit this delay by purchasing or redeeming shares at NAVs that do not reflect appropriate fair value prices. The Trust seeks to deter and prevent this activity, sometimes referred to as “stale price arbitrage,” by the appropriate use of “fair value” pricing of the Fund’s portfolio securities. See “How Fund Shares Are Priced” below for more information.

 

Second, the Trust seeks to monitor shareholder account activities in order to detect and prevent excessive and disruptive trading practices. The Trust and PIMCO each reserves the right to restrict or refuse any purchase or

 

 

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exchange transaction if, in the judgment of the Trust or of PIMCO, the transaction may adversely affect the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. Among other things, the Trust may monitor for any patterns of frequent purchases and sales that appear to be made in response to short-term fluctuations in share price. Notice of any restrictions or rejections of transactions may vary according to the particular circumstances.

 

Although the Trust and its service providers seek to use these methods to detect and prevent abusive trading activities, and although the Trust will consistently apply such methods, there can be no assurances that such activities can be mitigated or eliminated. By their nature, omnibus accounts, in which purchases and sales of Fund shares by multiple investors are aggregated for presentation to the Fund on a net basis, conceal the identity of the individual investors from the Fund. This makes it more difficult for the Fund to identify short-term transactions in the Fund.

 

Verification of Identity

 

To help the federal government combat the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person that opens a new account, and to determine whether such person’s name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists and terrorist organizations. As a result, the Fund must obtain the following information for each person that opens a new account:

 

  1. Name;
  2. Date of birth (for individuals);
  3. Residential or business street address; and
  4. Social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other identifying number.

 

Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information listed above.

 

Individuals may also be asked for a copy of their driver’s license, passport or other identifying document in order to verify their identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify an individual’s identity by cross-referencing the identification information with a consumer report or other electronic database. Additional information may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities.

 

After an account is opened, the Fund may restrict your ability to purchase additional shares until your identity is verified. The Fund also may close your

account and redeem your shares or take other appropriate action if it is unable to verify your identity within a reasonable time.

 

Redeeming Shares—Institutional Class, Administrative Class and Class P shares

 

  n   

Redemptions in Writing. An investor may redeem (sell) Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares by submitting a written request, by sending a facsimile to 1-816-421-2861 or by mail to PIMCO Funds, c/o BFDS Midwest, 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. The redemption request should state the Fund from which the shares are to be redeemed, the class of shares, the number or dollar amount of the shares to be redeemed and the account number. The request must be signed by the appropriate persons designated on the Account Application Form (“Authorized Person”).

 

Furthermore, an investor that elects to utilize e-mail redemptions on the Account Application Form (or subsequently in writing) may request redemptions by sending an email to pimcoteam@bfdsmidwest.com. An Authorized Person must state the Fund from which the shares are to be redeemed, the class of shares, the number or dollar amount of the shares to be redeemed and the account number.

 

Neither the Trust nor the Transfer Agent may be liable for any loss, cost or expense for acting on instructions (including those by fax or e-mail) believed by the party receiving such instructions to be genuine and in accordance with the procedures described in this prospectus. Shareholders should realize that by utilizing fax or e-mail redemption, they may be giving up a measure of security that they might have if they were to redeem their shares by mail. Furthermore, interruptions in service may mean that a shareholder will be unable to effect a redemption by fax or e-mail when desired. The Transfer Agent also provides written confirmation of transactions as a procedure designed to confirm that instructions are genuine.

 

All redemptions, whether initiated by mail, fax or e-mail, will be processed in a timely manner, and proceeds will be forwarded by wire in accordance with the redemption policies of the Trust detailed below. See “Other Redemption Information.”

 

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Redemptions by Telephone. An investor that elects this option on the Account Application Form (or subsequently in writing) may request redemptions of shares by calling the Trust at 1-800-927-4648. An Authorized Person must state his or her name,

 

 

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account name, account number, name of Fund and share class, and redemption amount (in dollars or shares). Redemption requests of an amount of $10 million or more must be submitted in writing by an Authorized Person.

 

In electing a telephone redemption, the investor authorizes PIMCO and the Transfer Agent to act on telephone instructions from any person representing him or herself to be an Authorized Person, and reasonably believed by PIMCO or the Transfer Agent to be genuine. Neither the Trust nor the Transfer Agent may be liable for any loss, cost or expense for acting on instructions (including by telephone) believed by the party receiving such instructions to be genuine and in accordance with the procedures described in this prospectus. Shareholders should realize that by electing the telephone option, they may be giving up a measure of security that they might have if they were to redeem their shares in writing. Furthermore, interruptions in service may mean that a shareholder will be unable to effect a redemption by telephone when desired. The Transfer Agent also provides written confirmation of transactions initiated by telephone as a procedure designed to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. All telephone transactions are recorded, and PIMCO or the Transfer Agent may request certain information in order to verify that the person giving instructions is authorized to do so. The Trust or Transfer Agent may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone transactions if it fails to employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. All redemptions initiated by telephone will be processed in a timely manner, and proceeds will be forwarded by wire in accordance with the redemption policies of the Trust detailed below. See “Other Redemption Information.”

 

An Authorized Person may decline telephone exchange or redemption privileges after an account is opened by providing the Transfer Agent letter of instruction. Shareholders may experience delays in exercising telephone redemption privileges during periods of abnormal market activity. During periods of volatile economic or market conditions, shareholders may wish to consider transmitting redemption orders by facsimile, email or overnight courier.

 

Defined contribution plan participants may request redemptions by contacting the employee benefits office, the plan administrator or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for the plan.

 

  n   

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds will ordinarily be wired to the investor’s bank within three business days after the redemption

   

request, but may take up to seven days. Redemption proceeds will be sent by wire only to the bank name designated on the Account Application Form.

 

For shareholder protection, a request to change information contained in an account registration must be received in writing, signed by an Authorized Person. A request to change the bank designated to receive wire redemption proceeds must be received in writing, signed by an Authorized person, and accompanied by a signature validation from any eligible guarantor institution from any eligible guarantor institution, as determined in accordance with the Trust’s procedures, as more fully described below. See “Signature Validation.”

 

Redeeming Shares—Class D shares

 

An investor may sell (redeem) Class D shares through the investor’s financial service firm on any day the NYSE is open. An investor does not pay any fees or other charges to the Trust or the Distributor when selling shares, although the financial service firm may charge for its services in processing a redemption request. An investor should contact the firm for details. If an investor is the holder of record of Class D shares, the investor may contact the Distributor at 1-800-426-0107 for information regarding how to sell shares directly to the Trust.

 

A financial service firm is obligated to transmit an investor’s redemption orders to the Distributor promptly and is responsible for ensuring that a redemption request is in proper form. The financial service firm will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documentation to the Distributor or the Trust’s transfer agent and may charge for its services. Redemption proceeds will be forwarded to the financial service firm as promptly as possible and in any event within seven days after the redemption request is received by the Distributor in good order.

 

Redemptions in Kind

 

The Trust has agreed to redeem shares of the Fund solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets during any 90-day period for any one shareholder. In consideration of the best interests of the remaining shareholders, the Trust may pay any redemption proceeds exceeding this amount in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever be redeemed in kind. If your shares are redeemed in kind, you should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution.

 

 

 

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Signature Validation

 

When a signature validation is called for, a “Medallion” signature guarantee or Signature validation program (SVP) stamp will be required. A Medallion signature guarantee is intended to provide signature validation for transactions considered financial in nature, and an SVP stamp is intended to provide signature validation for transactions non-financial in nature. A Medallion signature guarantee or SVP stamp may be obtained from a domestic bank or trust company, broker, dealer, clearing agency, savings association or other financial institution which is participating in a Medallion program or Signature validation program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. Signature guarantees from financial institutions which are not participating in one of these programs will not be accepted. Please note that financial institutions participating in a recognized Medallion program may still be ineligible to provide a signature validation for transactions of greater than a specified dollar amount. The Trust may change the signature validation requirements from time to time upon notice to shareholders, which may be given by means of a new or supplemented prospectus. Shareholders should contact PIMCO Funds for additional details regarding the Fund’s signature validation requirements.

 

Signature validation cannot be provided by a notary public. In addition, corporations, trusts, and other institutional organizations are required to furnish evidence of the authority of the persons designated on the Account Application Form to effect transactions for the organization.

 

Minimum Account Size

 

Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem shares in any account that falls below the values listed below.

 

  n   

Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class. The Trust reserves the right to redeem Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares in any account for their then-current value (which will be promptly paid to the investor) if at any time, due to redemption by the investor, the shares in the account do not have a value of at least $100,000. A shareholder will receive advance notice of a mandatory redemption and will be given at least 60 days to bring the value of its account up to at least $100,000.

 

  n   

Class D. Investors should maintain an account balance in the Fund held by an investor of at least the

   

minimum investment necessary to open the particular type of account. If an investor’s balance for the Fund remains below the minimum for three months or longer, the Administrator has the right (except in the case of employer-sponsored retirement accounts) to redeem an investor’s remaining shares and close that Fund account after giving the investor at least 60 days to increase the account balance. An investor’s account will not be liquidated if the reduction in size is due solely to a decline in market value of Fund shares or if the aggregate value of all the investor’s holdings in PIMCO Equity Series and PIMCO Funds accounts exceeds $50,000.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

An investor may exchange each class of shares of the Fund for shares of the same class of any other fund of the Trust that offers that class based on the respective NAVs of the shares involved. An investor may also exchange shares of the Fund for shares of the same class of a fund of PIMCO Equity Series. Shareholders interested in such an exchange may request a prospectus for these other funds by contacting the Trust.

 

An investor may exchange Institutional Class, Class P and Administrative Class shares of the Fund by following the redemption procedure described above under “Redemptions in Writing” or, if the investor has elected the telephone redemption option, by calling the Trust at 1-800-927-4648. An investor may exchange or obtain additional information about exchange privileges for Class D shares by contacting the investor’s financial service firm. The financial service firm may impose various fees and charges, investment minimums and other requirements with respect to exchanges.

 

Shares of the Fund may also be exchanged directly for shares of another class of the Fund, subject to any applicable sales charge, as described in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

The Trust reserves the right to refuse exchange purchases (or purchase and redemption and/or redemption and purchase transactions) if, in the judgment of PIMCO, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. Although the Trust has no current intention of terminating or modifying the exchange privilege, it reserves the right to do so at any time. Except as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Trust will give you 60 days’ advance notice if it exercises its right to terminate or materially modify the exchange privilege.

 

 

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Request for Multiple Copies of Shareholder Documents

 

To reduce expenses, it is intended that only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report, when available, will be mailed to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive an additional copy of these documents and your shares are held directly with the Trust, please contact the Trust at 1-800-927-4648. You will receive the additional copy within 30 days after receipt of your request by the Trust. Alternatively, if your shares are held through a financial institution, please contact the financial institution directly.

 

HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED

 

The NAV of the Fund’s shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets attributable to that class, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of that class.

 

Fund shares are valued as of the NYSE Close on each day that the NYSE is open. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of a security or the NAV determined earlier that day. The Fund reserves the right to change the time its NAV is calculated if the Fund closes earlier, or as permitted by the SEC.

 

For purposes of calculating NAV, portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or pricing services. The Fund will normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. A foreign equity security traded on a foreign exchange or on more than one exchange is typically valued using pricing information from the exchange considered by the managers to be the primary exchange. A foreign equity security will be valued as of the close of trading on the foreign exchange, or the NYSE Close, if the NYSE Close occurs before the end of trading on the foreign exchange. Domestic and foreign fixed income securities and non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and

dealers or pricing services using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Prices obtained from independent pricing services use information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Certain fixed income securities purchased on a delayed-delivery basis are marked to market daily until settlement at the forward settlement date. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost. Exchange traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange. With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies, the Fund’s NAV will be calculated based upon the NAVs of such investments.

 

If a foreign (non-U.S.) security’s value has materially changed after the close of the security’s primary exchange or principal market but before the NYSE Close, the security will be valued at fair value based on procedures established and approved by the Board of Trustees. Foreign securities that do not trade when the NYSE is open are also valued at fair value. The Fund may determine the fair value of investments based on information provided by pricing services and other third-party vendors, which may recommend fair value prices or adjustments with reference to other securities, indices or assets. In considering whether fair value pricing is required and in determining fair values, the Fund may, among other things, consider significant events (which may be considered to include changes in the value of U.S. securities or securities indices) that occur after the close of the relevant market and before the NYSE Close. The Fund may utilize modeling tools provided by third-party vendors to determine fair values of non-U.S. securities. Foreign exchanges may permit trading in foreign securities on days when the Trust is not open for business, which may result in the Fund’s portfolio investments being affected when you are unable to buy or sell shares.

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to the U.S. dollar using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the NYSE is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.

 

 

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Securities and other assets for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction. The Board of Trustees has adopted methods for valuing securities and other assets in circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, and has delegated to PIMCO the responsibility for applying the valuation methods. For instance, certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board of Trustees, with reference to other securities or indices. In the event that market quotations are not readily available, and the security or asset cannot be valued pursuant to one of the valuation methods, the value of the security or asset will be determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee of the Board of Trustees, generally based upon recommendations provided by PIMCO.

 

Market quotes are considered not readily available in circumstances where there is an absence of current or reliable market-based data (e.g., trade information, bid/asked information, broker quotes), including where events occur after the close of the relevant market, but prior to the NYSE Close, that materially affect the values of the Fund’s securities or assets. In addition, market quotes are considered not readily available when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the exchanges or markets on which the securities trade do not open for trading for the entire day and no other market prices are available. The Board has delegated to PIMCO the responsibility for monitoring significant events that may materially affect the values of the Fund’s securities or assets and for determining whether the value of the applicable securities or assets should be re-evaluated in light of such significant events.

 

When the Fund uses fair value pricing to determine its NAV, securities will not be priced on the basis of quotes from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction believe accurately reflects fair value. Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security. While the Trust’s policy is intended to result in a calculation of the Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Trust cannot ensure that fair values determined by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction would accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instance, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by the Fund may differ from the

value that would be realized if the securities were sold. The Fund’s use of fair valuation may also help to deter “stale price arbitrage” as discussed above under “Abusive Trading Practices.”

 

Under certain circumstances, the per share NAV of a class of the Fund’s shares may be different from the per share NAV of another class of shares as a result of the different daily expense accruals applicable to each class of shares. Generally, when the Fund pays income dividends, those dividends are expected to differ over time by approximately the amount of the expense accrual differential between the classes.

 

FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund distributes substantially all of its net investment income to shareholders in the form of dividends. You begin earning dividends on Fund shares the day after the Trust receives your purchase payment. Dividends paid by the Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, but dividends on different classes of shares may be different as a result of the service and/or distribution fees applicable to certain classes of shares. The Fund intends to declare and distribute income dividends quarterly to shareholders of record.

 

In addition, the Fund distributes any net capital gains it earns from the sale of portfolio securities to shareholders no less frequently than annually. Net short-term capital gains may be paid more frequently.

 

The Fund’s dividend and capital gain distributions with respect to a particular class of shares will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the same class of the Fund at NAV unless the shareholder elects to have the distributions paid in cash. A shareholder may elect to have distributions paid in cash on the Client Registration Application or by submitting a written request, signed by an Authorized Person, indicating the account name, account number, name of Fund and share class and wiring instructions.

 

If a purchase order for shares is received prior to 12:00 noon, Eastern time, and payment in federal funds is received by the Transfer Agent by the close of the federal funds wire on the day the purchase order is received, dividends will accrue starting that day. If a purchase order is received after 12:00 noon, Eastern time, and payment in federal funds is received by the Transfer Agent by the close of the federal funds wire on the day the purchase order is received, or as otherwise agreed to by the Trust, the order will be effected at that

 

 

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day’s NAV, but dividends will not begin to accrue until the following business day.

 

A Class D shareholder may choose from the following distribution options:

 

  n    

Reinvest all distributions in additional Class D shares of the Fund at NAV. This will be done unless you elect another option.

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Invest all distributions in Class D shares of any other fund of the Trust or PIMCO Equity Series which offers Class D shares at NAV. A shareholder must have an account existing in the fund selected for investment with the identical registered name. This option must be elected when the account is set up.

  n    

Receive all distributions in cash (either paid directly or credited to the shareholder’s account with the financial service firm). This option must be elected when the account is set up.

 

The financial service firm may offer additional distribution reinvestment programs or options. Please contact the firm for details.

 

Shareholders do not pay any sales charges on shares received through the reinvestment of Fund distributions. If a shareholder elects to receive Fund distributions in cash and the postal or other delivery service is unable to deliver checks to the address of record, the Trust’s Transfer Agent will hold the returned checks for the shareholder’s benefit in a non-interest bearing account.

 

TAX CONSEQUENCES

 

The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. taxpayers. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information. You should rely on your own tax adviser for advice about the particular federal, state and local tax consequences to you of investing in the Fund. The Fund will distribute substantially all of its income and gains to its shareholders every year, and shareholders will be taxed on distributions they receive unless the distribution is derived from tax-exempt income and is designated as an “exempt-interest dividend.”

 

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Taxes on Fund Distributions. A shareholder subject to U.S. federal income tax will be subject to tax on taxable Fund distributions of taxable income or capital gains whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. For federal income tax purposes, taxable Fund distributions will be taxable to the shareholder as either ordinary income or capital gains.

Fund dividends (i.e., distributions of investment income) are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Under current law (scheduled to expire after 2012) a portion of distributions may be qualified dividends taxable at lower rates for individual shareholders. Federal taxes on Fund distributions of gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned the shares. Distributions of gains from investments that the Fund owned for more than one year will generally be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will generally be taxable as ordinary income.

 

Fund taxable distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund prior to the shareholder’s investment and thus were included in the price paid for the shares. For example, a shareholder who purchases shares on or just before the record date of the Fund distribution will pay full price for the shares and may receive a portion of his or her investment back as a taxable distribution.

 

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Taxes on Redemption or Exchanges of Shares. Any gain resulting from the sale of Fund shares will generally be subject to federal income tax. When a shareholder exchanges shares of the Fund for shares of another series, the transaction will be treated as a sale of the Fund shares for these purposes, and any gain on those shares will generally be subject to federal income tax.

