N-CSR 1 t12.htm ANNUAL REPORT Scudder Investments
                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                                   FORM N-CSR

Investment Company Act file number 811-5896

                               SCUDDER TARGET FUND
                        --------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

                222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60606
                 ----------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

        Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (617) 295-2663
                                                            --------------

                               Salvatore Schiavone
                             Two International Place
                           Boston, Massachusetts 02110
                     ---------------------------------------
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Date of fiscal year end:        7/31

Date of reporting period:       7/31/04



ITEM 1.  REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS

[Scudder Investments logo]



Scudder Target 2012 Fund

Annual Report to Shareholders

July 31, 2004



Contents


<Click Here> Performance Summary

<Click Here> Information About Your Fund's Expenses

<Click Here> Portfolio Management Review

<Click Here> Portfolio Summary

<Click Here> Investment Portfolio

<Click Here> Financial Statements

<Click Here> Financial Highlights

<Click Here> Notes to Financial Statements

<Click Here> Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

<Click Here> Tax Information

<Click Here> Trustees and Officers

<Click Here> Account Management Resources


This report must be preceded by a prospectus. The prospectus contains the fund's objectives, risks, charges and expenses, and other important information about the fund.

Investments in mutual funds involve risk. Some funds have more risk than others. Because the fund provides investment protection only on the maturity date to investors who reinvest all dividends and do not redeem their shares before the maturity date, the principal value of the fund is subject to market fluctuation prior to and after the maturity date. This fund is subject to stock market risk, meaning stocks in the fund may decline in value for extended periods of time due to the activities and financial prospects of individual companies, or due to general market and economic conditions. Additionally, the fund invests in individual bonds whose yields and market values fluctuate so that your investment may be worth more or less than its original cost. Please read this fund's prospectus for specific details regarding its investments and risk profile. This fund is closed to new investors. Please refer to the prospectus for more details.

Scudder Investments is part of Deutsche Asset Management, which is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., Deutsche Asset Management Inc., Deutsche Asset Management Investment Services Ltd., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and Scudder Trust Company.

Fund shares are not FDIC-insured and are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any bank. Fund shares involve investment risk, including possible loss of principal.


Performance Summary July 31, 2004


All performance shown is historical, assumes reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains, and does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate with changing market conditions so that, when redeemed, shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Please visit scudder.com for the product's most recent month-end performance.

The maximum sales charge for the Fund is 5.0%. Unadjusted returns do not reflect sales charges and would have been lower if they had.

Performance figures do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares.

Average Annual Total Returns (Unadjusted for Sales Charge) as of 7/31/04

1-Year

3-Year

5-Year

10-Year

Scudder Target 2012 Fund

7.19%

2.19%

1.89%

7.57%

S&P 500 Index+
13.17%
-1.48%
-2.24%
11.09%
Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index++
3.86%
5.61%
6.95%
7.06%

Sources: Lipper Inc. and Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.

Net Asset Value and Distribution Information

Net Asset Value:
7/31/04
$ 8.77
7/31/03
$ 8.41
Distribution Information:
Twelve Months:
Income Dividends as of 7/31/04
$ .24

Lipper Rankings - Balanced Target Maturity Funds Category as of 7/31/04

Period

Rank

Number of Funds Tracked

Percentile Ranking

1-Year

13

of

75

18

3-Year

8

of

19

40

5-Year

7

of

9

70

10-Year

3

of

6

43


Source: Lipper Inc. Rankings are historical and do not guarantee future results. Rankings are based on total returns unadjusted for sales charges with distributions reinvested. If sales charges had been included, rankings might have been less favorable.



Growth of an Assumed $10,000 Investment (Adjusted for Maximum Sales Charge)

[] Scudder Target 2012 Fund

[] S&P 500 Index+
[] Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index++
t12_g10k170

Yearly periods ended July 31


The Fund's growth of an assumed $10,000 investment is adjusted for the maximum sales charge of 5.0%. This results in a net initial investment of $9,500.