 

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Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all taxable distributions payable to shareholders if they fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or if they have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

Any foreign shareholders would (with certain exceptions) generally be subject to U. S. tax withholding of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on distributions from the Fund.

 

  n   

Returns of Capital. If the Fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will

 

 

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reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

 

This “Tax Consequences” section relates only to federal income tax; the consequences under other tax laws may differ. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors as to the possible application of foreign, state and local income tax laws to Fund dividends and capital distributions. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information regarding the tax aspects of investing in the Fund.

 

CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF SECURITIES AND INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES

 

This section provides additional information about some of the principal investments and related risks of the Fund described under “Description of Principal Risks” above and elsewhere in this prospectus. It also describes characteristics and risks of additional securities and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund from time to time. Most of these securities and investment techniques are discretionary, which means that PIMCO can decide whether to use them or not. This prospectus does not attempt to disclose all of the various types of securities and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund. As with any mutual fund, investors in the Fund rely on the professional investment judgment and skill of PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager. Please see “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information for more detailed information about the securities and investment techniques described in this section and about other strategies and techniques that may be used by the Fund.

 

Investment Selection

 

Capital appreciation of fixed income securities generally results from decreases in market interest rates, foreign currency appreciation, or improving credit fundamentals for a particular market sector or security.

 

In selecting investments for the Fund, PIMCO develops an outlook for interest rates, currency exchange rates and the economy; analyzes credit and call risks, and uses other investment selection techniques. The proportion of the Fund’s assets committed to investments with particular characteristics (such as quality, sector, interest rate or maturity) varies based on PIMCO’s outlook for the U.S. economy and the economies of other countries in the world, the financial markets and other factors.

With respect to fixed income investing, PIMCO attempts to identify areas of the bond market that are undervalued relative to the rest of the market. PIMCO identifies these areas by grouping Fixed Income Instruments into sectors such as money markets, governments, corporates, mortgages, asset-backed and international. In seeking to identify undervalued currencies, PIMCO may consider many factors, including but not limited to longer-term analysis of relative interest rates, inflation rates, real exchange rates, purchasing power parity, trade account balances and current account balances, as well as other factors that influence exchange rates such as flows, market technical trends and government policies. Sophisticated proprietary software then assists in evaluating sectors and pricing specific investments. Once investment opportunities are identified, PIMCO will shift assets among sectors depending upon changes in relative valuations, credit spreads and other factors. There is no guarantee that PIMCO’s investment selection techniques will produce the desired results.

 

Fixed Income Instruments

 

“Fixed Income Instruments,” as used generally in this prospectus, includes:

 

  n    

securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (“U.S. Government Securities”);

  n    

corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;

  n    

mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities;

  n    

inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations;

  n    

structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds;

  n    

bank capital and trust preferred securities;

  n    

loan participations and assignments;

  n    

delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;

  n    

bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances;

  n    

repurchase agreements on Fixed Income Instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on Fixed Income Instruments;

  n    

debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises;

  n    

obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and

  n    

obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

 

 

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Securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.

 

The Fund may invest in derivatives based on Fixed Income Instruments.

 

Duration

 

Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. Similarly, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. By way of example, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of one year would be expected to fall approximately 1% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. Conversely, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of negative three years would be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates rise by one percentage point. The maturity of a security, another commonly used measure of price sensitivity, measures only the time until final payment is due, whereas duration takes into account the pattern of all payments of interest and principal on a security over time, including how these payments are affected by prepayments and by changes in interest rates, as well as the time until an interest rate on a security is reset (in the case of variable-rate securities).

 

U.S. Government Securities

 

U.S. Government Securities are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises. The U.S. government does not guarantee the NAV of the Fund’s shares. U.S. Government Securities are subject to market and interest rate risk, as well as varying degrees of credit risk. Some U.S. Government Securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Other types of U.S. Government Securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States (but not issued by the U.S. Treasury). These securities may have less credit risk than U.S. Government Securities not supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Such other types of U.S. Government Securities are: (1) supported by the ability of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (2) supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or government-sponsored corporation; or (3) supported by the United States in some other way. These securities may be subject to greater credit risk. U.S. Government Securities include zero coupon securities, which tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-paying securities of similar maturities.

Securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. GNMA, a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation, is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Government related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but its participation certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

 

Municipal Bonds

 

Municipal Bonds are generally issued by states and local governments and their agencies, authorities and other instrumentalities. Municipal Bonds are subject to interest rate, credit and market risk. The ability of an issuer to make payments could be affected by litigation, legislation or other political events or the bankruptcy of the issuer. Lower rated Municipal Bonds are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher quality Municipal Bonds. The types of Municipal Bonds in which the Fund may invest include municipal lease obligations, municipal general obligation bonds, municipal cash equivalents, and pre-refunded and escrowed to maturity municipal bonds. The Fund may also invest in industrial development bonds, which are Municipal Bonds issued by a government agency on behalf of a private sector company and, in most cases, are not backed by the credit of the issuing municipality and may therefore involve more risk. The Fund may also invest in securities issued by entities whose underlying assets are Municipal Bonds.

 

Pre-refunded Municipal Bonds are tax-exempt bonds that have been refunded to a call date on or before the final maturity of principal and remain outstanding in the municipal market. The payment of principal and interest of the pre-refunded Municipal Bonds held by the Fund is funded from securities in a designated escrow account that holds U.S. Treasury securities or other obligations of the U.S. Government (including its agencies and instrumentalities (“Agency Securities”)).

 

 

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As the payment of principal and interest is generated from securities held in a designated escrow account, the pledge of the municipality has been fulfilled and the original pledge of revenue by the municipality is no longer in place. The escrow account securities pledged to pay the principal and interest of the pre-refunded Municipal Bond do not guarantee the price movement of the bond before maturity. Investment in pre-refunded Municipal Bonds held by the Fund may subject the Fund to interest rate risk, market risk and credit risk. In addition, while a secondary market exists for pre-refunded Municipal Bonds, if the Fund sells pre-refunded Municipal Bonds prior to maturity, the price received may be more or less than the original cost, depending on market conditions at the time of sale.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities

 

The Fund may invest in mortgage- or asset-backed securities. Mortgage-related securities include mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals, stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBSs”) and other securities that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. The value of some mortgage- or asset-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-related security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may shorten or extend the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. If unanticipated rates of prepayment on underlying mortgages increase the effective maturity of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of the security can be expected to increase. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

One type of SMBS has one class receiving all of the interest from the mortgage assets (the interest-only, or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only, or “PO” class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a Fund’s yield to maturity from these securities. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in any combination of mortgage-related or other asset-backed IO, PO or inverse floater securities.

 

The Fund may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The Fund may invest in other asset backed securities that have been offered to investors.

 

Loan Participations and Assignments

 

The Fund may invest in fixed- and floating-rate loans, which investments generally will be in the form of loan participations and assignments of portions of such loans. Participations and assignments involve special types of risk, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, and the risks of being a lender. If the Fund purchases a participation, it may only be able to enforce its rights through the lender, and may assume the credit risk of the lender in addition to the borrower.

 

Corporate Debt Securities

 

Corporate debt securities are subject to the risk of the issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity. When interest rates rise, the value of corporate debt securities can be expected to decline. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rate movements than those with shorter maturities.

 

 

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Bank Capital Securities and Trust Preferred Securities

 

There are two common types of bank capital: Tier I and Tier II. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Tier I securities often take the form of trust preferred securities. Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock, are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and, under certain conditions, allow for the issuer bank to withhold payment of interest until a later date.

 

Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. The primary advantage of the structure of trust preferred securities is that they are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements. Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings.

 

High Yield Securities and Distressed Companies

 

Securities rated lower than Baa by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, are sometimes referred to as “high yield securities” or “junk bonds.” Issuers of these securities may be distressed and undergoing restructuring, bankruptcy or other proceedings in an attempt to avoid insolvency. Investing in these securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher-rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities typically entail greater potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. High yield securities may be regarded as predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment.

Variable and Floating Rate Securities

 

Variable and floating rate securities are securities that pay interest at rates that adjust whenever a specified interest rate changes and/or that reset on predetermined dates (such as the last day of a month or calendar quarter). The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments (“floaters”) and engage in credit spread trades. Variable and floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. The Fund may also invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). An inverse floater may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality.

 

Inflation-Indexed Bonds

 

Inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds, which are more fully described below) are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

 

TIPS may also be divided into individual zero-coupon instruments for each coupon or principal payment (known as “iSTRIPS”). An iSTRIP of the principal component of a TIPS issue will retain the embedded deflation floor that will allow the holder of the security to receive the greater of the original principal or inflation-adjusted principal value at maturity. iSTRIPS may be less liquid than conventional TIPS because they are a small component of the TIPS market.

 

Municipal inflation-indexed securities are municipal bonds that pay coupons based on a fixed rate plus CPI. With regard to municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds, the inflation adjustment is reflected in the semi-annual coupon payment. As a result, the principal value of municipal

 

 

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inflation-indexed bonds and such corporate inflation-indexed bonds does not adjust according to the rate of inflation. At the same time, the value of municipal inflation-indexed securities and such corporate inflation-indexed securities generally will not increase if the rate of inflation decreases. Because municipal inflation-indexed securities and corporate inflation-indexed securities are a small component of the municipal bond and corporate bond markets, respectively, they may be less liquid than conventional municipal and corporate bonds.

 

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates may rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

 

Event-Linked Exposure

 

The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in “event-linked bonds” or “event-linked swaps” or by implementing “event-linked strategies.” Event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” If a trigger event occurs, the Fund may lose a portion or its entire principal invested in the bond or notional amount on a swap. Event-linked exposure often provides for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked exposures may also be subject to liquidity risk.

 

Convertible and Equity Securities

 

Common stock represents equity ownership in a company and typically provides the common stockholder the power to vote on certain corporate actions, including the election of the company’s directors. Common stockholders participate in company

profits through dividends and, in the event of bankruptcy, distributions, on a pro-rata basis after other claims are satisfied. Many factors affect the value of common stock, including earnings, earnings forecasts, corporate events and factors impacting the issuer’s industry and the market generally. Common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Convertible securities are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including fixed income securities and warrants, that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock at a stated price or rate. The price of a convertible security will normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of this conversion or exercise feature. However, the value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. A convertible security will normally also provide income and is subject to interest rate risk. Convertible securities may be lower-rated securities subject to greater levels of credit risk. The Fund may be forced to convert a security before it would otherwise choose, which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

“Synthetic” convertible securities are selected based on the similarity of their economic characteristics to those of a traditional convertible security due to the combination of separate securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security, i.e., an income-producing security (“income-producing component”) and the right to acquire an equity security (“convertible component”). The income-producing component is achieved by investing in non-convertible, income-producing securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments, which may be represented by derivative instruments. The convertible component is achieved by investing in securities or instruments such as warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index. A simple example of a synthetic convertible security is the combination of a traditional corporate bond with a warrant to purchase equity securities of the issuer of the bond. The Fund may also purchase synthetic securities created by other parties, typically investment banks, including convertible structured notes. The income-producing and convertible components of a synthetic convertible security may be issued separately by different issuers and at different times.

 

Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in

 

 

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preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in common stock.

 

While some countries or companies may be regarded as favorable investments, pure fixed income opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply, or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the Fund may consider convertible securities or equity securities to gain exposure to such investments.

 

At times, in connection with the restructuring of a preferred stock or Fixed Income Instrument either outside of bankruptcy court or in the context of bankruptcy court proceedings, the Fund may determine or be required to accept equity securities, such as common stocks, in exchange for all or a portion of a preferred stock or Fixed Income Instrument. Depending upon, among other things, PIMCO’s evaluation of the potential value of such securities in relation to the price that could be obtained by the Fund at any given time upon sale thereof, the Fund may determine to hold such securities in its portfolio.

 

Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally or particular industries represented in those markets. The value of an equity security may also decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Securities

 

The Fund may invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to foreign (non-U.S.) countries. PIMCO generally considers an instrument to be economically tied to a non-U.S. country if the issuer is a foreign government (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such

government), or if the issuer is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country. In the case of certain money market instruments, such instruments will be considered economically tied to a non-U.S. country if either the issuer or the guarantor of such money market instrument is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country. With respect to derivative instruments, PIMCO generally considers such instruments to be economically tied to non-U.S. countries if the underlying assets are foreign currencies (or baskets or indexes of such currencies), or instruments or securities that are issued by foreign governments or issuers organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country (or if the underlying assets are certain money market instruments, if either the issuer or the guarantor of such money market instruments is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country).

 

Investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investors should consider carefully the substantial risks involved for funds that invest in securities issued by foreign companies and governments of foreign countries. These risks include: differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; generally higher commission rates on foreign portfolio transactions; the possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations; and political instability. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rates of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The securities markets, values of securities, yields and risks associated with foreign securities markets may change independently of each other. Also, foreign securities and dividends and interest payable on those securities may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from payments on those securities. Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Investments in foreign securities may also involve higher custodial costs than domestic investments and additional transaction costs with respect to foreign currency conversions. Changes in foreign exchange rates also will affect the value of securities denominated or quoted in foreign currencies.

 

The Fund also may invest in sovereign debt issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, or other government-related entities. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling

 

 

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of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. In addition, there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected.

 

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Emerging Market Securities. The Fund may invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. PIMCO generally considers an instrument to be economically tied to an emerging market country if the issuer or guarantor is a government of an emerging market country (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such government), if the issuer or guarantor is organized under the laws of an emerging market country, or if the currency of settlement of the security is a currency of an emerging market country. With respect to derivative instruments, PIMCO generally considers such instruments to be economically tied to emerging market countries if the underlying assets are currencies of emerging market countries (or baskets or indexes of such currencies), or instruments or securities that are issued or guaranteed by governments of emerging market countries or by entities organized under the laws of emerging market countries. PIMCO has broad discretion to identify countries that it considers to qualify as emerging markets. In making investments in emerging market securities, the Fund emphasizes those countries with relatively low gross national product per capita and with the potential for rapid economic growth. Emerging market countries are generally located in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe. PIMCO will select the country and currency composition based on its evaluation of relative interest rates, inflation rates, exchange rates, monetary and fiscal policies, trade and current account balances, legal and political developments and any other specific factors it believes to be relevant.

 

Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in domestic securities or in foreign, developed countries. These risks include: smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; possible repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales; and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against

the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.

 

Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include: greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability; more substantial governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation; unavailability of currency hedging techniques; companies that are newly organized and small; differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; and less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.

 

The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds, which are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with a debt restructuring. Investments in Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative. Brady Bonds acquired by the Fund may be subject to restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit, which may cause the Fund to realize a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings of relevant Brady Bonds.

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Currencies

 

To the extent the Fund invests directly in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, or receive revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments. Currencies in which the Fund’s assets

 

 

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are denominated may be devalued against the U.S. dollar, resulting in a loss to the Fund.

 

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Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in foreign (non-U.S.) currency transactions on a spot (cash) basis, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts and invest in foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and futures. A forward foreign currency exchange contract, which involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract, reduces the Fund’s exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will deliver and increases its exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will receive for the duration of the contract. Certain foreign currency transactions may also be settled in cash rather than the actual delivery of the relevant currency. The effect on the value of the Fund is similar to selling securities denominated in one currency and purchasing securities denominated in another currency. A contract to sell foreign currency would limit any potential gain which might be realized if the value of the hedged currency increases. The Fund may enter into these contracts to hedge against foreign exchange risk, to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one currency to another. Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time. Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for the Fund to benefit from favorable fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies. The Fund may use one currency (or a basket of currencies) to hedge against adverse changes in the value of another currency (or a basket of currencies) when exchange rates between the two currencies are positively correlated. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with the procedures established by the Board of Trustees (or, as permitted by applicable law, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under forward foreign currency exchange contracts entered into for non-hedging purposes.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, in which the Fund purchases a security from a bank or broker-dealer, which agrees to repurchase the security at the Fund’s cost plus interest within a specified time. If the party agreeing to repurchase should default, the Fund will seek to sell the securities which it holds. This

could involve procedural costs or delays in addition to a loss on the securities if their value should fall below their repurchase price. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and which may not be terminated within seven days at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the agreements are considered illiquid securities.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements, Dollar Rolls and Other Borrowings

 

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls, subject to the Fund’s limitations on borrowings. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a security by the Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. A dollar roll is similar except that the counterparty is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by the Fund but only securities that are “substantially identical.” Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls may be considered borrowing for some purposes. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees to cover its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls. Reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls and other forms of borrowings may create leveraging risk for the Fund.

 

The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that, in general, the Fund may borrow money from banks for any purpose in an amount up to 1/3 of the Fund’s total assets, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities. The Fund may also borrow money for temporary administrative purposes in an amount not to exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

Derivatives

 

The Fund may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, spreads between different interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps and swaps on exchange traded funds). The Fund may invest some or all of its assets in derivative instruments. The portfolio manager may decide not to employ any of these strategies and

 

 

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there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. A description of these and other derivative instruments that the Fund may use are described under “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

CPI Swap.  A CPI swap is a fixed maturity, over-the-counter derivative in which the investor receives the “realized” rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI”) over the life of the swap. The investor in turn pays a fixed annualized rate over the life of the swap. This fixed rate is often referred to as the “breakeven inflation” rate and is generally representative of the difference between treasury yields and TIPS yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap. CPI swaps are typically in “bullet” format, where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. In addition to counterparty risk, CPI swaps are also subject to inflation risk, where the swap can potentially lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (fixed breakeven rate) that the investor agrees to pay at the initiation of the swap.

 

The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. A description of various risks associated with particular derivative instruments is included in “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information. The following provides a more general discussion of important risk factors relating to all derivative instruments that may be used by the Fund.

 

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Management Risk. Derivative products are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks and bonds. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions.

 

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Credit Risk. The use of a derivative instrument involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of another party to the contract (usually referred to as a “counterparty”) to make required payments or otherwise comply with the contract’s terms. Additionally, credit default swaps could result in losses if the Fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based.

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Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when a particular derivative instrument is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many privately negotiated derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price.

 

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Leverage Risk. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. When the Fund uses derivatives for leverage, investments in the Fund will tend to be more volatile, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes. To limit leverage risk, the Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees (or, as permitted by applicable regulation, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under derivative instruments.

 

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Lack of Availability. Because the markets for certain derivative instruments (including markets located in foreign countries) are relatively new and still developing, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Upon the expiration of a particular contract, the portfolio manager may wish to retain the Fund’s position in the derivative instrument by entering into a similar contract, but may be unable to do so if the counterparty to the original contract is unwilling to enter into the new contract and no other suitable counterparty can be found. There is no assurance that the Fund will engage in derivatives transactions at any time or from time to time. The Fund’s ability to use derivatives may also be limited by certain regulatory and tax considerations.

 

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Market and Other Risks. Like most other investments, derivative instruments are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to the Fund’s interest. If the portfolio manager incorrectly forecasts the values of securities, currencies or interest rates or other economic factors in using derivatives for the Fund, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. While some strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price

 

 

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movements in other Fund investments. The Fund may also have to buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price because the Fund is legally required to maintain offsetting positions or asset coverage in connection with certain derivatives transactions.

 

Other risks in using derivatives include the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of derivatives and the inability of derivatives to correlate perfectly with underlying assets, rates and indexes. Many derivatives, in particular privately negotiated derivatives, are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. Also, the value of derivatives may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the value of the assets, reference rates or indexes they are designed to closely track. For example, a swap agreement on an exchange traded fund would not correlate perfectly with the index upon which the exchange traded fund is based because the fund’s return is net of fees and expenses. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs)

 

ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the NYSE) during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day’s market benchmark or strategy factor.

 

ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. ETNs are also subject

to tax risk. The IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. There may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

 

Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities

 

The Fund may also enter into, or acquire participations in, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities, in which a lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. These commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that the Fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender.

 

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions

 

The Fund may purchase or sell securities which it is eligible to purchase or sell on a when-issued basis, may purchase and sell such securities for delayed delivery and may make contracts to purchase or sell such securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond normal settlement time (forward commitments). When-issued transactions, delayed delivery purchases and forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities declines prior to the settlement date. This risk is in addition to the risk that the Fund’s other assets will decline in value. Therefore, these transactions may result in a form of leverage and increase the Fund’s overall investment exposure. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Fund has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made, although the Fund may earn income on securities it has segregated or “earmarked” to cover these positions. When the Fund has sold a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund does not participate in future gains or losses with respect to a security. If the other party to a transaction fails to pay for the securities, the Fund could realize a loss. Additionally, when selling a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis without owning the security, the Fund will incur a

 

 

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loss if the security’s price appreciates in value such that the security’s price is above the agreed-upon price on the settlement date.

 

Investment in Other Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, such as open-end or closed-end management investment companies, including exchange-traded funds, or in pooled accounts, or other unregistered accounts or investment vehicles to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive relief therefrom. The Fund may invest in other investment companies to gain broad market or sector exposure, including during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash or when PIMCO believes share prices of other investment companies offer attractive values. As a shareholder of an investment company or other pooled vehicle, the Fund may indirectly bear investment advisory fees, supervisory and administrative fees, service fees and other fees which are in addition to the fees the Fund pays its service providers.

 

The Fund may invest in the PIMCO Funds Private Account Portfolio Series: Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio (“PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio”), to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder or exemptive relief therefrom. The PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio is a registered investment company created for use solely by the series of the Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Equity Series and PIMCO Equity Series VIT, other series of registered investment companies advised by PIMCO, in connection with their cash management activities. The main investments of the PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio are money market instruments and short maturity Fixed Income Instruments. The PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio may incur expenses related to its investment activities, but does not pay investment advisory or supervisory and administrative fees to PIMCO.

 

Subject to the restrictions and limitations of the 1940 Act, the Fund may, in the future, elect to pursue its investment objective by investing in one or more underlying investment vehicles or companies that have substantially similar investment objectives and policies as the Fund.

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Companies

 

The Fund may invest in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies. The Fund considers a small-

cap company to be a company with a market capitalization of up to $1.5 billion and a mid-cap company to be a company with a market capitalization of between $1.5 billion and $10 billion. Investments in small-cap and mid-cap companies involve greater risk than investments in large-capitalization companies. Small and mid-cap companies may not have an established financial history, which can present valuation challenges. The securities of small and mid-cap companies may be subject to increased market fluctuations, due to less liquid markets and more limited managerial and financial resources. The Fund’s investments in small and mid-cap companies may increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Short Sales

 

The Fund may make short sales as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset a potential decline in value of a security. A short sale involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to acquire, convert or exchange securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund, when making a short sale (other than a “short sale against the box”), must segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees or otherwise cover its position in a permissible manner. The Fund may engage in short selling to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and interpretations thereunder and other federal securities laws. To the extent the Fund engages in short selling in foreign (non-U.S.) jurisdictions, the Fund will do so to the extent permitted by the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction.

 

Illiquid Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets (taken at the time of investment) in illiquid securities. Certain illiquid securities may require pricing at fair value as determined in good faith under the supervision of the Board of Trustees. The portfolio manager may be subject to significant delays in disposing of illiquid securities, and transactions in illiquid securities may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. The term “illiquid securities” for this purpose means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has

 

 

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valued the securities. Restricted securities, i.e., securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may be illiquid. However, some restricted securities (such as securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and certain commercial paper) may be treated as liquid, although they may be less liquid than registered securities traded on established secondary markets.

 

Loans of Portfolio Securities

 

For the purpose of achieving income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. Please see “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information for details. When the Fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the Fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The Fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan. Cash collateral received by the Fund in securities lending transactions may be invested in short-term liquid fixed income instruments or in money market or short-term mutual funds, or similar investment vehicles, including affiliated money market or short-term mutual funds. The Fund bears the risk of such investments.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The length of time the Fund has held a particular security is not generally a consideration in investment decisions. A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as “portfolio turnover.” When the portfolio manager deems it appropriate and particularly during periods of volatile market movements, the Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of portfolio securities to achieve its investment objective. Higher portfolio turnover (e.g., an annual rate greater than 100% of the average value of the Fund’s portfolio) involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Such sales may also result in realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains (which are generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates). The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Temporary Defensive Strategies

 

For temporary or defensive purposes, the Fund may invest without limit in U.S. debt securities, including taxable securities and short-term money market securities, when PIMCO deems it appropriate to do so. When the Fund engages in such strategies, it may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Changes in Investment Objectives and Policies

 

The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Unless otherwise stated, all investment policies of the Fund may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

 

Percentage Investment Limitations

 

Unless otherwise stated, all percentage limitations on Fund investments listed in this prospectus will apply at the time of investment. The Fund would not violate these limitations unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an investment. The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in investments suggested by its name. For purposes of this policy, the term “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes.

 

Credit Ratings and Unrated Securities

 

Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of fixed income securities, including convertible securities. Appendix A to this prospectus describes the various ratings assigned to fixed income securities by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks. Rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings and an issuer’s current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates. PIMCO does not rely solely on credit ratings, and develops its own analysis of issuer credit quality.

 

The Fund may purchase unrated securities (which are not rated by a rating agency). Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that the portfolio manager may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality fixed income securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in high yield and/or unrated securities, the Fund’s success in achieving its investment

 

 

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objective may depend more heavily on the portfolio manager’s creditworthiness analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in higher-quality and rated securities.

 

Other Investments and Techniques

 

The Fund may invest in other types of securities and use a variety of investment techniques and strategies which are not described in this prospectus. These securities and techniques may subject the Fund to additional risks. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information about the securities and investment techniques described in this prospectus and about additional securities and techniques that may be used by the Fund.

 

 

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Fund has not operated for a full fiscal period as of the date of this prospectus, audited financial highlights are not available.

 

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APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

The Fund’s investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality). The percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. The following terms are generally used to describe the credit quality of fixed income securities:

 

High Quality Debt Securities are those rated in one of the two highest rating categories (the highest category for commercial paper) or, if unrated, deemed comparable by PIMCO.

 

Investment Grade Debt Securities are those rated in one of the four highest rating categories or, if unrated, deemed comparable by PIMCO.

 

Below Investment Grade, High Yield Securities (“Junk Bonds”) are those rated lower than Baa by Moody’s, BBB by S&P or Fitch and comparable securities. They are deemed predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to repay principal and interest.

 

The following is a description of Moody’s, S&P’s and Fitch’s rating categories applicable to fixed income securities.

 

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

 

 

Long-Term Obligation Ratings

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

 

Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

 

Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa: Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

Short-Term Ratings

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings

 

 

Short-Term Obligation Ratings

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

 

MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

Demand Obligation Ratings

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.

 

VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term

credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand

 

VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services

 

 

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

 

  n   

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

  n   

Nature of and provisions of the obligation;

  n   

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

 

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

 

Investment Grade

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

BBB: An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

Speculative Grade

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

C: A ‘C’ rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the ‘C’ rating may be assigned to subordinated debt,

preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

 

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

 

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

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

 

Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings

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

 

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

 

A-3: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

B: A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of

 

 

 

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‘B-1’, ‘B-2’, and ‘B-3’ may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the ‘B’ category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

D: A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

 

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

Active Qualifiers (currently applied and/or outstanding)

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  n   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance

 

 

 

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issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions.

  n   

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

  n   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations that will likely be issued upon the obligor’s emergence from bankruptcy or similar reorganization, based on late-stage reorganization plans, documentation and discussions with the obligor. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligors. These ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the reorganized or postbankruptcy issuer as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s).

  n   

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

  n   

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

  n   

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Inactive Qualifiers (no longer applied or outstanding)*:

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

 

c: This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer’s bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.

 

pr: The letters ‘pr’ indicated that the rating was provisional. A provisional rating assumed the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicated that payment of debt service requirements was largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, made no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion.

 

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

 

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

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks: Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer

 

 

 

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PIMCO Funds

 

ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc.

 

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

Investment Grade

AAA: Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA: Very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A: High credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB: Good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

Speculative Grade

BB: Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

B: Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

CCC: Substantial credit risk. ‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

 

CC: Very high levels of credit risk. ‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

 

C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. ‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned ‘D’ ratings, but are instead rated in the ‘B’ to ‘C’ rating categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall

expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below ‘B.’

 

Recovery Ratings

Recovery Ratings are assigned to selected individual securities and obligations. These currently are published for most individual obligations of corporate issuers with IDRs in the ‘B’ rating category and below, and for most distressed or defaulted structured finance obligations rated “CCC” or below.

 

Among the factors that affect recovery rates for securities are the collateral, the seniority relative to other obligations in the capital structure (where appropriate), and the expected value of the company or underlying collateral in distress.

 

The Recovery Rating scale is based upon the expected relative recovery characteristics of an obligation upon the curing of a default, emergence from insolvency or following the liquidation or termination of the obligor or its associated collateral. For structured finance, Recovery Ratings are designed to estimate recoveries on a forward-looking basis while taking into account the time value of money.

 

Recovery Ratings are an ordinal scale and do not attempt to precisely predict a given level of recovery. As a guideline in developing the rating assessments, the agency employs broad theoretical recovery bands in its ratings approach based on historical averages, but actual recoveries for a given security may deviate materially from historical averages.

 

RR1: Outstanding recovery prospects given default. ‘RR1’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 91%-100% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR2: Superior recovery prospects given default. ‘RR2’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 71%-90% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR3: Good recovery prospects given default. ‘RR3’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 51%-70% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR4: Average recovery prospects given default. ‘RR4’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities

 

 

 

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historically recovering 31%-50% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR5: Below average recovery prospects given default. ‘RR5’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 11%-30% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR6: Poor recovery prospects given default. ‘RR6’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 0%-10% of current principal and related interest.

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

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

F1: Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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PIMCO Funds

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR

 

PIMCO, 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

DISTRIBUTOR

 

PIMCO Investments LLC, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

 

CUSTODIAN

 

State Street Bank & Trust Co., 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105

 

TRANSFER AGENT

 

Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8050, Boston, MA 02266-8050

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 1100 Walnut Street, Suite 1300, Kansas City, MO 64106-2197

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

Dechert LLP, 1775 I Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006


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LOGO

 

PIMCO Funds

840 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

LOGO

 

 

The Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, which means it is part of this Prospectus for legal purposes. The Fund’s annual report, once it is available, will discuss the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

You may get free copies of any of these materials, request other information about the Fund, or make shareholder inquiries by calling the Trust at 1-800-927-4648 or PIMCO Infolink Audio Response Network at 1-800-987-4626, or by writing to:

 

PIMCO Funds:

840 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

You may review and copy information about the Trust, including its SAI, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You may call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information about the operation of the public reference room. You may also access reports and other information about the Trust on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s Web site at www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520, or by e-mailing your request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

You can also visit our Web site at www.PIMCO.com/investments for additional information about the Fund, which is available for download free of charge.

 

Reference the Trust’s Investment Company Act file number in your correspondence.

 

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05028

 

PF0003I_082611


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Share Classes:   A      C    R

 

August 17, 2011 (as supplemented August 26, 2011)

 

 

PIMCO Funds Prospectus

 

Bond Funds   A   C   R

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

  PZCRX   PCCRX   PRCRX

 

As with other mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

LOGO

 

LOGO


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Table of Contents

 

 

Fund Summary

  

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

     1   

Description of Principal Risks

     4   

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     8   

Management of the Fund

     8   

Classes of Shares—Class A, C and R Shares

     9   

How Fund Shares are Priced

     14   

How to Buy and Sell Shares

     16   

Fund Distributions

     22   

Tax Consequences

     22   

Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques

     23   

Financial Highlights

     36   

Appendix A—Description of Securities Ratings

     A-1   


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PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The Fund seeks maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

 

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

 

LOGO

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Class A shares of eligible funds offered by PIMCO Funds and PIMCO Equity Series. More information about these and other discounts is available in the “Classes of Shares—Class A, C and R Shares” section on page 9 of the Fund’s prospectus or from your financial advisor.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

      Class A     Class C      Class R  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)      3.75     NONE         NONE   
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of the original purchase price or redemption price)      1.00     1.00%         NONE   

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

     Class A     Class C     Class R  
Management Fees     1.05     1.05     1.05
Distribution
and/or
Service (12b-1)
Fees
    0.25     1.00     0.50

Other Expenses
(1)
    0.01     0.01     0.01
Total Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
    1.31     2.06     1.56
Expense Reimbursement(2)     (0.01 )%      (0.01 )%      (0.01 )% 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement     1.30     2.05     1.55

 

(1) “Other Expenses” reflect estimated organizational expenses for the Fund’s first fiscal year.

 

(2) Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“PIMCO”) has contractually agreed, through July 31, 2013, to waive its supervisory and administrative fee, or reimburse the Fund, to the extent that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees exceed 0.0049% of the Fund’s average net assets attributable to Class A, Class C and Class R shares, respectively (the “Expense Limit”). Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, which renews annually for a full year unless terminated by PIMCO upon at least 30 days’ notice prior to the end of the contract term, PIMCO may recoup these waivers and reimbursements in future periods, not exceeding three years, provided organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees plus such recoupment, do not exceed the Expense Limit.

 

Example. The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Class A, Class C, or Class R shares of the Fund with the

costs of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the noted class of shares for the time periods indicated, and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the Example shows what your costs would be based on these assumptions.

 

If you redeem your shares at the end of each period:

 

      1 Year      3 Years  
Class A      $502         $772   
Class C      $308         $643   
Class R      $158         $490   

 

If you do not redeem your shares:

 

      1 Year      3 Years  
Class A      $502         $772   
Class C      $208         $643   
Class R      $158         $490   

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

LOGO

The Fund pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example tables, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund has not yet commenced operations. Thus, no portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

LOGO

The Fund invests under normal circumstances at least 80% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of Fixed Income Instruments of varying maturities, which may be represented by forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements. Security selection, industry and sector allocation, and management of market risk within and across credit and corporate markets are expected to be the main drivers of returns over time. “Fixed Income Instruments” include bonds, debt securities, bank loans and other similar instruments issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities. The average portfolio duration of this Fund normally varies within zero to six years. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates.

 

The Fund may invest in both investment grade and high yield securities (“junk bonds”) subject to a maximum of 50% of its total assets in

 

 

 

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PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund

 

securities rated below B- by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest without limitation in securities of foreign issuers and may also invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The Fund will normally limit its foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) to 20% of its total assets. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in preferred stock, convertible securities and other equity-related instruments.

 

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements, or in mortgage- or asset-backed securities, subject to applicable law and any other restrictions described in the Fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls). The “total return” sought by the Fund consists of income earned on the Fund’s investments, plus capital appreciation, if any, which generally arises from decreases in interest rates, foreign currency appreciation, or improving credit fundamentals for a particular sector or security.

 

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

LOGO

It is possible to lose money on an investment in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value, yield and total return are:

 

Interest Rate Risk: the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration

 

Credit Risk: the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations

 

High Yield Risk: the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments

 

Market Risk: the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries

 

Issuer Risk: the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or service

 

Liquidity Risk: the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector

 

Derivatives Risk: the risk of investing in derivative instruments, including liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, mispricing or improper valuation. Changes in the value of the

derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Risk: the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk and prepayment risk

 

Foreign (non-U.S.) Investment Risk: the risk that investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, and nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments

 

Senior Debt Risk: the risk that investing in senior debt exposes the Fund to heightened credit risk and liquidity risk. If the issuer prepays, the Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior debt or instruments that may pay lower interest rates

 

Emerging Markets Risk: the risk of investing in emerging market securities, primarily increased foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk

 

Currency Risk: the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies

 

Equity Risk: the risk that the value of equity or equity-related securities may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity or equity-related securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities

 

Convertible Securities Risk: as convertible securities share both fixed income and equity characteristics, they are subject to risks to which fixed income and equity investments are subject. These risks include equity risk, interest rate risk and credit risk

 

Leveraging Risk: the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged

 

Management Risk: the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by PIMCO will not produce the desired results and that legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager in connection with managing the Fund. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Fund will be achieved

 

Short Sale Risk: the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund

 

Please see “Description of Principal Risks” in the Fund’s prospectus for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

 

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Prospectus

 

 

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

 

LOGO

The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance. Thus, no bar chart or Average Annual Total Returns table is included for the Fund. Once the Fund commences operations, performance will be updated daily and quarterly and may be obtained as follows: daily updates on the net asset value and performance page at http://investments.pimco.com/DailyPerformance and quarterly updates at http://investments.pimco.com/QuarterlyPerformance.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER/PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

LOGO

PIMCO serves as the investment adviser for the Fund. The Fund’s portfolio is managed by Mark Kiesel. Mr. Kiesel is a Managing Director of PIMCO and he will manage the Fund as of its inception.     