Comparative Results (Adjusted for Maximum Sales Charge) as of 7/31/04

1-Year

3-Year

5-Year

10-Year

Scudder Target 2012 Fund

Growth of $10,000

$10,183

$10,137

$10,435

$19,709

Average annual total return

1.83%

.45%

.85%

7.02%

S&P 500 Index+
Growth of $10,000

$11,317

$9,563

$8,928

$28,630

Average annual total return

13.17%

-1.48%

-2.24%

11.09%

Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index++
Growth of $10,000

$10,386

$11,779

$13,995

$19,787

Average annual total return

3.86%

5.61%

6.95%

7.06%


The growth of $10,000 is cumulative.

+ The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks. The index is designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.
++ The Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index is a market-value-weighted index of US Treasury and government agency securities (other than mortgage securities) with maturities of one year or more.
Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike Fund returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. It is not possible to invest directly into an index.

Information About Your Fund's Expenses


As an investor of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: ongoing expenses and transaction costs. Ongoing expenses include management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees and other Fund expenses. Examples of transaction costs include sales charges (loads), redemption fees and account maintenance fees, which are not shown in this section and which would result in higher total expenses. The following table is intended to help you understand your ongoing expenses (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to help you compare these expenses with the ongoing expenses of investing in other mutual funds. The table is based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the six-month period ended July 31, 2004.

The table illustrates your Fund's expenses in two ways:

Actual Fund Return. This helps you estimate the actual dollar amount of ongoing expenses paid on a $1,000 investment in the Fund using the Fund's actual return during the period. To estimate the expenses you paid over the period, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the "Expenses Paid per $1,000" line under the share class you hold.

Hypothetical 5% Fund Return. This helps you to compare your Fund's ongoing expenses (but not transaction costs) with those of other mutual funds using the Fund's actual expense ratio and a hypothetical rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. Examples using a 5% hypothetical fund return may be found in the shareholder reports of other mutual funds. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.

Please note that the expenses shown in these tables are meant to highlight your ongoing expenses only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as sales charges (loads) or redemption fees. The "Expenses Paid per $1,000" line of the tables is useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help you determine the relative total expense of owning different funds. If these transaction costs had been included, your costs would have been higher.

Expenses and Value of a $1,000 Investment for the six months ended July 31, 2004

Actual Fund Return

Beginning Account Value 1/31/04
$ 1,000
Ending Account Value 7/31/04
$ 989
Expenses Paid per $1,000*
$ 5.35
Hypothetical 5% Fund Return

Beginning Account Value 1/31/04
$ 1,000
Ending Account Value 7/31/04
$ 1,020
Expenses Paid per $1,000*
$ 5.43

* Expenses are equal to the Fund's annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by 366.
Annualized Expense Ratio

Scudder Target 2012 Fund

1.08%


For more information, please refer to the Fund's prospectus.


Portfolio Management Review


Scudder Target 2012 Fund: A Team Approach to Investing

Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor"), which is part of Deutsche Asset Management, is the investment advisor for Scudder Target 2012 Fund. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges.

Deutsche Asset Management is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles.

DeIM is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual funds, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance.

Portfolio Management Team

Gregory S. Adams, CFA

Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management and Lead Portfolio Manager of the fund.

• Joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999 and the fund in 2002.

• Head of Deutsche Asset Management's global portfolio selection team for US Large Cap Core Equity.

• Over 17 years of investment industry experience.

• Previously managed Chase Vista Growth & Income Fund, Chase Vista Large Cap Equity Fund, Chase Vista Balanced Fund and other equity portfolios for Chase Asset Management.

Andrew Brudenell, CFA

Vice President of Deutsche Asset Management and Portfolio Manager of the fund.

• Joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1997 and the fund in 2002.

• Portfolio Manager for US Large Cap Core Equity: New York.

• MS, London School of Economics.

Jan Faller, CFA

Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management and Portfolio Manager of the fund.

• Joined Deutsche Asset Management in 1999 and the fund in 2003.

• Over 14 years of investment industry experience.

• MBA, Amos Tuck School, Dartmouth College.

In the following interview, Lead Portfolio Manager Gregory S. Adams addresses the economy, the management team's approach and the resulting performance of Scudder Target 2012 Fund for the annual period ended July 31, 2004.

Q: How would you characterize the investment environment during the annual period?