 

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

 

LOGO

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or sold (redeemed) on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open). Generally, purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares are processed at the net asset value next calculated after an order is received by the Distributor.

n  

 

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares of the Fund is $1,000 and $50 for each minimum subsequent investment, except that the minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors. You may purchase or sell (redeem) all or part of your Fund shares through a broker, dealer, or other financial intermediary, or directly from the Trust by regular mail (PIMCO Funds, P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060) or

  overnight mail (PIMCO Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services,
   

Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021-2809) as further described in the Fund’s prospectus. The Distributor reserves the right to require payment by wire or U.S. Bank check.

n   

There is no minimum initial or minimum additional investment in Class R shares because Class R shares may only be purchased through omnibus accounts for specified benefit plans. Specified benefit plans which wish to invest directly by mail should send a check payable to the PIMCO Family of Funds, along with a completed application form to: the Trust by regular mail (PIMCO Funds, P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060) or overnight mail (PIMCO Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021-2809).

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

LOGO

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or a combination of the two, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

 

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

LOGO

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Class A, Class C or Class R shares of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s Web site for more information.

 

 

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PIMCO Funds

 

DESCRIPTION OF PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the values of the Fund’s investments. Many factors can affect those values. The factors that are most likely to have a material effect on the Fund’s portfolio as a whole are called “principal risks.” The principal risks of the Fund are identified in the Fund Summary and are described in this section. The Fund may be subject to additional risks other than those identified and described below because the types of investments made by the Fund can change over time. Securities and investment techniques mentioned in this summary that appear in bold type are described in greater detail under “Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques.” That section and “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information also include more information about the Fund, its investments and the related risks. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities and other instruments in the Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates. As nominal interest rates rise, the value of certain fixed income securities held by the Fund is likely to decrease. A nominal interest rate can be described as the sum of a real interest rate and an expected inflation rate. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The values of equity and other non-fixed income securities may also decline due to fluctuations in interest rates. Inflation-indexed bonds, including Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”), decline in value when real interest rates rise. In certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, inflation-indexed bonds may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities with similar durations.

 

Variable and floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. Inverse floating rate securities may decrease in value if interest rates increase. Inverse floating rate securities may also exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation with similar credit quality. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate

securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.

 

Credit Risk

 

The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security (including a security purchased with securities lending collateral), or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by the Fund may decrease its value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. Municipal bonds are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions, or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer’s ability to make payments of principal and/or interest.

 

High Yield Risk

 

Funds that invest in high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Fund may lose its entire investment. Because of the risks involved in investing in high yield securities, an investment in the Fund that invests in such securities should be considered speculative.

 

Market Risk

 

The market price of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or

 

 

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Prospectus

 

adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

 

Issuer Risk

 

The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.

 

Liquidity Risk

 

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the securities. The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Additionally, the market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. In such cases, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve foreign (non-U.S.) securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk.

 

Derivatives Risk

 

Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. The various derivative instruments that the Fund may use are referenced under “Characteristics and Risks of Securities and Investment Techniques—Derivatives” in this prospectus and described in more detail under “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information. The Fund typically use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset and/or as part of a strategy designed

to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate or currency risk. The Fund may also use derivatives for leverage, in which case their use would involve leveraging risk. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this section, such as liquidity risk, interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk and management risk. They also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. If the Fund invests in a derivative instrument, it could lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Risk

 

Mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than risks associated with other types of debt instruments. Generally, rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if the Fund holds mortgage-related securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, adjustable and fixed rate mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of the Fund because the Fund may have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. The Fund’s investments in other asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets.

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk

 

To the extent the Fund invests in foreign (non-U.S.) securities, it may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies. The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. Additionally, issuers of foreign (non-U.S.) securities are usually not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Reporting,

 

 

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accounting and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. Also, nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes or diplomatic developments could adversely affect the Fund’s investments in a foreign country. In the event of nationalization, expropriation or other confiscation, the Fund could lose its entire investment in foreign (non-U.S.) securities. Adverse conditions in a certain region can adversely affect securities of other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, the Fund will generally have more exposure to regional economic risks associated with foreign investments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.

 

Senior Debt Risk

 

Because it may invest in below-investment grade senior debt, the PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund may be subject to greater levels of credit risk than funds that do not invest in such debt. The PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund may also be subject to greater levels of liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in senior debt. Restrictions on transfers in loan agreements, a lack of publicly available information and other factors may, in certain instances, make senior debt more difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price than other types of securities or instruments. Additionally, if the issuer of senior debt prepays, the PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund will have to reinvest the proceeds in other senior debt or similar instruments that may pay lower interest rates.

 

Emerging Markets Risk

 

Foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk may be particularly high to the extent the Fund invests in emerging market securities. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, and potentially greater than, the risks of investing in securities and instruments economically tied to developed foreign countries. To the extent the Fund invests in emerging market securities that are economically tied to a particular region, country or group of countries, the Fund may be more sensitive to adverse political or social events affecting that region, country or group of countries. Economic, business, political, or social instability may affect emerging market securities differently. Accordingly, to the extent the Fund invests in a wide range of emerging market securities (e.g., different regions or countries, asset classes, issuers, sectors or credit qualities) it may perform differently in

response to such instability than if the Fund invested in a more limited range of emerging market securities. For example, if the Fund focuses its investments in multiple asset classes of emerging market securities, the Fund may have a limited ability to mitigate losses in an environment that is adverse to emerging market securities in general. Emerging market securities may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to value than securities economically tied to developed foreign countries. The systems and procedures for trading and settlement of securities in emerging markets are less developed and less transparent and transactions may take longer to settle.

 

The Fund may not know the identity of trading counterparties, which may increase the possibility of the Fund not receiving payment or delivery of securities in a transaction.

 

Currency Risk

 

If the Fund invests directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged.

 

Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad. As a result, the Fund’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities may reduce the returns of the Fund.

 

Currency risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in foreign (non-US) currencies or engages in foreign currency transactions that are economically tied to emerging market countries. These currency transactions may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or engaging in foreign currency transactions that are economically tied to developed foreign countries.

 

 

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Equity Risk

 

Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Equity securities also include, among other things, preferred stocks, convertible stocks and warrants. The values of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

 

Convertible Securities Risk

 

Convertible securities are fixed income securities, preferred stocks or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock of the issuer (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at either a stated price or a stated rate. The market values of convertible securities may decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. A convertible security’s market value, however, tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price approaches or is greater than the convertible security’s “conversion price.” The conversion price is defined as the predetermined price at which the convertible security could be exchanged for the associated stock. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the yield of the convertible security. Thus, it may not decline in price to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities may be paid before the company’s common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. Consequently, the issuer’s convertible securities generally entail less risk than its common stock but more risk than its debt obligations.

 

Leveraging Risk

 

Certain transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions. The use of derivatives may also create leveraging risk. To mitigate

leveraging risk, PIMCO will segregate or “earmark” liquid assets or otherwise cover the transactions that may give rise to such risk. Leveraging may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous to do so. Leveraging may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if the Fund had not been leveraged. This is because leveraging tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Certain types of leveraging transactions, such as short sales that are not “against the box,” could theoretically be subject to unlimited losses in cases where a Fund, for any reason, is unable to close out the transaction. In addition, to the extent the Fund borrows money, interest costs on such borrowings may not be recovered by any appreciation of the securities purchased with the borrowed amounts and could exceed the Fund’s investment returns, resulting in greater losses.

 

Management Risk

 

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available to PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Short Sale Risk

 

The Fund’s short sales, if any, are subject to special risks. A short sale involves the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. The Fund may also enter into a short position through a forward commitment or a short derivative position through a futures contract or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative has increased during this time, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the actual cost of the investment. Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.

 

 

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DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

Please see “Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings” in the Statement of Additional Information for information about the availability of the complete schedule of the Fund’s holdings.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Investment Adviser and Administrator

 

PIMCO serves as the investment adviser and the administrator (serving in its capacity as administrator, the “Administrator”) for the Fund. Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees of PIMCO Funds (the “Trust”), PIMCO is responsible for managing the investment activities of the Fund and the Fund’s business affairs and other administrative matters.

PIMCO is located at 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Organized in 1971, PIMCO provides investment management and advisory services to private accounts of institutional and individual clients and to mutual funds. As of June 30, 2011, PIMCO had approximately $1.3 trillion in assets under management.

 

Management Fees

 

The Fund pays for the advisory and supervisory and administrative services it requires under what is essentially an all-in fee structure. The Management Fees shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table reflect both an advisory fee and a supervisory and administrative fee. The Fund will pay monthly Management Fees to PIMCO at the annual rate (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund):

 

Management Fee  
Class A   Class C     Class R  

1.05%

    1.05     1.05

 

  n   

Advisory Fee. The Fund pays PIMCO fees in return for providing investment advisory services. The Fund will pay monthly advisory fees to PIMCO at the annual rate (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund) of 0.60%.

 

A discussion of the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s investment advisory contract will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

 

  n   

Supervisory and Administrative Fee. The Fund pays for the supervisory and administrative services it requires under what is essentially an all-in fee structure.

   

Class A, Class C and Class R shareholders of the Fund pay a supervisory and administrative fee to PIMCO, computed as a percentage of the Fund’s assets attributable in the aggregate to that class of shares. PIMCO, in turn, provides or procures supervisory and administrative services for Class A, Class C and Class R shareholders and also bears the costs of various third-party services required by the Fund, including audit, custodial, portfolio accounting, legal, transfer agency and printing costs. The Fund bears other expenses which are not covered under the supervisory and administrative fee which may vary and affect the total level of expenses paid by the Class A, Class C and Class R shareholders, such as taxes and governmental fees, brokerage fees, commissions and other transaction expenses, costs of borrowing money, including interest expenses, extraordinary expenses (such as litigation and indemnification expenses) and fees and expenses of the Trust’s Independent Trustees and their counsel. PIMCO generally earns a profit on the supervisory and administrative fee paid by the Fund. Also, under the terms of the supervision and administration agreement, PIMCO, and not Fund shareholders, would benefit from any price decreases in third-party services, including decreases resulting from an increase in net assets.

 

The Fund will pay PIMCO monthly supervisory and administrative fees for the Class A, Class C and Class R shares at the following annual rates (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets attributable in the aggregate to each class taken separately):

 

Supervisory and Administrative Fee  
Class A   Class C     Class R  

0.45%

    0.45     0.45

 

PIMCO has contractually agreed, through July 31, 2013, to reduce total annual fund operating expenses for the Fund’s separate classes of shares, by waiving a portion of the Fund’s supervisory and administrative fee or reimbursing the Fund, to the extent that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees exceed 0.0049% of the Fund’s average net assets attributable to a separate class of shares, respectively. Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, which renews annually for a full year unless terminated by PIMCO upon at least 30 days notice prior to the end of the contract term, PIMCO may recoup these waivers and reimbursements in future periods not exceeding three years, provided that organizational expenses and pro rata Trustees’ fees, plus recoupment, do not exceed the Expense Limit.

 

 

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Individual Portfolio Manager

 

The following individual has primary responsibility for managing the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager         Since      Recent Professional Experience

Mark Kiesel

       *       Managing Director, PIMCO. He is a portfolio manager and a senior member of PIMCO’s investment strategy group. He has served as a portfolio manager, head of equity derivatives and as a Senior Credit Analyst since joining PIMCO in 1996.

 

  *   Inception of the Fund.

 

Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information about other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, the portfolio manager’s compensation and the portfolio manager’s ownership of shares of the Fund.

 

Distributor

 

The Trust’s Distributor is PIMCO Investments LLC (“Distributor”). The Distributor, located at 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Please note all account requests should be mailed to the Trust’s transfer agent and should not be mailed directly to the Distributor.

 

CLASSES OF SHARES—CLASS A, C AND R SHARES

 

The Trust offers investors Class A, Class C and Class R shares in this prospectus. Each class of shares is subject to different types and levels of sales charges (if applicable) and other fees than the other classes and bears a different level of expenses.

 

The class of shares that is best for you depends upon a number of factors, including the amount and the intended length of your investment. The following summarizes key information about each class to help you make your investment decision, including the various expenses associated with each class and the payments made to financial intermediaries for distribution and other services. More extensive information about the Trust’s multi-class arrangements is included in the Statement of Additional Information and can be obtained free of charge from the Distributor.

 

Class A Shares

 

  n   

You pay an initial sales charge when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. The maximum initial sales charge is 3.75%. The sales charge is deducted from your investment so that not all of your purchase payment is invested.

 

  n   

You may be eligible for a reduction or a complete waiver of the initial sales charge under a number of circumstances. For example, you normally pay no sales charge if you purchase $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

  n   

Class A shares are subject to lower 12b-1 fees than Class C shares. Therefore, Class A shareholders generally pay lower annual expenses and receive higher dividends than Class C shareholders.

 

  n   

You normally pay no contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) when you redeem Class A shares, although you may pay a 1% CDSC if you purchase $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares (and therefore pay no initial sales charge) and then redeem the shares during the first 18 months after your initial purchase. The Class A CDSC is waived for certain categories of investors and does not apply if you are otherwise eligible to purchase Class A shares without a sales charge. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

Class C Shares

 

  n   

You do not pay an initial sales charge when you buy Class C shares. The full amount of your purchase payment is invested initially.

 

  n   

You normally pay a CDSC of 1% if you redeem Class C shares during the first year after your initial purchase. The Class C CDSC is waived for certain categories of investors. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

  n   

Class C shares are subject to higher 12b-1 fees than Class A shares. Therefore, Class C shareholders normally pay higher annual expenses and receive lower dividends than Class A shareholders.

 

  n   

Class C shares do not convert into any other class of shares.

 

Some or all of the payments described below are paid or “reallowed” to financial intermediaries. The following provides additional information about the sales charges and other expenses associated with Class A and Class C shares.

 

 

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Initial Sales Charges—Class A Shares

 

This section includes important information about sales charge reduction programs available to investors in Class A shares of the Fund and describes information or records you may need to provide to the Distributor or your financial intermediary in order to be eligible for sales charge reduction programs.

 

Unless you are eligible for a waiver, the public offering price you pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund is the net asset value (“NAV”) of the shares plus an

initial sales charge. The initial sales charge varies depending upon the size of your purchase, as set forth below. No sales charge is imposed where Class A shares are issued to you pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of income dividends or capital gains distributions. For investors investing in Class A shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, it is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure that the investor obtains the proper “breakpoint” discount.

 

 


PIMCO Credit Absolute Return Fund—Class A Shares

 

 

Amount of Purchase     

Initial Sales Charge

as % of Net

Amount Invested

    Initial Sales Charge
as % of Public
Offering Price
 

$0–$99,999

       3.90     3.75

$100,000–$249,999

       3.36     3.25

$250,000–$499,999

       2.30     2.25

$500,000–$999,999

       1.78     1.75

$1,000,000 +

       0.00 %*      0.00 %* 

 

  *   As shown, investors that purchase $1,000,000 or more of the Fund’s Class A shares will not pay any initial sales charge on the purchase. However, purchasers of $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares may be subject to a CDSC of 1% if the shares are redeemed during the first 18 months after their purchase. See “CDSCs on Class A Shares” below.

 

Investors in the Fund may reduce or eliminate sales charges applicable to purchases of Class A shares through utilization of the Combined Purchase Privilege, the Cumulative Quantity Discount (Right of Accumulation), a Letter of Intent or the Reinstatement Privilege. These programs, which apply to purchases of one of more funds that are series of the Trust or PIMCO Equity Series that offer Class A shares (together, “Eligible Funds”), are summarized below and are described in greater detail in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Right of Accumulation and Combined Purchase Privilege (Breakpoints).  A Qualifying Investor (as defined below) may qualify for a reduced sales charge on Class A shares (the “Combined Purchase Privilege”) by combining concurrent purchases of the Class A shares of one or more Eligible Funds into a single purchase. In addition, a Qualifying Investor may qualify for a reduced sales charge on Class A shares (the “Right of Accumulation” or “Cumulative Quality Discount”) by combining the purchase of Class A shares of an Eligible Fund with the current aggregate net asset value of all Class A, B, and C shares of any Eligible Fund held by accounts for the benefit of such Qualifying Investor.

 

The term “Qualifying Investor” refers to:

 

  (i) an individual, such individual’s spouse, such individual’s children under the age of 21 years,
  or such individual’s siblings (each a “family member”) (including family trust* accounts established by such a family member); or

 

  (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary for a single trust (except family trusts* noted above), estate or fiduciary account although more than one beneficiary may be involved; or

 

  (iii) an employee benefit plan of a single employer.

 

  *   For the purpose of determining whether a purchase would qualify for a reduced sales charge under the Combined Purchase Privilege or Right of Accumulation, a “family trust” is one in which a family member(s) described in section (i) above is/are a beneficiary/ies and such person(s) and/or another family member is the trustee.

 

Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details and for restrictions applicable to shares held by certain employer-sponsored benefit programs.

 

Letter of Intent.  An investor may also obtain a reduced sales charge on purchases of Class A shares by means of a written Letter of Intent, which expresses an intent to invest not less than $50,000 within a period of 13 months in Class A shares of any Eligible Fund(s). The maximum intended investment allowable in a Letter of Intent is $1,000,000. Each purchase of shares under a Letter of Intent will be made at the public offering price or prices applicable at the time of such purchase to a single purchase of the dollar amount indicated in the Letter of Intent. At the investor’s option, a Letter of

 

 

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Intent may include purchases of Class A shares of any Eligible Fund made not more than 90 days prior to the date the Letter of Intent is signed; however, the 13 month period during which the Letter of Intent is in effect will begin on the date of the earliest purchase to be included and the sales charge on any purchases prior to the Letter of Intent will not be adjusted. A Letter of Intent is not a binding obligation to purchase the full amount indicated. Shares purchased with the first 5% of the amount indicated in the Letter of Intent will be held in escrow (while remaining registered in your name) to secure payment of the higher sales charges applicable to the shares actually purchased in the event the full intended amount is not purchased.

 

Reinstatement Privilege.  A Class A shareholder who has caused any or all of his shares to be redeemed may reinvest all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in Class A shares of any Eligible Fund at NAV without any sales charge, provided that such investment is made within 120 calendar days after the redemption or repurchase date. The limitations and restrictions of this program are fully described in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Method of Valuation of Accounts.  To determine whether a shareholder qualifies for a reduction in sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of Eligible Funds, the offering price of the shares is used for purchases relying on the Combined Purchase Privilege or a Letter of Intent and the amount of the total current purchase (including any sales load) plus the NAV (at the close of business on the day of the current purchase) of shares previously acquired is used for the Cumulative Quantity Discount.

 

Sales at Net Asset Value.  In addition to the programs summarized above, the Fund may sell its Class A shares at NAV without an initial sales charge to certain types of accounts or account holders, including, but not limited to: Trustees of the Fund; employees of PIMCO and the Distributor; employees of participating brokers; certain trustees or other fiduciaries purchasing shares for retirement plans; and participants investing in certain “wrap accounts.” In addition, Class A shares of the Fund issued pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of income dividends or capital gains distributions are issued at NAV and are not subject to any sales charges.

 

Required Shareholder Information and Records.  In order for investors in Class A shares of the Fund to take advantage of sales charge reductions, an investor or his or her financial intermediary must notify the Distributor that the investor qualifies for such a reduction. If the Distributor is not notified that the investor is eligible for these reductions, the Distributor will be unable to ensure

that the reduction is applied to the investor’s account. An investor may have to provide certain information or records to his or her financial intermediary or the Distributor to verify the investor’s eligibility for breakpoint privileges or other sales charge waivers. An investor may be asked to provide information or records, including account statements, regarding shares of the Fund or other Eligible Funds held in:

 

  n    

all of the investor’s accounts held directly with the Trust or through a financial intermediary;

  n    

any account of the investor at another financial intermediary; and

  n    

accounts of related parties of the investor, such as members of the same family or household, at any financial intermediary.

 

The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information regarding eliminations of and reductions in sales loads associated with Eligible Funds. You can obtain the Statement of Additional Information free of charge from the Fund by written request, by visiting www.pimco.com/investments, or by calling 1-800-426-0107.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)—Class C Shares

 

Unless you are eligible for a waiver, if you sell (redeem) your Class C shares within the time periods specified below, you will pay a CDSC according to the following schedules. For investors investing in Class C shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, it is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure that the investor is credited with the proper holding period for the shares redeemed.

 

Class C Shares

 

 

Years Since Purchase
Payment was Made
   Percentage Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge
 

First

     1

Thereafter

     0

 

CDSCs on Class A Shares

 

Unless a waiver applies, investors who purchase $1,000,000 or more of Class A shares (and, thus, pay no initial sales charge) of the Fund will be subject to a 1% CDSC if the shares are redeemed within 18 months of their purchase. The Class A CDSC does not apply if you are otherwise eligible to purchase Class A shares without an initial sales charge or are eligible for a waiver of the CDSC. See “Reductions and Waivers of Initial Sales Charges and CDSCs” below.

 

 

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How CDSCs will be Calculated

 

A CDSC is imposed on redemptions of Class C shares (and where applicable, Class A shares) on the amount of the redemption which causes the current value of your account for the particular class of shares of the Fund to fall below the total dollar amount of your purchase payments subject to the CDSC.

 

The following rules apply under the method for calculating CDSCs:

 

  n    

Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions will be redeemed first and will not be subject to any CDSC.

 

  n    

For the redemption of all other shares, the CDSC will be based on either your original purchase price or the then current NAV of the shares being sold, whichever is lower. To illustrate this point, consider shares purchased at an NAV per share of $10. If the Fund’s NAV per share at the time of redemption is $12, the CDSC will apply to the purchase price of $10. If the NAV per share at the time of redemption is $8, the CDSC will apply to the $8 current NAV per share.

 

  n    

CDSCs will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption, not from amounts remaining in your account.

 

  n    

In determining whether a CDSC is payable, it is assumed that the shareholder will redeem first the lot of shares which will incur the lowest CDSC.

 

For example, the following illustrates the operation of the Class C CDSC:

 

  n    

Assume that an individual opens an account and makes a purchase payment of $10,000 for 1,000 Class C shares of a Fund (at $10 per share) and that six months later the value of the investor’s account for that Fund has grown through investment performance to $11,000 ($11 per share). If the investor should redeem $2,200 (200 shares), a CDSC would be applied against $2,000 of the redemption (the purchase price of the shares redeemed, because the purchase price is lower than the current NAV of such shares ($2,200)). At the rate of 1%, the Class C CDSC would be $20.

 

Reductions and Waivers of Initial Sales Charges and CDSCs

 

The initial sales charges on Class A shares and the CDSCs on Class A and Class C shares may be reduced or waived under certain purchase arrangements and for

certain categories of investors. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

Class R Shares—Specified Benefit Plans

 

Class R shares generally are available only to 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, health care benefit funding plans and other specified benefit plans and accounts whereby the plan or the plan’s financial service firm has an agreement with the Distributor or PIMCO to utilize Class R shares in certain investment products or programs (collectively, “specified benefit plans”). In addition, Class R shares also are generally available only to specified benefit plans where Class R shares are held on the books of the Fund through omnibus accounts (either at the benefit plan level or at the level of the plan’s financial service firm). Class R shares are not available to retail or institutional non-specified benefit plan accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs (except through omnibus accounts), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, or individual 403(b) plans.

 

The administrator of a specified benefit plan or employee benefits office can provide participants with detailed information on how to participate in the plan and how to elect the Fund as an investment option. Plan participants may be permitted to elect different investment options, alter the amounts contributed to the plan, or change how contributions are allocated among investment options in accordance with the plan’s specific provisions. The plan administrator or employee benefits office should be consulted for details. For questions about participant accounts, participants should contact their employee benefits office, the plan administrator, or the organization that provides recordkeeping services for the plan.

 

Eligible specified benefit plans generally may open an account and purchase Class R shares by contacting any broker, dealer or other financial intermediary (“financial service firm”) authorized to sell Class R shares of the Fund. Eligible specified benefit plans may also purchase shares directly from the Distributor. See “Buying Shares” below. Additional shares may be purchased through a benefit plan’s administrator or recordkeeper.

 

Financial service firms may provide or arrange for the provision of some or all of the shareholder servicing and account maintenance services required by specified benefit plan accounts and their plan participants, including, without limitation, transfers of registration

 

 

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and dividend payee changes. Financial service firms may also perform other functions, including generating confirmation statements, and may arrange with plan administrators for other investment or administrative services. Financial service firms may independently establish and charge specified benefit plans and plan participants transaction fees and/or other additional amounts for such services, which may change over time. Similarly, specified benefit plans may charge plan participants for certain expenses. These fees and additional amounts could reduce an investment return in Class R shares of the Fund.

 

Financial service firms and specified benefit plans may have omnibus accounts and similar arrangements with the Trust and may be paid for providing sub-transfer agency and other services. A firm or specified benefit plan may be paid for its services directly or indirectly by the Fund or the distributor (normally not to exceed an annual rate of 0.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to its Class R shares and purchased through such firm or specified benefit plan for its clients). PIMCO’s affiliates may pay a financial service firm or specified benefit plan an additional amount not to exceed 0.20% for sub-transfer agency or other administrative services. Such sub-transfer agency or other administrative services may include, but are not limited to, the following: processing and mailing trade confirmations, monthly statements, prospectuses, annual reports, semi-annual reports and shareholder notices and other SEC-required communications to shareholders; processing, capturing and processing tax data; issuing and mailing dividend checks to shareholders who have selected cash distributions; preparing record date shareholder lists for proxy solicitations; collecting and posting distributions to shareholder accounts; and establishing and maintaining systematic withdrawals and automated investment plans and shareholder account registrations. Your specified benefit plan may establish various minimum investment requirements for Class R shares of the Fund and may also establish certain privileges with respect to purchases, redemptions and exchanges of Class R shares or the reinvestment of dividends. Plan participants should contact their plan administrator with respect to these issues. Plan administrators should contact their financial service firm for information about the firm. This prospectus should be read in connection with the specified benefit plan’s and/or the financial service firm’s materials regarding its fees and services.

 

Distribution and Servicing (12b-1) Plans

 

The Fund pays fees to the Distributor on an ongoing basis as compensation for the services the Distributor

renders and the expenses it bears in connection with the sale and distribution of Fund shares (“distribution fees”) and/or in connection with personal services rendered to Fund shareholders and the maintenance of shareholder accounts (“servicing fees”). These payments are made pursuant to Distribution and Servicing Plans (“12b-1 Plans”) adopted by the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

There is a separate 12b-1 Plan for each class of shares offered in this prospectus. Class A shares pay only servicing fees. Class C and Class R shares pay both distribution and servicing fees. The following lists the maximum annual rates at which the distribution and/or servicing fees may be paid under each 12b-1 Plan (calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the particular class of shares):

 

Class A      Servicing
Fee
     Distribution
Fee
 

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return
Fund

       0.25      0.00
Class C                  

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return
Fund

       0.25      0.75
Class R                  

PIMCO Credit Absolute Return
Fund

       0.25      0.25

 

Because distribution fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than other types of sales charges, such as sales charges that are deducted at the time of investment. Therefore, although Class C and Class R shares do not pay initial sales charges, the distribution fees payable on Class C and Class R shares may, over time, cost you more than the initial sales charge imposed on Class A shares.

 

Payments to Financial Firms

 

Some or all of the sales charges, distribution fees and servicing fees described above are paid or “reallowed” to the broker, dealer or financial adviser (collectively, “financial firms”) through which you purchase your shares. With respect to Class C shares, the financial firms are also paid at the time of your purchase a commission of 1.00% of your investment in the Class C shares. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for more details. A financial firm is one that, in exchange for compensation, sells, among other products, mutual fund shares (including the shares offered in this prospectus) or provides services for mutual fund shareholders. Financial firms include brokers, dealers, insurance companies and banks.

 

 

 

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In addition, the Distributor, PIMCO and their affiliates (for purposes of this subsection only, collectively, the “Distributor”) may from time to time make payments such as cash bonuses or provide other incentives to selected financial firms as compensation for services such as, without limitation, providing the Fund with “shelf space” or a higher profile for the financial firms’ financial consultants and their customers, placing the Fund on the financial firms’ preferred or recommended fund list, granting the Distributor access to the financial firms’ financial consultants, providing assistance in training and educating the financial firms’ personnel, and furnishing marketing support and other specified services. These payments may be significant to the financial firms and may also take the form of sponsorship of seminars or informational meetings or payment for attendance by persons associated with the financial firms at seminars or informational meetings.

 

A number of factors will be considered in determining the amount of these payments to financial firms. On some occasions, such payments may be conditioned upon levels of sales, including the sale of a specified minimum dollar amount of the shares of the Fund, all other series of Trust, other funds sponsored by the Distributor and/or a particular class of shares, during a specified period of time. The Distributor may also make payments to one or more participating financial firms based upon factors such as the amount of assets a financial firm’s clients have invested in the Fund and the quality of the financial firm’s relationship with the Distributor.

 

The payments described above are made at the Distributor’s expense. These payments may be made to financial firms selected by the Distributor, generally to the financial firms that have sold significant amounts of shares of the Fund. The level of payments made to a financial firm in any given year will vary and generally will not exceed the sum of (a) 0.10% of such year’s fund sales by that financial firm and (b) 0.03% of the assets invested in series of the Trust and PIMCO Equity Series. In certain cases, the payments described in the preceding sentence may be subject to certain minimum payment levels. In lieu of payments pursuant to the foregoing formulae, the Distributor may make payments of an agreed upon amount which normally will not exceed the amount that would have been payable pursuant to the formulae. In some cases, in addition to the payments described above, the Distributor will make payments for special events such as a conference or seminar sponsored by one of such financial firms.

If investment advisers, distributors or affiliates of mutual funds pay bonuses and incentives in differing amounts, financial firms and their financial consultants may have financial incentives for recommending a particular mutual fund over other mutual funds. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a financial firm and its financial consultants may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. You should consult with your financial advisor and review carefully any disclosure by the financial firm as to compensation received by your financial advisor.

 

Wholesale representatives of the Distributor visit brokerage firms on a regular basis to educate financial advisors about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

From time to time, PIMCO or its affiliates may pay investment consultants or their parent or affiliated companies for certain services including technology, operations, tax, or audit consulting services, and may pay such firms for PIMCO’s attendance at investment forums sponsored by such firms or for various studies, surveys, or access to databases. Subject to applicable law, PIMCO and its affiliates may also provide investment advisory services to investment consultants and their affiliates and may execute brokerage transactions on behalf of the Fund with such investment consultants or their affiliates. These consultants or their affiliates may, in the ordinary course of their investment consultant business, recommend that their clients utilize PIMCO’s investment advisory services or invest in the Fund or in other products sponsored by PIMCO and its affiliates.

 

Although a Fund may use financial firms that sell Fund shares to effect transactions for the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund and PIMCO will not consider the sale of Fund shares as a factor when choosing financial firms to effect those transactions.

 

For further details about payments made by the Distributor to financial firms, please see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

HOW FUND SHARES ARE PRICED

 

The NAV of the Fund’s shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio

 

 

 

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investments and other assets attributable to that class, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of that class.

 

Fund shares are valued as of the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the “NYSE Close”) on each day that the NYSE is open. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of a security or the NAV determined earlier that day. The Fund reserves the right to change the time its NAV is calculated if the Fund closes earlier, or as permitted by the SEC.

 

For purposes of calculating NAV, portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are readily available are valued at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or pricing services. The Fund will normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. A foreign equity security traded on a foreign exchange or on more than one exchange is typically valued using pricing information from the exchange considered by the managers to be the primary exchange. A foreign equity security will be valued as of the close of trading on the foreign exchange, or the NYSE Close, if the NYSE Close occurs before the end of trading on the foreign exchange. Domestic and foreign fixed income securities and non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Prices obtained from independent pricing services use information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Certain fixed income securities purchased on a delayed-delivery basis are marked to market daily until settlement at the forward settlement date. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost. Exchange traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange. With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies, the Fund’s NAV will be calculated based upon the NAVs of such investments.

If a foreign (non-U.S.) security’s value has materially changed after the close of the security’s primary exchange or principal market but before the NYSE Close, the security will be valued at fair value based on procedures established and approved by the Board of Trustees. Foreign securities that do not trade when the NYSE is open are also valued at fair value. The Fund may determine the fair value of investments based on information provided by pricing services and other third-party vendors, which may recommend fair value prices or adjustments with reference to other securities, indices or assets. In considering whether fair value pricing is required and in determining fair values, the Fund may, among other things, consider significant events (which may be considered to include changes in the value of U.S. securities or securities indices) that occur after the close of the relevant market and before the NYSE Close. The Fund may utilize modeling tools provided by third-party vendors to determine fair values of non-U.S. securities. Foreign exchanges may permit trading in foreign securities on days when the Trust is not open for business, which may result in the Fund’s portfolio investments being affected when you are unable to buy or sell shares.

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to the U.S. dollar using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the NYSE is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.

 

Securities and other assets for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction. The Board of Trustees has adopted methods for valuing securities and other assets in circumstances where market quotes are not readily available, and has delegated to PIMCO the responsibility for applying the valuation methods. For instance, certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board of Trustees, with reference to other securities or indices. In the event that market quotes are not readily available, and the security or asset cannot be valued pursuant to one of the valuation methods, the value of the security or asset will be determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee of the Board of Trustees, generally based upon recommendations provided by PIMCO.

 

 

 

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Market quotes are considered not readily available in circumstances where there is an absence of current or reliable market-based data (e.g., trade information, bid/asked information, broker quotes), including where events occur after the close of the relevant market, but prior to the NYSE Close, that materially affect the values of the Fund’s securities or assets. In addition, market quotes are considered not readily available when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the exchanges or markets on which the securities trade do not open for trading for the entire day and no other market prices are available. The Board has delegated to PIMCO the responsibility for monitoring significant events that may materially affect the values of the Fund’s securities or assets and for determining whether the value of the applicable securities or assets should be re-evaluated in light of such significant events.

 

When the Fund uses fair value pricing to determine its NAV, securities will not be priced on the basis of quotes from the primary market in which they are traded, but rather may be priced by another method that the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction believe accurately reflects fair value. Fair value pricing may require subjective determinations about the value of a security. While the Trust’s policy is intended to result in a calculation of a Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Trust cannot ensure that fair values determined by the Board of Trustees or persons acting at their direction would accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instance, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by the Fund may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold. The Fund’s use of fair valuation may also help to deter “stale price arbitrage” as discussed below under “Abusive Trading Practices.”

 

Under certain circumstances, the per share NAV of a class of the Fund’s shares may be different than the per share NAV of another class of shares as a result of the daily expense accruals applicable to each class of shares. Generally, when the Fund pays income dividends, those dividends are expected to differ over time by approximately the amount of the expense accrual differential between the classes.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

The following section provides basic information about how to buy, sell (redeem) and exchange shares of the Fund.

More detailed information about purchase, redemption and exchange arrangements for Fund shares is provided in the Statement of Additional Information, which can be obtained free of charge from the Distributor by written request to the Fund at P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060, visiting www.pimco.com/investments, or by calling 1-800-426-0107. The Statement of Additional Information provides technical information about the basic arrangements described below and also describes special purchase, sale and exchange features and programs offered by the Trust, including:

 

  n    

Automated telephone and wire transfer procedures

  n    

Automatic purchase, exchange and withdrawal programs

  n    

Programs that establish a link from your Fund account to your bank account

  n    

Special arrangements for tax-qualified retirement plans

  n    

Investment programs which allow you to reduce or eliminate the initial sales charges

  n    

Categories of investors that are eligible for waivers or reductions of initial sales charges and CDSCs

 

Calculation of Share Price and Redemption Payments

 

When you buy shares of the Fund, you pay a price equal to the NAV of the shares, plus any applicable sales charge. When you sell (redeem) shares, you receive an amount equal to the NAV of the shares, minus any applicable CDSC. NAVs are determined at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. See “How Fund Shares Are Priced” above for details. Generally, purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares are processed at the NAV next calculated after your order is received by the Distributor or Transfer Agent. There are certain exceptions where an order is received by a broker or dealer prior to the NYSE Close and then transmitted to the Distributor or Transfer Agent after the NAV has been calculated for that day (in which case the order may be processed according to that day’s NAV). Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

The Trust does not calculate NAVs or process orders on days when the NYSE is closed. If your purchase or redemption order is received by the Distributor or Transfer Agent on a day when the NYSE is closed, it will be processed on the next succeeding day when the NYSE is open (according to the succeeding day’s NAV).