A: The fiscal-year period can be divided into two distinct parts: the first, driven by economic recovery and equity market strength; the second, marred by investor concern and rising interest rates.

During the last five months of 2003, positive leading economic indicators (those suggesting the direction of the economy) and significant earnings leverage in pro-cyclical, or economically sensitive, companies prompted strong moves in materials, energy, technology and industrial stocks. The Federal Reserve Board kept short-term interest rates at historic lows, which further supported equity market strength. Longer-dated maturities saw yields fluctuate in a narrow but volatile range, as improving economic indicators, including rising commodities prices, fueled investor concerns about rising rates in 2004.

As the new year began, this economic momentum and earnings recovery became well discounted in the market. By early spring, the Fed shifted its bias toward raising short-term interest rates, the first boost occurring in late June. The move, together with lackluster employment data, heightened investor concern about the strength and sustainability of the economic recovery. The continued turmoil in Iraq and the pending US presidential race exacerbated negative investor sentiment, resulting in a more volatile equity market with a downward bias. Investors took profits in those pro-cyclical industry sectors that had surged during the first part of the period, moving instead into more-defensive industries. Technology was hit particularly hard. Energy stocks, however, continued to be fueled by a spike in crude oil, far outpacing the market for the annual period.

Q: How did the fund perform amid these challenges?

A: Scudder Target 2012 Fund gained 7.19% for the year ended July 31, 2004. (Returns are unadjusted for maximum sales charges. If sales charges were included, returns would have been lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.) The fund outpaced the 3.39% average total return of its peers to rank in the top quartile of the Balanced Target Maturity category, as tracked by Lipper Inc., for the same period.1 This compares with the 13.17% total return of the Standard & Poor's 500 index (S&P 500) - the fund's equity benchmark - and the 3.86% total return of the Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index (the fund's fixed-income benchmark) for the same period.2 (Please see pages 3 through 4 for more complete performance and ranking information.)

1 The Balanced Target Maturity category, as tracked by Lipper Inc., includes those funds that invest to provide a guaranteed return of investment at maturity (targeted periods). Some of the assets are invested in zero-coupon US Treasury securities, while the remainder is in equity securities for long-term growth of capital and income.
2 The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks. The index is designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.
The Lehman Brothers Government Bond Index is a market-value-weighted index of US Treasury and government agency securities (other than mortgage securities) with maturities of one year or more.
Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike fund returns, do not reflect any fees or expenses. It is not possible to invest directly into an index.

The equity portion of the fund was challenged by a trend that favored lower-quality, higher-risk, primarily smaller-capitalization stocks throughout much of the period. Consistent with the fund's design, the fixed-income portion of the portfolio helped mitigate volatility. Given these challenges, we are quite pleased with the results. Further, we are encouraged by what appeared to be a return to higher-quality, larger-cap names later in the period.

Q: Which investment strategies or individual holdings contributed most to performance?

A: The industrial sector was the leading contributor to the portfolio's performance over the period. We were overweight to take advantage of the improving economy, and the sector trailed only in energy in the S&P 500 over the period. Solid stock selection led by United Technologies Corp. and Parker Hanifan also boosted performance. The telecommunications sector yielded the portfolio's strongest contributor: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., a provider of wireless voice and data services and products. During the period, AT&T Wireless agreed to be acquired by Cingular Wireless LLC at a substantial premium. This, of course, was beneficial for the fund.

Stock selection also was key among consumer staples. While the group was not a particularly strong performer overall, select holdings, including Avon Products, Inc. and Hershey Foods Corp., substantially outperformed their peers and the broader market. Avon saw strong growth in revenues and net income based on increased sales of its beauty products overseas. Hershey's efforts to reduce supply-chain costs and introduce new products resulted in increased revenues and net profits.

Q: Which investment strategies or individual holdings detracted from performance?

A: Because interest rates, despite volatility within the period, ended essentially unchanged, the portfolio's fixed-income holdings neither contributed to nor detracted from performance meaningfully. Within the equity portion of the portfolio, the financial and consumer discretionary sectors detracted most from overall performance:

In the financial sector, we were surprised by Bank of America's bid for FleetBoston, which it ultimately acquired at a premium. As a result, Bank of America, one of our top 10 holdings, trailed the banking industry and the market's performance over the period. At the same time, smaller commercial and regional banks, in which the portfolio held a relative underweight, outperformed on speculation that they too would be acquired.