 

 

 

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Buying Shares—Classes A and C Shares

 

You can buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund in the following ways:

 

  n   

Through your broker, dealer or other financial intermediary.  Your broker, dealer or other intermediary may establish higher minimum investment requirements than the Trust and may also independently charge you transaction fees and additional amounts (which may vary) in return for its services, which will reduce your return. Shares you purchase through your broker, dealer or other intermediary will normally be held in your account with that firm.

 

  n   

Through the Distributor.  You should discuss your investment with your financial advisor before you make a purchase to be sure the Fund is appropriate for you. To make direct investments, you must open an account with the Fund and send payment for your shares either by mail or through a variety of other purchase options and plans offered by the Trust.

 

If you wish to invest directly by mail, please send a check payable to the PIMCO Family of Funds, along with a completed application form to: regular mail (PIMCO Funds, P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060) or overnight mail (PIMCO Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021-2809).

 

The Fund accepts all purchases by mail subject to collection of checks at full value and conversion into federal funds. You may make subsequent purchases by mailing a check to the address above with a letter describing the investment or with the additional investment portion of a confirmation statement. Checks for subsequent purchases should be payable to the PIMCO Family of Funds and should clearly indicate your account number. Please call the Fund at 1-800-426-0107 if you have any questions regarding purchases by mail.

 

The Fund reserves the right to require payment by wire or U.S. bank check. The Fund generally does not accept payments made by cash, money order, temporary/starter checks, third-party checks, traveler’s checks credit card checks, or checks drawn on non-U.S. banks even if payment may be effected through a U.S. bank.

 

The Statement of Additional Information describes a number of additional ways you can make direct investments, including through the PIMCO Funds Auto-Invest and PIMCO Funds Fund Link programs. You can obtain the Statement of Additional Information

free of charge from the Fund by written request to the address above or by calling 1-800-426-0107.

 

The Trust typically does not offer or sell its shares to non-U.S. residents. For purposes of this policy, a U.S. resident is defined as an account with (i) a U.S. address of record and (ii) all account owners residing in the U.S. at the time of sale.

 

The Distributor, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject any order for purchase of Fund shares. In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.

 

Buying Shares—Class R Shares

 

Class R shares of the Fund are continuously offered to specified benefit plans. See “Class R shares—Specified Benefit Plans” above. Plan participants may purchase Class R shares only through their specified benefit plans. In connection with purchases, specified benefit plans are responsible for forwarding all necessary documentation to their financial service firm or the Distributor. Specified benefit plans and financial service firms may charge for such services.

 

Specified benefit plans may also purchase Class R shares directly from the Distributor. To make direct investments, a plan administrator must open an account with the Distributor and send payment for Class R shares either by mail or through a variety of other purchase options and plans offered by the Trust. Specified benefit plans that purchase their shares directly from the Trust must hold their shares in an omnibus account at the specified benefit plan level.

 

If you wish to invest directly by mail, please send a check payable to the PIMCO Family of Funds, along with a completed application form to: regular mail (PIMCO Funds, P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060) or overnight mail (PIMCO Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021-2809).

 

The Fund accepts all purchases by mail subject to collection of checks at full value and conversion into federal funds. Investors may make subsequent purchases by mailing a check to the address above with a letter describing the investment or with the additional investment portion of a confirmation statement. Checks for subsequent purchases should be payable to the PIMCO Family of Funds and should clearly indicate the relevant account number. Investors should call the Distributor at 1-800-426-0107 if they have any questions regarding purchases by mail.

 

 

 

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Class R shares of the Fund will be held in a plan participant’s account (which in turn may hold Class R shares through the account of a financial service firm) and, generally, specified benefit plans will hold Class R shares (either directly or through a financial service firm) in nominee or street name as the participant’s agent. In most cases, the Trust’s transfer agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., will have no information with respect to or control over accounts of specific Class R shareholders and participants may obtain information about their accounts only through their plan. In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for Class R shares will not be issued.

 

The Trust typically does not offer or sell its shares to non-U.S. residents. For purposes of this policy, a U.S. resident is defined as an account with (i) a U.S. address of record and (ii) all account owners residing in the U.S. at the time of sale.

 

The Distributor, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject any order for purchase of any Fund shares. In the interest of economy and convenience, certificates for shares will not be issued.

 

Investment Minimums

 

The Distributor, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject any order for purchase of Fund shares. No share certificates will be issued unless specifically requested in writing.

 

The following investment minimums apply for purchases of Class A and Class C shares.

 

  Initial Investment  

  

  Subsequent Investments  

$1,000    $50

 

The minimum initial investment may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that submit trades on behalf of underlying investors. The Trust or the Distributor may lower or waive the minimum investment for certain categories of investors at their discretion. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for details.

 

There is no minimum initial or additional investment in Class R shares because Class R shares may only be purchased through omnibus accounts.

 

Abusive Trading Practices

 

The Trust encourages shareholders to invest in the Fund as part of a long-term investment strategy and discourages excessive, short-term trading and other abusive trading practices, sometimes referred to as “market timing.” However, because the Trust will not

always be able to detect market timing or other abusive trading activity, investors should not assume that the Trust will be able to detect or prevent all market timing or other trading practices that may disadvantage the Fund.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investment strategies may expose the Fund to risks associated with market timing activities. For example, since the Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities, it may be subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the Fund’s non-U.S. portfolio securities and the determination of the Fund’s NAV as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling Fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for the Fund’s potential investment in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets, securities of distressed companies or high yield securities that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices.

 

To discourage excessive, short-term trading and other abusive trading practices, the Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent short-term trading activity that may be harmful to the Fund and its shareholders. Such activities may have a detrimental effect on the Fund and its shareholders. For example, depending upon various factors such as the size of the Fund and the amount of its assets maintained in cash, short-term or excessive trading by Fund shareholders may interfere with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, increase transaction costs and taxes, and may harm the performance of the Fund and its shareholders.

 

The Trust seeks to deter and prevent abusive trading practices, and to reduce these risks, through several methods. First, to the extent that there is a delay between a change in the value of a mutual fund’s portfolio holdings, and the time when that change is reflected in the NAV of the fund’s shares, the fund is exposed to the risk that investors may seek to exploit this delay by purchasing or redeeming shares at NAVs that do not reflect appropriate fair value prices. The Trust seeks to deter and prevent this activity, sometimes referred to as “stale price arbitrage,” by the appropriate use of “fair value” pricing of the Fund’s portfolio securities. See “How Fund Shares Are Priced” below for more information.

 

Second, the Trust seeks to monitor shareholder account activities in order to detect and prevent excessive and disruptive trading practices. The Trust and PIMCO each reserves the right to restrict or refuse any purchase or

 

 

 

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exchange transaction if, in the judgment of the Trust or of PIMCO, the transaction may adversely affect the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. Among other things, the Trust may monitor for any patterns of frequent purchases and sales that appear to be made in response to short-term fluctuations in share price. Notice of any restrictions or rejections of transactions may vary according to the particular circumstances.

 

Although the Trust and its service providers seek to use these methods to detect and prevent abusive trading activities, and although the Trust will consistently apply such methods, there can be no assurances that such activities can be mitigated or eliminated. By their nature, omnibus accounts, in which purchases and sales of Fund shares by multiple investors are aggregated for presentation to the Fund on a net basis, conceal the identity of the individual investors from the Fund. This makes it more difficult for the Fund to identify short-term transactions in the Fund.

 

Minimum Account Size

 

Due to the relatively high cost to the Fund of maintaining small accounts, you are asked to maintain an account balance in the Fund of at least the minimum investment necessary to open the particular type of account. If your balance for Fund remains below the minimum for three months or longer, the Administrator has the right (except in the case of employer-sponsored retirement accounts) to redeem your remaining shares and close that Fund account after giving you 60 days to increase your balance. Your Fund account will not be liquidated if the reduction in size is due solely to a decline in market value of your Fund shares or if the aggregate value of all your PIMCO Equity Series and PIMCO Funds accounts exceeds $50,000.

 

Exchanging Shares

 

You may exchange your Class A, Class C or Class R shares of any Fund for the same Class of shares of any other fund of the Trust or a fund of PIMCO Equity Series that offers the same Class of shares, subject to any restriction on exchanges set forth in the applicable fund’s prospectus.

 

Exchanges of Class A and C shares are subject to the $1,000 minimum initial purchase requirement for the Fund, except with respect to tax-qualified programs and exchanges effected through the PIMCO Funds Auto-Exchange plan. Specified benefit plans or financial service firms may impose various fees and charges, investment minimums and other requirements with respect to exchanges of Class R shares. In addition, an exchange is generally a taxable event which will

generate capital gains or losses, and special rules may apply in computing tax basis when determining gain or loss. See “Tax Consequences” in this prospectus and “Taxation” in the Statement of Additional Information. If you maintain your account with the Fund, you may exchange shares by completing a written exchange request and sending it to: (PIMCO Funds, P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060).

 

Shares of one class of the Fund may also be exchanged directly for shares of another class of the Fund, subject to any applicable sales charge, as described in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

The Trust reserves the right to refuse exchange purchases (or purchase and redemption and/or redemption and purchase transactions) if, in the judgment of PIMCO, the transaction would adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. Although the Trust has no current intention of terminating or modifying the exchange privilege, it reserves the right to do so at any time. Except as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Trust will give you 60 days’ advance notice if it exercises its right to terminate or materially modify the exchange privilege with respect to Class A, C and R shares.

 

The Statement of Additional Information provides more detailed information about the exchange privilege, including the procedures you must follow and additional exchange options. You can obtain the Statement of Additional Information free of charge from the Fund by written request to the address above, by visiting http://investments.pimco.com, or by calling 1-800-426-0107.

 

Selling Shares—Class A and C

 

You can sell (redeem) Class A or Class C shares of the Fund in the following ways:

 

  n   

Through your broker, dealer or other financial intermediary.  Your broker, dealer or other intermediary may independently charge you transaction fees and additional amounts in return for its services, which will reduce your return.

 

  n   

Directly from the Trust by Written Request.  To redeem shares directly from the Trust by written request (whether or not the shares are represented by certificates), you must send the following items to the Trust’s Transfer Agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8050, Boston, MA 02266-8050:

 

  (1)

a written request for redemption signed by all registered owners exactly as the account is registered on the Transfer Agent’s records,

 

 

 

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  including fiduciary titles, if any, and specifying the account number and the dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed;

 

  (2) for certain redemptions described below, a guarantee of all signatures on the written request or on the share certificate or accompanying stock power, if required, as described under “Signature Validation” below;

 

  (3) any share certificates issued for any of the shares to be redeemed (see “Certificated Shares” below); and

 

  (4) any additional documents which may be required by the Transfer Agent for redemption by corporations, partnerships or other organizations, executors, administrators, trustees, custodians or guardians, or if the redemption is requested by anyone other than the shareholder(s) of record. Transfers of shares are subject to the same requirements.

 

A signature validation is not required for redemptions requested by and payable to all shareholders of record for the account, and to be sent to the address of record for that account. To avoid delay in redemption or transfer, if you have any questions about these requirements you should contact the Transfer Agent in writing or call 1-800-426-0107 before submitting a request. Written redemption or transfer requests will not be honored until all required documents in the proper form have been received by the Transfer Agent. You can not redeem your shares by written request if they are held in broker “street name” accounts—you must redeem through your broker.

 

If the proceeds of your redemption (i) are to be paid to a person other than the record owner, (ii) are to be sent to an address other than the address of the account on the Transfer Agent’s records, and/or (iii) are to be paid to a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, the signature(s) on the redemption request and on the certificates, if any, or stock power must be guaranteed as described under “Signature Validation” below. The Distributor may, however, waive the signature guarantee requirement for redemptions up to $2,500 by a trustee of a qualified retirement plan, the administrator for which has an agreement with the Distributor.

 

The Statement of Additional Information describes a number of additional ways you can redeem your shares, including:

 

  n    

Telephone requests to the Transfer Agent

  n    

Expedited wire transfers

  n    

Automatic Withdrawal Plan

  n    

PIMCO Funds Fund Link

 

Unless you specifically elect otherwise, your initial account application permits you to redeem shares by telephone subject to certain requirements. To be eligible for expedited wire transfer, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, and Fund Link privileges, you must specifically elect the particular option on your account application and satisfy certain other requirements. The Statement of Additional Information describes each of these options and provides additional information about selling shares.

 

Other than an applicable CDSC, you will not pay any special fees or charges to the Trust or the Distributor when you sell your shares. However, if you sell your shares through your broker, dealer or other financial intermediary, that firm may charge you a commission or other fee for processing your redemption request.

 

Selling Shares—Class R Shares

 

Class R shares may be redeemed through the investor’s plan administrator on any day the NYSE is open. Investors do not pay any fees or other charges to the Trust or the Distributor when selling shares, although specified benefit plans and financial service firms may charge for their services in processing redemption requests. Please contact the plan or firm for details.

 

Subject to any restrictions in the applicable specified benefit plan documents, plan administrators are obligated to transmit redemption orders to the Distributor or their financial service firm promptly and are responsible for ensuring that redemption requests are in proper form. Specified benefit plans and financial service firms will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documentation to the Distributor or the Trust’s Transfer Agent and may charge for their services. Redemption proceeds will be forwarded to the specified benefit plan or financial service firm as promptly as possible and in any event within seven days after the redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent or Distributor in good order.

 

Other Redemption Information

 

Redemptions of all Classes of Fund shares may be suspended when trading on the NYSE is restricted or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of their securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. Under these and other unusual circumstances, the Trust may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by law.

 

 

 

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For shareholder protection, a request to change information contained in an account registration (for example, a request to change the bank designated to receive wire redemption proceeds) must be received in writing, signed by the minimum number of persons designated on the completed application that are required to effect a redemption, and accompanied by a signature guarantee from any eligible guarantor institution, as determined in accordance with the Trust’s procedures, as more fully described below. A signature guarantee cannot be provided by a notary public. In addition, corporations, trusts, and other institutional organizations are required to furnish evidence of the authority of the persons designated on the completed application to effect transactions for the organization.

 

Retirement plan sponsors, participant recordkeeping organizations and other financial intermediaries may also impose their own restrictions, limitations or fees in connection with transactions in the Fund’s shares, which may be stricter than those described in this section. You should contact your plan sponsor, recordkeeper or financial intermediary for more information on any additional restrictions, limitations or fees are imposed in connection with transactions in Fund shares.

 

Timing of Redemption Payments

 

Redemption proceeds will normally be mailed to the redeeming shareholder within seven calendar days or, in the case of wire transfer or Fund Link redemptions, sent to the designated bank account within one business day. Fund Link redemptions may be received by the bank on the second or third business day. In cases where shares have recently been purchased by personal check, redemption proceeds may be withheld until the check has been collected, which may take up to 15 days. To avoid such withholding, investors should purchase shares by certified or bank check or by wire transfer.

 

Redemptions In Kind

 

The Trust will redeem shares of the Fund solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets during any 90-day period for any one shareholder. In consideration of the best interests of the remaining shareholders, the Trust may pay any redemption proceeds exceeding this amount in whole or in part by a distribution in kind of securities held by the Fund in lieu of cash. It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever be redeemed in kind. If your shares are redeemed in kind, you should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution.

Certificated Shares

 

If you are redeeming shares for which certificates have been issued, the certificates must be mailed to or deposited with the Trust, duly endorsed or accompanied by a duly endorsed stock power or by a written request for redemption. Signatures must be guaranteed as described under “Signature Validation” below. The Trust may request further documentation from institutions or fiduciary accounts, such as corporations, custodians (e.g., under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act), executors, administrators, trustees or guardians. Your redemption request and stock power must be signed exactly as the account is registered, including indication of any special capacity of the registered owner.

 

Signature Validation

 

When a signature validation is called for, a “Medallion” signature guarantee or Signature validation program (SVP) stamp will be required. A Medallion signature guarantee is intended to provide signature validation for transactions considered financial in nature, and an SVP stamp is intended to provide signature validation for transactions non-financial in nature. A Medallion signature guarantee or SVP stamp may be obtained from a domestic bank or trust company, broker, dealer, clearing agency, savings association or other financial institution which is participating in a Medallion program or Signature validation program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. Signature guarantees from financial institutions which are not participating in one of these programs will not be accepted. Please note that financial institutions participating in a recognized Medallion program may still be ineligible to provide a signature validation for transactions of greater than a specified dollar amount. The Trust may change the signature validation requirements from time to time upon notice to shareholders, which may be given by means of a new or supplemented prospectus. Shareholders should contact PIMCO Funds for additional details regarding the Fund’s signature validation requirements.

 

Signature validation cannot be provided by a notary public. In addition, corporations, trusts, and other institutional organizations are required to furnish evidence of the authority of the persons designated on the Account Application Form to effect transactions for the organization.

 

Verification of Identity

 

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all

 

 

 

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financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person that opens a new account, and to determine whether such person’s name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists and terrorist organizations. As a result, the Fund must obtain the following information for each person that opens a new account:

 

  1. Name.
  2. Date of birth (for individuals).
  3. Residential or business street address.
  4. Social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other identifying number.

 

Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information listed above.

 

Individuals may also be asked for a copy of their driver’s license, passport or other identifying document in order to verify their identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify an individual’s identity by cross-referencing the identification information with a consumer report or other electronic database. Additional information may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities.

 

After an account is opened, the Fund may restrict your ability to purchase additional shares until your identity is verified. The Fund also may close your account and redeem your shares or take other appropriate action if it is unable to verify your identity within a reasonable time.

 

Request for Multiple Copies of
Shareholder Documents

 

To reduce expenses, it is intended that only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report, when available, will be mailed to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive an additional copy of these documents and your shares are held directly with the Trust, call the Trust at 1-800-426-0107. You will receive the additional copy within 30 days after receipt of your request by the Trust. Alternatively, if your shares are held through a financial institution, please contact the financial institution directly.

 

FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund distributes substantially all of its net investment income to shareholders in the form of dividends. You begin earning dividends on Fund shares the day after the Trust receives your purchase payment.

Dividends paid by the Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, but dividends on different classes of shares may be different as a result of the distribution fees applicable to certain classes of shares. The Fund intends to declare and distribute income dividends quarterly to shareholders of record.

 

In addition, the Fund distributes any net capital gains it earns from the sale of portfolio securities to shareholders no less frequently than annually. Net short-term capital gains may be paid more frequently.

 

You can choose from the following distribution options:

 

  n    

Reinvest all distributions in additional shares of the same class of the Fund at NAV. This will be done unless you elect another option.

  n    

Invest all distributions in shares of the same class of any other fund of the Trust or PIMCO Equity Series which offers that class at NAV. You must have an account existing in the fund selected for investment with the identical registered name. You must elect this option on your account application or by a telephone request to the Transfer Agent at 1-800-426-0107.

  n    

Receive all distributions in cash (either paid directly to you or credited to your account with your broker or other financial intermediary). You must elect this option on your account application or by a telephone request to the Transfer Agent at 1-800-426-0107.

 

You do not pay any sales charges on shares you receive through the reinvestment of Fund distributions.

 

If you elect to receive Fund distributions in cash and the postal or other delivery service is unable to deliver checks to your address of record, the Trust’s Transfer Agent will hold the returned checks for your benefit in a non-interest bearing account.

 

TAX CONSEQUENCES

 

The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. taxpayers. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information. You should rely on your own tax adviser for advice about the particular federal, state and local tax consequences to you of investing in the Fund. The Fund will distribute substantially all of its income and gains to its shareholders every year, and shareholders will be taxed on distributions they receive unless the distribution is derived from tax-exempt income and is designated as an “exempt-interest dividend.”

 

 

 

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  n   

Taxes on Fund Distributions. A shareholder subject to U.S. federal income tax will be subject to tax on taxable Fund distributions of taxable income or capital gains whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. For federal income tax purposes, taxable Fund distributions will be taxable to the shareholder as either ordinary income or capital gains.

 

Fund dividends (i.e., distributions of investment income) are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Under current law (scheduled to expire after 2012) a portion of distributions may be qualified dividends taxable at lower rates for individual shareholders. Federal taxes on Fund distributions of gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned the shares. Distributions of gains from investments that the Fund owned for more than one year will generally be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains. Distributions of gains from investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will generally be taxable as ordinary income.

 

Fund taxable distributions are taxable to shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund prior to the shareholder’s investment and thus were included in the price paid for the shares. For example, a shareholder who purchases shares on or just before the record date of the Fund distribution will pay full price for the shares and may receive a portion of his or her investment back as a taxable distribution.

 

  n   

Taxes on Redemption or Exchanges of Shares. Any gain resulting from the sale of Fund shares will generally be subject to federal income tax. When a shareholder exchanges shares of the Fund for shares of another series, the transaction will be treated as a sale of the Fund shares for these purposes, and any gain on those shares will generally be subject to federal income tax.

 

  n   

Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all taxable distributions payable to shareholders if they fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or if they have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

Any foreign shareholders would (with certain exceptions) generally be subject to U. S. tax withholding

of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on distributions from the Fund.

 

  n   

Returns of Capital. If the Fund’s distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

 

This “Tax Consequences” section relates only to federal income tax; the consequences under other tax laws may differ. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors as to the possible application of foreign, state and local income tax laws to Fund dividends and capital distributions. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information regarding the tax aspects of investing in the Fund.

 

CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF SECURITIES AND INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES

 

This section provides additional information about some of the principal investments and related risks of the Fund described under “Description of Principal Risks” above and elsewhere in this prospectus. It also describes characteristics and risks of additional securities and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund from time to time. Most of these securities and investment techniques are discretionary, which means that PIMCO can decide whether to use them or not. This prospectus does not attempt to disclose all of the various types of securities and investment techniques that may be used by the Fund. As with any mutual fund, investors in the Fund rely on the professional investment judgment and skill of PIMCO and the individual portfolio manager. Please see “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information for more detailed information about the securities and investment techniques described in this section and about other strategies and techniques that may be used by the Fund.

 

Investment Selection

 

Capital appreciation of fixed income securities generally results from decreases in market interest rates, foreign currency appreciation, or improving credit fundamentals for a particular market sector or security.

 

 

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In selecting investments for the Fund, PIMCO develops an outlook for interest rates, currency exchange rates and the economy; analyzes credit and call risks, and uses other investment selection techniques. The proportion of the Fund’s assets committed to investments with particular characteristics (such as quality, sector, interest rate or maturity) varies based on PIMCO’s outlook for the U.S. economy and the economies of other countries in the world, the financial markets and other factors.

 

With respect to fixed income investing, PIMCO attempts to identify areas of the bond market that are undervalued relative to the rest of the market. PIMCO identifies these areas by grouping Fixed Income Instruments into sectors such as money markets, governments, corporates, mortgages, asset-backed and international. In seeking to identify undervalued currencies, PIMCO may consider many factors, including but not limited to longer-term analysis of relative interest rates, inflation rates, real exchange rates, purchasing power parity, trade account balances and current account balances, as well as other factors that influence exchange rates such as flows, market technical trends and government policies. Sophisticated proprietary software then assists in evaluating sectors and pricing specific investments. Once investment opportunities are identified, PIMCO will shift assets among sectors depending upon changes in relative valuations, credit spreads and other factors. There is no guarantee that PIMCO’s investment selection techniques will produce the desired results.

 

Fixed Income Instruments

 

“Fixed Income Instruments,” as used generally in this prospectus, includes:

 

  n    

securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (“U.S. Government Securities”);

  n    

corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;

  n    

mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities;

  n    

inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations;

  n    

structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds;

  n    

bank capital and trust preferred securities;

  n    

loan participations and assignments;

  n    

delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;

  n    

bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances;

  n    

repurchase agreements on Fixed Income Instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on Fixed Income Instruments;

  n    

debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises;

  n    

obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and

  n    

obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

 

Securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.

 

The Fund may invest in derivatives based on Fixed Income Instruments.

 

Duration

 

Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. Similarly, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. By way of example, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of one year would be expected to fall approximately 1% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. Conversely, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of negative three years would be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates rise by one percentage point. The maturity of a security, another commonly used measure of price sensitivity, measures only the time until final payment is due, whereas duration takes into account the pattern of all payments of interest and principal on a security over time, including how these payments are affected by prepayments and by changes in interest rates, as well as the time until an interest rate on a security is reset (in the case of variable-rate securities).

 

U.S. Government Securities

 

U.S. Government Securities are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises. The U.S. government does not guarantee the NAV of the Fund’s shares. U.S. Government Securities are subject to market and interest rate risk, as well as varying degrees of credit risk. Some U.S. Government Securities are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Other types of U.S. Government Securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States (but not

 

 

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issued by the U.S. Treasury). These securities may have less credit risk than U.S. Government Securities not supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Such other types of U.S. Government Securities are: (1) supported by the ability of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (2) supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or government-sponsored corporation; or (3) supported by the United States in some other way. These securities may be subject to greater credit risk. U.S. Government Securities include zero coupon securities, which tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-paying securities of similar maturities.

 

Securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. GNMA, a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation, is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Government related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but its participation certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

 

Municipal Bonds

 

Municipal Bonds are generally issued by states and local governments and their agencies, authorities and other instrumentalities. Municipal Bonds are subject to interest rate, credit and market risk. The ability of an issuer to make payments could be affected by litigation, legislation or other political events or the bankruptcy of the issuer. Lower rated Municipal Bonds are subject to greater credit and market risk than higher quality Municipal Bonds. The types of Municipal Bonds in which the Fund may invest include municipal lease obligations, municipal general obligation bonds, municipal cash equivalents, and pre-refunded and escrowed to maturity municipal bonds. The Fund may also invest in industrial development bonds, which are Municipal Bonds issued by a government agency on behalf of a private sector company and, in most cases, are not backed by the credit of the issuing municipality

and may therefore involve more risk. The Fund may also invest in securities issued by entities whose underlying assets are Municipal Bonds.

 

Pre-refunded Municipal Bonds are tax-exempt bonds that have been refunded to a call date on or before the final maturity of principal and remain outstanding in the municipal market. The payment of principal and interest of the pre-refunded Municipal Bonds held by the Fund is funded from securities in a designated escrow account that holds U.S. Treasury securities or other obligations of the U.S. Government (including its agencies and instrumentalities (“Agency Securities”)). As the payment of principal and interest is generated from securities held in a designated escrow account, the pledge of the municipality has been fulfilled and the original pledge of revenue by the municipality is no longer in place. The escrow account securities pledged to pay the principal and interest of the pre-refunded Municipal Bond do not guarantee the price movement of the bond before maturity. Investment in pre-refunded Municipal Bonds held by the Fund may subject the Fund to interest rate risk, market risk and credit risk. In addition, while a secondary market exists for pre-refunded Municipal Bonds, if the Fund sells pre-refunded Municipal Bonds prior to maturity, the price received may be more or less than the original cost, depending on market conditions at the time of sale.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities

 

The Fund may invest in mortgage- or asset-backed securities. Mortgage-related securities include mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals, stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBSs”) and other securities that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. The value of some mortgage- or asset-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-related security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may shorten or extend the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. If unanticipated

 

 

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rates of prepayment on underlying mortgages increase the effective maturity of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of the security can be expected to increase. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

 

One type of SMBS has one class receiving all of the interest from the mortgage assets (the interest-only, or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only, or “PO” class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a Fund’s yield to maturity from these securities. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in any combination of mortgage-related or other asset-backed IO, PO or inverse floater securities.

 

The Fund may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The Fund may invest in other asset backed securities that have been offered to investors.

 

Loan Participations and Assignments

 

The Fund may invest in fixed- and floating-rate loans, which investments generally will be in the form of loan participations and assignments of portions of such loans. Participations and assignments involve special types of risk, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, and the risks of being a lender. If the Fund purchases a participation, it may only be able to enforce its rights through the lender, and may assume the credit risk of the lender in addition to the borrower.

 

Corporate Debt Securities

 

Corporate debt securities are subject to the risk of the issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest

payments on the obligation and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity. When interest rates rise, the value of corporate debt securities can be expected to decline. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rate movements than those with shorter maturities.

 

Bank Capital Securities and Trust Preferred Securities

 

There are two common types of bank capital: Tier I and Tier II. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Tier I securities often take the form of trust preferred securities. Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock, are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and, under certain conditions, allow for the issuer bank to withhold payment of interest until a later date.

 

Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. The primary advantage of the structure of trust preferred securities is that they are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements. Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings.

 

High Yield Securities and Distressed Companies

 

Securities rated lower than Baa by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, are sometimes referred to as “high yield securities” or “junk bonds.” Issuers of these securities may be distressed and undergoing restructuring, bankruptcy or other proceedings in an attempt to avoid insolvency. Investing in these securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher-rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities typically entail greater potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. High yield securities may be regarded as predominately speculative with respect

 

 

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to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment.

 

Variable and Floating Rate Securities

 

Variable and floating rate securities are securities that pay interest at rates that adjust whenever a specified interest rate changes and/or that reset on predetermined dates (such as the last day of a month or calendar quarter). The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments (“floaters”) and engage in credit spread trades. Variable and floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. The Fund may also invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). An inverse floater may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality.

 

Inflation-Indexed Bonds

 

Inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds, which are more fully described below) are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

 

TIPS may also be divided into individual zero-coupon instruments for each coupon or principal payment (known as “iSTRIPS”). An iSTRIP of the principal component of a TIPS issue will retain the embedded deflation floor that will allow the holder of the security to receive the greater of the original principal or inflation-adjusted principal value at maturity. iSTRIPS may be less liquid than conventional TIPS because they are a small component of the TIPS market.

Municipal inflation-indexed securities are municipal bonds that pay coupons based on a fixed rate plus CPI. With regard to municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds, the inflation adjustment is reflected in the semi-annual coupon payment. As a result, the principal value of municipal inflation-indexed bonds and such corporate inflation-indexed bonds does not adjust according to the rate of inflation. At the same time, the value of municipal inflation-indexed securities and such corporate inflation-indexed securities generally will not increase if the rate of inflation decreases. Because municipal inflation-indexed securities and corporate inflation-indexed securities are a small component of the municipal bond and corporate bond markets, respectively, they may be less liquid than conventional municipal and corporate bonds.

 

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates may rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

 

Event-Linked Exposure

 

The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in “event-linked bonds” or “event-linked swaps” or by implementing “event-linked strategies.” Event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” If a trigger event occurs, the Fund may lose a portion or its entire principal invested in the bond or notional amount on a swap. Event-linked exposure often provides for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked exposures may also be subject to liquidity risk.

 

 

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Convertible and Equity Securities

 

Common stock represents equity ownership in a company and typically provides the common stockholder the power to vote on certain corporate actions, including the election of the company’s directors. Common stockholders participate in company profits through dividends and, in the event of bankruptcy, distributions, on a pro-rata basis after other claims are satisfied. Many factors affect the value of common stock, including earnings, earnings forecasts, corporate events and factors impacting the issuer’s industry and the market generally. Common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. Convertible securities are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including fixed income securities and warrants, that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock at a stated price or rate. The price of a convertible security will normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of this conversion or exercise feature. However, the value of a convertible security may not increase or decrease as rapidly as the underlying common stock. A convertible security will normally also provide income and is subject to interest rate risk. Convertible securities may be lower-rated securities subject to greater levels of credit risk. The Fund may be forced to convert a security before it would otherwise choose, which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

“Synthetic” convertible securities are selected based on the similarity of their economic characteristics to those of a traditional convertible security due to the combination of separate securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security, i.e., an income-producing security (“income-producing component”) and the right to acquire an equity security (“convertible component”). The income-producing component is achieved by investing in non-convertible, income-producing securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments, which may be represented by derivative instruments. The convertible component is achieved by investing in securities or instruments such as warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index. A simple example of a synthetic convertible security is the combination of a traditional corporate bond with a warrant to purchase equity securities of the issuer of the bond. The Fund may also purchase synthetic securities created by other parties, typically investment banks, including convertible

structured notes. The income-producing and convertible components of a synthetic convertible security may be issued separately by different issuers and at different times.

 

Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in common stock.

 

While some countries or companies may be regarded as favorable investments, pure fixed income opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply, or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the Fund may consider convertible securities or equity securities to gain exposure to such investments.

 

At times, in connection with the restructuring of a preferred stock or Fixed Income Instrument either outside of bankruptcy court or in the context of bankruptcy court proceedings, the Fund may determine or be required to accept equity securities, such as common stocks, in exchange for all or a portion of a preferred stock or Fixed Income Instrument. Depending upon, among other things, PIMCO’s evaluation of the potential value of such securities in relation to the price that could be obtained by the Fund at any given time upon sale thereof, the Fund may determine to hold such securities in its portfolio.

 

Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The market price of equity securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting equity securities markets generally or particular industries represented in those markets. The value of an equity security may also decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

 

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Foreign (Non-U.S.) Securities

 

The Fund may invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to foreign (non-U.S.) countries. PIMCO generally considers an instrument to be economically tied to a non-U.S. country if the issuer is a foreign government (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such government), or if the issuer is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country. In the case of certain money market instruments, such instruments will be considered economically tied to a non-U.S. country if either the issuer or the guarantor of such money market instrument is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country. With respect to derivative instruments, PIMCO generally considers such instruments to be economically tied to non-U.S. countries if the underlying assets are foreign currencies (or baskets or indexes of such currencies), or instruments or securities that are issued by foreign governments or issuers organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country (or if the underlying assets are certain money market instruments, if either the issuer or the guarantor of such money market instruments is organized under the laws of a non-U.S. country).

 

Investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investors should consider carefully the substantial risks involved for funds that invest in securities issued by foreign companies and governments of foreign countries. These risks include: differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; generally higher commission rates on foreign portfolio transactions; the possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations; and political instability. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rates of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The securities markets, values of securities, yields and risks associated with foreign securities markets may change independently of each other. Also, foreign securities and dividends and interest payable on those securities may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from payments on those securities. Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Investments in foreign securities may also involve higher custodial costs than domestic investments and additional transaction costs with respect to foreign

currency conversions. Changes in foreign exchange rates also will affect the value of securities denominated or quoted in foreign currencies.

 

The Fund also may invest in sovereign debt issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, or other government-related entities. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. In addition, there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected.

 

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Emerging Market Securities. The Fund may invest in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. PIMCO generally considers an instrument to be economically tied to an emerging market country if the issuer or guarantor is a government of an emerging market country (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such government), if the issuer or guarantor is organized under the laws of an emerging market country, or if the currency of settlement of the security is a currency of an emerging market country. With respect to derivative instruments, PIMCO generally considers such instruments to be economically tied to emerging market countries if the underlying assets are currencies of emerging market countries (or baskets or indexes of such currencies), or instruments or securities that are issued or guaranteed by governments of emerging market countries or by entities organized under the laws of emerging market countries. PIMCO has broad discretion to identify countries that it considers to qualify as emerging markets. In making investments in emerging market securities, the Fund emphasizes those countries with relatively low gross national product per capita and with the potential for rapid economic growth. Emerging market countries are generally located in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe. PIMCO will select the country and currency composition based on its evaluation of relative interest rates, inflation rates, exchange rates, monetary and fiscal policies, trade and current account balances, legal and political developments and any other specific factors it believes to be relevant.

 

Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in domestic securities or in foreign, developed countries. These risks include: smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; possible repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be

 

 

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required to register the proceeds of sales; and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.

 

Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include: greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability; more substantial governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation; unavailability of currency hedging techniques; companies that are newly organized and small; differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; and less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.

 

The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds, which are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with a debt restructuring. Investments in Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative. Brady Bonds acquired by the Fund may be subject to restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit, which may cause the Fund to realize a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings of relevant Brady Bonds.