Within the consumer discretionary space, we sought exposure to media stocks with the assumption that the Olympics and presidential election would drive advertising sales. We established an overweight position early on, hoping to be ahead of the curve. While the strategy proved successful in the short run, advertising spending did not recover as anticipated, and concerns over potential shifts in how advertisers view traditional media weighed on valuations. As a result of that environment, Viacom, Inc. was a particularly poor performer.

Investments in the communications equipment subsector of technology also detracted. The portfolio was underweight in these companies, which tend not to meet the portfolio's investment criteria. Though together they represent a relatively small component of the benchmark, the group's robust performance negatively affected relative results.

Q: Will you describe your stock selection process?

A: We employ a three-step investment process to build a well-diversified portfolio of large-capitalization stocks. First, we use a quantitative screen to sort through a universe of 1,000 stocks to find those with attractive valuations: low price-to-earnings, low price-to-cash-flow and other measures, such as the direction of earnings revisions.3 Next, a team of in-house equity analysts looks at each of the stocks that passed the quantitative screen to determine its intrinsic value. The analysts search for companies in which improving fundamentals, such as positive trends in earnings and sales growth, have not yet been recognized by the market. If the analysts' findings warrant further investigation, we will meet with company management and, in some cases, make on-site visits to gain a better understanding of the business objectives and strategies of our potential buy candidates. Finally, we employ a variety of risk management techniques to manage the fund's volatility versus the fund's equity benchmark - the S&P 500.

3 Price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) is the most common measure of how expensive a stock is. P/E is equal to a stock's market capitalization divided by its after-tax earnings over a 12-month period, usually the trailing period. Price-to-cash flow (P/C) is equal to a stock's capitalization divided by its cash flow for the latest fiscal year.

Q: Will you explain what zero-coupon bonds are and how they work?

A: Zero-coupon bonds are a type of US Treasury bond. They are issued by the federal government and sold at a considerable discount to their face value at maturity, which is guaranteed. This means that investors can purchase the bond at a fraction of what it will be worth on a future date.

The trade-off, so to speak, is that the bondholders receive no coupon, or periodic interest payments, as they would with most other types of bonds. More important, should a bondholder choose to redeem that investment prior to maturity, he or she would forfeit not only the opportunity to receive the bond's full face value but the guarantee of the original investment as well. Zero-coupon bonds can be volatile. Their principal value - the original dollar amount invested by a bondholder - tends to fluctuate with interest rates. Therefore, the bondholder's original investment may be worth more or less at the time of early redemption.

Q: How have you positioned the portfolio for the future?

A: When the market paused early in 2004, we increased the portfolio's equity holdings in utilities, which are traditionally considered defensive stocks. Utilities have tended to generate steady income, providing a cushion in the event of a market downturn. We have added specifically to electric utilities. Many of these were struggling for some time after the California power crisis in 2000. More recent restructuring efforts have helped improve these companies on a fundamental basis and have enabled them to set rates regionally, ensuring more stable earnings going forward.

We have not, however, lost faith in the sustainability of the current economic recovery. Therefore, we continue to maintain a modest pro-cyclical tilt. While we pared back holdings on strength in both the industrial and technology sectors to capture profits for shareholders, we maintained the fund's overweight positions there. For example, 3M was among the fund's largest holdings for some time. We had established a meaningful overweight in the stock, which we believed would benefit from global GDP (gross domestic product) growth. Our contention proved correct and the stock logged strong gains. When it reached our price target, we significantly reduced the position. We then were able to add to smaller positions in industrial names that, in our view, had greater upside potential.

Within technology, we reduced exposure to semiconductor names that had performed well in 2003. In particular, we pared back companies with greater exposure to the PC business, which tends to be more cyclical. We have focused instead on semiconductor companies that serve the wireless communications industry, which we believe offers outstanding structural growth potential.

And we have increased our holdings in materials, expanding our position in the paper industry, which recently has become more disciplined. Notably, we initiated a position in Georgia-Pacific Corp., a company with solid fundamental attributes and pricing power among its peers.

Finally, because we believe energy prices may still go higher, we have added incrementally to oil services companies. Notably, we purchased Baker Hughes, Inc., which supplies oil field drilling products, technology and services worldwide. At the time of purchase, the company was attractively valued relative to its peers. It also had more international presence, which we believe is extremely important given our belief that there are greater opportunities overseas than in the Americas.

Q: Do you have any closing comments for shareholders?

A: Our outlook for the near term is positive. We believe that the economic recovery will continue at a moderate pace, allowing the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates gradually, with short-term rates rising somewhat more than long-term rates. In our view, once corporate management gains greater confidence in the economy, the outcome of the presidential election becomes known and energy prices stabilize, we should see a resurgence in consumer demand and corporate reinvestment. It is our opinion that the portfolio is well-positioned to benefit.

As always, the team remains focused on enhancing the fund's well-diversified portfolio. We continue to employ a blend of quantitative models, fundamental research and rigorous risk analysis to uncover those stocks we believe are most likely to outperform the broader market.

We thank our shareholders for their commitment to the fund. We look forward to continuing to help them accomplish their long-term financial goals.

The views expressed in this report reflect those of the portfolio managers only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover. The managers' views are subject to change at any time based on market and other conditions and should not be construed as a recommendation.


Portfolio Summary July 31, 2004


Asset Allocation

7/31/04

7/31/03


US Government Backed
67%
68%
Common Stocks
33%
31%
Cash Equivalents
-
1%

100%
100%

Sector Diversification (Excludes Cash Equivalents and US Government Backed)

7/31/04

7/31/03


Information Technology
19%
19%
Financials
19%
19%
Industrials
13%
13%
Health Care
13%
16%
Consumer Discretionary
11%
13%
Consumer Staples
8%
9%
Energy
7%
4%
Telecommunication Services
4%
4%
Materials
3%
2%
Utilities
3%
1%

100%
100%

Asset allocation and sector diversification are subject to change.



Ten Largest Equity Holdings at July 31, 2004 (9.5% of Portfolio)

1. Microsoft Corp.
Developer of computer software

1.3%

2. General Electric Co.
Industrial conglomerate

1.3%

3. ExxonMobil Corp.
Explorer and producer of oil and gas

1.2%

4. Citigroup, Inc.
Provider of diversified financial services

1.1%

5. Pfizer, Inc.
Manufacturer of prescription pharmaceuticals and non-prescription self-medications

1.0%

6. Morgan Stanley
Provider of investment banking and brokerage services

0.8%

7. Cisco Systems, Inc.
Developer of computer network products

0.7%

8. Bank of America Corp.
Provider of commercial banking services

0.7%

9. Johnson & Johnson
Provider of health care products

0.7%

10. United Technologies Corp.
Manufacturer of aerospace equipment, climate control systems and elevators

0.7%


Portfolio holdings are subject to change.

For more complete details about the Fund's investment portfolio, see page 17. A quarterly Fact Sheet is available upon request. Information concerning portfolio holdings of the Fund as of month end is available upon request on the 16th of the following month. Please see the Account Management Resources page for contact information.

Following the Fund's fiscal first and third quarter-end, a complete portfolio holdings listing is filed with the SEC on Form N-Q. This form is available on the SEC's Web site at www.sec.gov, and it also may be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.


Investment Portfolio as of July 31, 2004




Shares

Value ($)



Common Stocks 32.4%

Consumer Discretionary 3.6%
Media 1.7%
Comcast Corp. "A"*
9,500
254,600
Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.*
15,000
191,850
Time Warner, Inc.*
30,200
502,830
Viacom, Inc. "B"
12,070
405,431

1,354,711

Multiline Retail 0.7%
Dollar General Corp.
8,100
156,330
Target Corp.
8,100
353,160

509,490

Specialty Retail 1.2%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
4,700
189,786
Staples, Inc.
14,800
427,424
The Gap, Inc.
12,700
288,290

905,500

Consumer Staples 2.6%
Beverages 0.7%
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
4,700
243,930
PepsiCo, Inc.
6,550
327,500