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Currencies

 

To the extent the Fund invests directly in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, or receive revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or perceived

changes in interest rates and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments. Currencies in which the Fund’s assets are denominated may be devalued against the U.S. dollar, resulting in a loss to the Fund.

 

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Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in foreign (non-U.S.) currency transactions on a spot (cash) basis, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts and invest in foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and futures. A forward foreign currency exchange contract, which involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract, reduces the Fund’s exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will deliver and increases its exposure to changes in the value of the currency it will receive for the duration of the contract. Certain foreign currency transactions may also be settled in cash rather than the actual delivery of the relevant currency. The effect on the value of the Fund is similar to selling securities denominated in one currency and purchasing securities denominated in another currency. A contract to sell foreign currency would limit any potential gain which might be realized if the value of the hedged currency increases. The Fund may enter into these contracts to hedge against foreign exchange risk, to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one currency to another. Suitable hedging transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in such transactions at any given time or from time to time. Also, such transactions may not be successful and may eliminate any chance for the Fund to benefit from favorable fluctuations in relevant foreign currencies. The Fund may use one currency (or a basket of currencies) to hedge against adverse changes in the value of another currency (or a basket of currencies) when exchange rates between the two currencies are positively correlated. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with the procedures established by the Board of Trustees (or, as permitted by applicable law, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under forward foreign currency exchange contracts entered into for non-hedging purposes.

 

 

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Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, in which the Fund purchases a security from a bank or broker-dealer, which agrees to repurchase the security at the Fund’s cost plus interest within a specified time. If the party agreeing to repurchase should default, the Fund will seek to sell the securities which it holds. This could involve procedural costs or delays in addition to a loss on the securities if their value should fall below their repurchase price. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and which may not be terminated within seven days at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the agreements are considered illiquid securities.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements, Dollar Rolls and Other Borrowings

 

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls, subject to the Fund’s limitations on borrowings. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a security by the Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument at a specified time and price. A dollar roll is similar except that the counterparty is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by the Fund but only securities that are “substantially identical.” Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls may be considered borrowing for some purposes. The Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees to cover its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls. Reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls and other forms of borrowings may create leveraging risk for the Fund.

 

The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that, in general, the Fund may borrow money from banks for any purpose in an amount up to 1/3 of the Fund’s total assets, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities. The Fund may also borrow money for temporary administrative purposes in an amount not to exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

Derivatives

 

The Fund may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, spreads between different interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, and related

indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements (including, but not limited to, credit default swaps and swaps on exchange traded funds). The Fund may invest some or all of its assets in derivative instruments. The portfolio manager may decide not to employ any of these strategies and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. A description of these and other derivative instruments that the Fund may use are described under “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

CPI Swap.  A CPI swap is a fixed maturity, over-the-counter derivative in which the investor receives the “realized” rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI”) over the life of the swap. The investor in turn pays a fixed annualized rate over the life of the swap. This fixed rate is often referred to as the “breakeven inflation” rate and is generally representative of the difference between treasury yields and TIPS yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap. CPI swaps are typically in “bullet” format, where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. In addition to counterparty risk, CPI swaps are also subject to inflation risk, where the swap can potentially lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (fixed breakeven rate) that the investor agrees to pay at the initiation of the swap.

 

The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. A description of various risks associated with particular derivative instruments is included in “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information. The following provides a more general discussion of important risk factors relating to all derivative instruments that may be used by the Fund.

 

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Management Risk. Derivative products are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks and bonds. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions.

 

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Credit Risk. The use of a derivative instrument involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of another party to the contract

 

 

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(usually referred to as a “counterparty”) to make required payments or otherwise comply with the contract’s terms. Additionally, credit default swaps could result in losses if the Fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based.

 

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Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when a particular derivative instrument is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many privately negotiated derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price.

 

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Leverage Risk. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. When the Fund uses derivatives for leverage, investments in the Fund will tend to be more volatile, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes. To limit leverage risk, the Fund will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees (or, as permitted by applicable regulation, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under derivative instruments.

 

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Lack of Availability. Because the markets for certain derivative instruments (including markets located in foreign countries) are relatively new and still developing, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Upon the expiration of a particular contract, the portfolio manager may wish to retain the Fund’s position in the derivative instrument by entering into a similar contract, but may be unable to do so if the counterparty to the original contract is unwilling to enter into the new contract and no other suitable counterparty can be found. There is no assurance that the Fund will engage in derivatives transactions at any time or from time to time. The Fund’s ability to use derivatives may also be limited by certain regulatory and tax considerations.

 

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Market and Other Risks. Like most other investments, derivative instruments are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to the Fund’s interest. If the portfolio manager incorrectly forecasts the values of securities, currencies or interest rates or other economic factors in

   

using derivatives for the Fund, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. While some strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other Fund investments. The Fund may also have to buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price because the Fund is legally required to maintain offsetting positions or asset coverage in connection with certain derivatives transactions.

 

Other risks in using derivatives include the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of derivatives and the inability of derivatives to correlate perfectly with underlying assets, rates and indexes. Many derivatives, in particular privately negotiated derivatives, are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. Also, the value of derivatives may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the value of the assets, reference rates or indexes they are designed to closely track. For example, a swap agreement on an exchange traded fund would not correlate perfectly with the index upon which the exchange traded fund is based because the fund’s return is net of fees and expenses. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs)

 

ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the NYSE) during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day’s market benchmark or strategy factor.

 

ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that

 

 

 

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affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. ETNs are also subject to tax risk. The IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. There may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

 

Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities

 

The Fund may also enter into, or acquire participations in, delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities, in which a lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. These commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that the Fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender.

 

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions

 

The Fund may purchase or sell securities which it is eligible to purchase or sell on a when-issued basis, may purchase and sell such securities for delayed delivery and may make contracts to purchase or sell such securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond normal settlement time (forward commitments). When-issued transactions, delayed delivery purchases and forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities declines prior to the settlement date. This risk is in addition to the risk that the Fund’s other assets will decline in value. Therefore, these transactions may result in a form of leverage and increase the Fund’s overall investment exposure. Typically, no income accrues on securities the Fund has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made, although the Fund may earn income on securities it has segregated or “earmarked” to cover these positions. When the Fund has sold a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund does not participate in future gains or

losses with respect to a security. If the other party to a transaction fails to pay for the securities, the Fund could realize a loss. Additionally, when selling a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis without owning the security, the Fund will incur a loss if the security’s price appreciates in value such that the security’s price is above the agreed-upon price on the settlement date.

 

Investment in Other Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, such as open-end or closed-end management investment companies, including exchange-traded funds, or in pooled accounts, or other unregistered accounts or investment vehicles to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive relief therefrom. The Fund may invest in other investment companies to gain broad market or sector exposure, including during periods when it has large amounts of uninvested cash or when PIMCO believes share prices of other investment companies offer attractive values. As a shareholder of an investment company or other pooled vehicle, the Fund may indirectly bear investment advisory fees, supervisory and administrative fees, service fees and other fees which are in addition to the fees the Fund pays its service providers.

 

The Fund may invest in the PIMCO Funds Private Account Portfolio Series: Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio (“PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio”), to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder or exemptive relief therefrom. The PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio is a registered investment company created for use solely by the series of the Trust, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Equity Series and PIMCO Equity Series VIT, other series of registered investment companies advised by PIMCO, in connection with their cash management activities. The main investments of the PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio are money market instruments and short maturity Fixed Income Instruments. The PAPS Short-Term Floating NAV Portfolio may incur expenses related to its investment activities, but does not pay investment advisory or supervisory and administrative fees to PIMCO.

 

Subject to the restrictions and limitations of the 1940 Act, the Fund may, in the future, elect to pursue its investment objective by investing in one or more underlying investment vehicles or companies that have substantially similar investment objectives and policies as the Fund.

 

 

 

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Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Companies

 

The Fund may invest in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies. The Fund considers a small-cap company to be a company with a market capitalization of up to $1.5 billion and a mid-cap company to be a company with a market capitalization of between $1.5 billion and $10 billion. Investments in small-cap and mid-cap companies involve greater risk than investments in large-capitalization companies. Small and mid-cap companies may not have an established financial history, which can present valuation challenges. The securities of small and mid-cap companies may be subject to increased market fluctuations, due to less liquid markets and more limited managerial and financial resources. The Fund’s investments in small and mid-cap companies may increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Short Sales

 

The Fund may make short sales as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset a potential decline in value of a security. A short sale involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to acquire, convert or exchange securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund, when making a short sale (other than a “short sale against the box”), must segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by PIMCO in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Trustees or otherwise cover its position in a permissible manner. The Fund may engage in short selling to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and interpretations thereunder and other federal securities laws. To the extent the Fund engages in short selling in foreign (non-U.S.) jurisdictions, the Fund will do so to the extent permitted by the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction.

 

Illiquid Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets (taken at the time of investment) in illiquid securities. Certain illiquid securities may require pricing at fair value as determined in good faith under the supervision of the Board of Trustees. The portfolio manager may be subject to significant delays in disposing of illiquid securities, and transactions in illiquid securities may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. The term “illiquid securities” for this purpose means securities that cannot be disposed of within

seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities. Restricted securities, i.e., securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may be illiquid. However, some restricted securities (such as securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and certain commercial paper) may be treated as liquid, although they may be less liquid than registered securities traded on established secondary markets.

 

Loans of Portfolio Securities

 

For the purpose of achieving income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. Please see “Investment Objectives and Policies” in the Statement of Additional Information for details. When the Fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the Fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The Fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan. Cash collateral received by the Fund in securities lending transactions may be invested in short-term liquid fixed income instruments or in money market or short-term mutual funds, or similar investment vehicles, including affiliated money market or short-term mutual funds. The Fund bears the risk of such investments.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The length of time the Fund has held a particular security is not generally a consideration in investment decisions. A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as “portfolio turnover.” When the portfolio manager deems it appropriate and particularly during periods of volatile market movements, the Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of portfolio securities to achieve its investment objective. Higher portfolio turnover (e.g., an annual rate greater than 100% of the average value of the Fund’s portfolio) involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Such sales may also result in realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains (which are generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates). The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

 

 

 

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Temporary Defensive Strategies

 

For temporary or defensive purposes, the Fund may invest without limit in U.S. debt securities, including taxable securities and short-term money market securities, when PIMCO deems it appropriate to do so. When the Fund engages in such strategies, it may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Changes in Investment Objectives and Policies

 

The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Unless otherwise stated, all investment policies of the Fund may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

 

Percentage Investment Limitations

 

Unless otherwise stated, all percentage limitations on Fund investments listed in this prospectus will apply at the time of investment. The Fund would not violate these limitations unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an investment. The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in investments suggested by its name. For purposes of this policy, the term “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes.

 

Credit Ratings and Unrated Securities

 

Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of fixed income securities, including convertible securities. Appendix A to this prospectus describes the various ratings assigned to fixed income

securities by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks. Rating agencies may fail to make timely changes in credit ratings and an issuer’s current financial condition may be better or worse than a rating indicates. PIMCO does not rely solely on credit ratings, and develops its own analysis of issuer credit quality.

 

The Fund may purchase unrated securities (which are not rated by a rating agency). Unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities and involve the risk that the portfolio manager may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality fixed income securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in high yield and/or unrated securities, the Fund’s success in achieving its investment objective may depend more heavily on the portfolio manager’s creditworthiness analysis than if the Fund invested exclusively in higher-quality and rated securities.

 

Other Investments and Techniques

 

The Fund may invest in other types of securities and use a variety of investment techniques and strategies which are not described in this prospectus. These securities and techniques may subject the Fund to additional risks. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information about the securities and investment techniques described in this prospectus and about additional securities and techniques that may be used by the Fund.

 

 

 

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Fund has not operated for a full fiscal period as of the date of this prospectus, audited financial highlights are not available.

 

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APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

The Fund’s investments may range in quality from securities rated in the lowest category in which the Fund is permitted to invest to securities rated in the highest category (as rated by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality). The percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in securities in a particular rating category will vary. The following terms are generally used to describe the credit quality of fixed income securities:

 

High Quality Debt Securities are those rated in one of the two highest rating categories (the highest category for commercial paper) or, if unrated, deemed comparable by PIMCO.

 

Investment Grade Debt Securities are those rated in one of the four highest rating categories or, if unrated, deemed comparable by PIMCO.

 

Below Investment Grade, High Yield Securities (“Junk Bonds”) are those rated lower than Baa by Moody’s, BBB by S&P or Fitch and comparable securities. They are deemed predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to repay principal and interest.

 

The following is a description of Moody’s, S&P’s and Fitch’s rating categories applicable to fixed income securities.

 

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

 

 

Long-Term Obligation Ratings

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

 

Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

 

Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa: Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

Short-Term Ratings

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings

 

 

Short-Term Obligation Ratings

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

 

MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

Demand Obligation Ratings

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.

 

VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term

credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand

 

VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services

 

 

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

 

  n   

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

  n   

Nature of and provisions of the obligation;

  n   

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

 

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

 

Investment Grade

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

BBB: An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

Speculative Grade

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

C: A ‘C’ rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the ‘C’ rating may be assigned to subordinated debt,

preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

 

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

 

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

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

 

Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings

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

 

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

 

A-3: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

B: A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of

 

 

 

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‘B-1’, ‘B-2’, and ‘B-3’ may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the ‘B’ category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

D: A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

 

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

Active Qualifiers (currently applied and/or outstanding)

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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  n   

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

  n   

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

  n   

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations that will likely be issued upon the obligor’s emergence from bankruptcy or similar reorganization, based on late-stage reorganization plans, documentation and discussions with the obligor. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligors. These ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the reorganized or postbankruptcy issuer as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s).

  n   

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

  n   

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

  n   

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Inactive Qualifiers (no longer applied or outstanding)*:

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

 

c: This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer’s bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.

 

pr: The letters ‘pr’ indicated that the rating was provisional. A provisional rating assumed the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicated that payment of debt service requirements was largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, made no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion.

 

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

 

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

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks: Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.

 

 

 

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Fitch, Inc.

 

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

Investment Grade

AAA: Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA: Very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A: High credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB: Good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

Speculative Grade

BB: Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

B: Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

CCC: Substantial credit risk. ‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

 

CC: Very high levels of credit risk. ‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

 

C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. ‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned ‘D’ ratings, but are instead rated in the ‘B’ to ‘C’ rating categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below ‘B.’

 

Recovery Ratings

Recovery Ratings are assigned to selected individual securities and obligations. These currently are published for most individual obligations of corporate issuers with IDRs in the ‘B’ rating category and below, and for most distressed or defaulted structured finance obligations rated “CCC” or below.

 

Among the factors that affect recovery rates for securities are the collateral, the seniority relative to other obligations in the capital structure (where appropriate), and the expected value of the company or underlying collateral in distress.

 

The Recovery Rating scale is based upon the expected relative recovery characteristics of an obligation upon the curing of a default, emergence from insolvency or following the liquidation or termination of the obligor or its associated collateral. For structured finance, Recovery Ratings are designed to estimate recoveries on a forward-looking basis while taking into account the time value of money.

 

Recovery Ratings are an ordinal scale and do not attempt to precisely predict a given level of recovery. As a guideline in developing the rating assessments, the agency employs broad theoretical recovery bands in its ratings approach based on historical averages, but actual recoveries for a given security may deviate materially from historical averages.

 

RR1: Outstanding recovery prospects given default. ‘RR1’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 91%-100% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR2: Superior recovery prospects given default. ‘RR2’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 71%-90% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR3: Good recovery prospects given default. ‘RR3’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 51%-70% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR4: Average recovery prospects given default. ‘RR4’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 31%-50% of current principal and related interest.

 

 

 

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RR5: Below average recovery prospects given default. ‘RR5’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 11%-30% of current principal and related interest.

 

RR6: Poor recovery prospects given default. ‘RR6’ rated securities have characteristics consistent with securities historically recovering 0%-10% of current principal and related interest.

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

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

 

F1: Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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The Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, which means it is part of this Prospectus for legal purposes. The Fund’s annual report, once it is available, will discuss the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

The SAI contains more detailed information about Fund purchase, redemption and exchange options and procedures and other information about the Fund. You can get a free copy of the SAI.

 

You may get free copies of the SAI, the Fund’s annual or semi-annual report (once available), request other information about the Fund, or make shareholder inquiries by calling 1-800-426-0107, or by writing to:

 

PIMCO Investments LLC

1633 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

 

You may review and copy information about the Trust, including its SAI, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You may call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information about the operation of the public reference room. You may also access reports and other information about the Trust on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s Web site at www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520, or by e-mailing your request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

You can also visit our Web site at http://www.PIMCO.com/investments for additional information about the Fund, including the SAI, which is available for download free of charge.

 

LOGO

 

Investment Company Act File number 811-05028


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INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR

 

PIMCO, 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

DISTRIBUTOR

 

PIMCO Investments LLC, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

 

CUSTODIAN

 

State Street Bank & Trust Co., 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105

 

SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENT AND TRANSFER AGENT

 

Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 55060, Boston, MA 02205-5060

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 1100 Walnut Street, Suite 1300, Kansas City, MO 64106-2197

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

Dechert LLP, 1775 I Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-2401

 

 

For further information about the PIMCO Funds, call 1-800-426-0107 or visit our Web site at http://www.PIMCO.com/investments.


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LOGO

 

PIMCO Funds

840 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

LOGO

 

 

 

The Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) includes additional information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, which means it is part of this Prospectus for legal purposes. The Fund’s annual report, once it is available, will discuss the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

You may get free copies of any of these materials, request other information about the Fund, or make shareholder inquiries by calling the Trust at 1-800-927-426-0107 or PIMCO Infolink Audio Response Network at 1-800-987-4626, or by writing to:

 

PIMCO Funds

840 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

You may review and copy information about the Trust, including its SAI, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You may call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information about the operation of the public reference room. You may also access reports and other information about the Trust on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s Web site at www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520, or by e-mailing your request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

You can also visit our Web site at http://www.PIMCO.com/investments for additional information about the Fund, including the SAI, which is available for download free of charge.

 

Reference the Trust’s Investment Company Act file number in your correspondence.

 

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-05028

 

PF0003R_082611