571,430

Food & Drug Retailing 0.7%
Safeway, Inc.*
7,300
154,249
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
6,900
365,769

520,018

Food Products 0.6%
Dean Foods Co.*
5,000
184,900
Hershey Foods Corp.
5,300
256,732

441,632

Personal Products 0.6%
Avon Products, Inc.
11,500

494,615

Energy 2.1%
Energy Equipment & Services 0.3%
Baker Hughes, Inc.
5,400

217,620

Oil & Gas 1.8%
ChevronTexaco Corp.
3,100
296,515
Devon Energy Corp.
2,600
180,674
ExxonMobil Corp.
21,124
978,041

1,455,230

Financials 6.1%
Banks 1.5%
Bank of America Corp.
6,600
561,066
US Bancorp.
7,100
200,930
Wachovia Corp.
8,900
394,359

1,156,355

Capital Markets 1.2%
Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.
4,200
294,420
Morgan Stanley
12,400
611,692

906,112

Diversified Financial Services 1.7%
Citigroup, Inc.
18,733
825,938
Fannie Mae
2,700
191,592
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
8,200
306,106

1,323,636

Insurance 1.7%
AMBAC Financial Group, Inc.
3,000
213,330
American International Group, Inc.
6,725
475,121
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
5,100
332,010
MetLife, Inc.
9,200
328,164

1,348,625

Health Care 4.2%
Biotechnology 0.6%
Amgen, Inc.*
8,100

460,728

Health Care Equipment & Supplies 0.7%
Biomet, Inc.
8,500
373,915
Guidant Corp.
3,900
215,748

589,663

Health Care Providers & Services 0.5%
Anthem, Inc.*
1,700
140,199
Caremark Rx, Inc.*
8,600
262,300

402,499

Pharmaceuticals 2.4%
Allergan, Inc.
2,000
151,280
Eli Lilly & Co.
3,800
242,136
Johnson & Johnson
9,488
524,402
Pfizer, Inc.
25,550
816,578
Wyeth
3,600
127,440

1,861,836

Industrials 4.4%
Aerospace & Defense 1.2%
Honeywell International, Inc.
11,000
413,710
United Technologies Corp.
5,600
523,600

937,310

Industrial Conglomerates 2.2%
3M Co.
3,900
321,204
General Electric Co.
30,700
1,020,775
Tyco International Ltd.
12,100
375,100

1,717,079

Machinery 1.0%
Deere & Co.
4,800
301,488
Parker-Hannifin Corp.
7,700
441,826

743,314

Information Technology 6.2%
Communications Equipment 1.0%
Cisco Systems, Inc.*
28,600
596,596
Motorola, Inc.
13,700
218,241

814,837

Computers & Peripherals 1.5%
Dell, Inc.*
9,100
322,777
EMC Corp.*
27,100
297,287
Hewlett-Packard Co.
11,300
227,695
International Business Machines Corp.
3,900
339,573

1,187,332

Internet Software & Services 0.4%
IAC/InterActiveCorp.*
4,000
109,200
Yahoo!, Inc.*
5,700
175,560

284,760

IT Consulting & Services 0.2%
Accenture Ltd. "A"*
5,200

128,076

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 0.9%
Altera Corp.*
11,600
241,512
Analog Devices, Inc.
4,100
162,770
Texas Instruments, Inc.
14,600
311,418

715,700

Software 2.2%
Microsoft Corp.
36,100
1,027,406
Oracle Corp.*
31,300
328,963
Symantec Corp.*
4,200
196,392
VERITAS Software Corp.*
8,000
152,480

1,705,241

Materials 1.1%
Chemicals 0.6%
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
4,800
205,776
Monsanto Co.
6,400
232,064

437,840

Metals & Mining 0.2%
Alcoa, Inc.
6,300

201,789

Paper & Forest Products 0.3%
Georgia-Pacific Corp.
7,400

248,640

Telecommunication Services 1.2%
Diversified Telecommunication Services 0.8%
ALLTEL Corp.
4,900
254,800
Verizon Communications, Inc.
9,200
354,568

609,368

Wireless Telecommunication Services 0.4%
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.*
23,700

342,228

Utilities 0.9%
Electric Utilities
Entergy Corp.
3,500
201,250
Exelon Corp.
9,400
328,060
PG&E Corp.*
6,900
196,926

726,236

Total Common Stocks (Cost $20,934,732)

25,319,450



Principal Amount ($)

Value ($)



US Government Backed 67.3%

US Treasury STRIPs, Principal Only, 4.415%**, 2/15/2012 (Cost $49,241,978)
73,130,000

52,602,848




Shares

Value ($)



Cash Equivalents 0.3%

Scudder Cash Management QP Trust, 1.38% (b) (Cost $212,579)
212,579

212,579

Total Investment Portfolio - 100.0% (Cost $70,389,289) (a)

78,134,877


* Non-income producing security.
** Bond equivalent yield to maturity; not a coupon rate.
(a) The cost for federal income tax purposes was $70,532,077. At July 31, 2004, net unrealized appreciation for all securities based on tax cost was $7,602,800. This consisted of aggregate gross unrealized appreciation for all securities in which there was an excess of value over tax cost of $8,429,606 and aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all securities in which there was an excess of tax cost over value of $826,806.
(b) Scudder Cash Management QP Trust is managed by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. The rate shown is the annualized seven-day yield at period end.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.


Financial Statements


Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of July 31, 2004

Assets
Investments:
Investments in securities, at value (cost $70,176,710)
$ 77,922,298
Investment in Scudder Cash Management QP Trust (cost $212,579)
212,579
Total investments in securities, at value (cost $70,389,289)
78,134,877
Dividends receivable
17,133
Interest receivable
122
Receivable for Fund shares sold
61,294
Other assets
1,991
Total assets
78,215,417
Liabilities
Due to custodian bank
168,375
Payable for Fund shares redeemed
307,324
Accrued management fee
31,774
Other accrued expenses and payables
100,165
Total liabilities
607,638
Net assets, at value

$ 77,607,779

Net Assets
Net assets consist of:
Undistributed net investment income
2,049,803
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments
7,745,588
Accumulated net realized gain (loss)
(5,119,814)
Paid-in capital
72,932,202
Net assets, at value

$ 77,607,779

Net Asset Value
Net Asset Value and redemption price per share ($77,607,779 / 8,846,787 outstanding shares of beneficial interest, $.01 par value, unlimited number of shares authorized)

$ 8.77


The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.



Statement of Operations for the year ended July 31, 2004

Investment Income
Income:
Dividends (net of foreign taxes withheld of $666)
$ 375,884
Interest
2,734,306
Interest - Scudder Cash Management QP Trust
3,116
Total Income
3,113,306
Expenses:
Management fee
417,263
Distribution service fees
207,389
Services to shareholders
113,101
Administrative fee
28,402
Custodian fees
8,101
Auditing
32,520
Legal
2,080
Trustees' fees and expenses
19,010
Reports to shareholders
15,561
Registration fees
13,115
Other
4,594
Total expenses, before expense reductions
861,136
Expense reductions
(461)
Total expenses, after expense reductions
860,675
Net investment income (loss)

2,252,631

Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investment Transactions
Net realized gain (loss) from investments
1,290,061
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) during the period on investments
2,467,637
Net gain (loss) on investment transactions

3,757,698

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

$ 6,010,329


The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.



Statement of Changes in Net Assets

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

Years Ended July 31,

2004

2003

Operations:
Net investment income (loss)
$ 2,252,631 $ 2,320,302
Net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions
1,290,061 (2,316,826)
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment transactions during the period
2,467,637 4,795,593
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations
6,010,329 4,799,069
Distributions to shareholders from:
Net investment income
(2,301,897) (1,500,583)
Fund share transactions:
Proceeds from shares sold
- 14,377,189
Reinvestment of distributions
2,231,504 1,453,228
Cost of shares redeemed
(12,880,864) (8,416,115)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from Fund share transactions
(10,649,360) 7,414,302
Increase (decrease) in net assets
(6,940,928) 10,712,788
Net assets at beginning of period
84,548,707 73,835,919
Net assets at end of period (including undistributed net investment income of $2,049,803 and $2,099,069, respectively)

$ 77,607,779

$ 84,548,707

Other Information
Shares outstanding at beginning of period
10,057,229 9,138,023
Shares sold
- 1,746,822
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions
259,177 178,529
Shares redeemed
(1,469,619) (1,006,145)
Net increase (decrease) in Fund shares
(1,210,442) 919,206
Shares outstanding at end of period

8,846,787

10,057,229



The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.


Financial Highlights


Years Ended July 31,

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

Selected Per Share Data
Net asset value, beginning of period

$ 8.41

$ 8.08

$ 9.08

$ 11.09

$ 10.62

Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss)a
.24 .23 .28 .31 .32
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions
.36 .25 (.82) (1.04) .77

Total from investment operations

.60 .48 (.54) (.73) 1.09
Less distributions from:
Net investment income
(.24) (.15) (.33) (.38) (.30)
Net realized gains on investment transactions
- - (.13) (.90) (.32)

Total distributions

(.24) (.15) (.46) (1.28) (.62)
Net asset value, end of period

$ 8.77

$ 8.41

$ 8.08

$ 9.08

$ 11.09

Total Return (%)b
7.19 6.00 (6.09) (6.84) 10.49
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data
Net assets, end of period ($ millions)
78 85 74 93 112
Ratio of expenses before expense reductions (%)
1.03 .97 .94 1.00c .94
Ratio of expenses after expense reductions (%)
1.03 .97 .94 .98c .93
Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%)
2.70 2.76 3.32 3.13 2.95
Portfolio turnover rate (%)
9 16 107 53 40
a Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
b Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charge.
c The ratios of operating expenses excluding costs incurred in connection with a fund complex reorganization before and after expenses reductions were .97% and .97%, respectively.


Notes to Financial Statements


A. Significant Accounting Policies

Scudder Target 2012 Fund (the "Fund") is a diversified series of Scudder Target Fund (the "Trust") which is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The objective of the Fund is to provide a guaranteed return of investment on the Maturity Date (February 15, 2012) to investors who reinvest all dividends and hold their shares to the Maturity Date, and to provide long-term growth of capital.

The assurance that investors who reinvest all dividends and hold their shares until the Maturity Date will receive at least their original investment on the Maturity Date is provided by the principal amount of the zero coupon US Treasury obligations in the Fund's portfolio. This assurance is further backed by an agreement entered into by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor"), the Fund's investment manager. Fund shares were sold during limited offering periods, and are redeemable on a continuous basis.

The Fund's financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America which require the use of management estimates. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The policies described below are followed consistently by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements.

Security Valuation. Investments are stated at value determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on each day the exchange is open for trading. Equity securities are valued at the most recent sale price or official closing price reported on the exchange (US or foreign) or over-the-counter market on which the security is traded most extensively. Securities for which no sales are reported are valued at the calculated mean between the most recent bid and asked quotations on the relevant market or, if a mean cannot be determined, at the most recent bid quotation.

Debt securities are valued by independent pricing services approved by the Trustees of the Fund. If the pricing services are unable to provide valuations, the securities are valued at the most recent bid quotation or evaluated price, as applicable, obtained from a broker-dealer. Such services may use various pricing techniques which take into account appropriate factors such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics and other data, as well as broker quotes.

Money market instruments purchased with an original or remaining maturity of sixty days or less, maturing at par, are valued at amortized cost. Investments in open-end investment companies and Scudder Cash Management QP Trust are valued at their net asset value each business day.

Securities and other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or for which the above valuation procedures are deemed not to reflect fair value are valued in a manner that is intended to reflect their fair value as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Trustees.

Federal Income Taxes. The Fund's policy is to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, which are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund paid no federal income taxes and no federal income tax provision was required.

At July 31, 2004 the Fund had a net tax basis capital loss carryforward of approximately $4,977,000 which may be applied against any realized net taxable capital gains of each succeeding year until fully utilized or until July 31, 2010 ($3,752,000) and July 31, 2011 ($1,225,000), the respective expiration dates, whichever occurs first.

Distribution of Income and Gains. Distributions of net investment income, if any, are made annually. Net realized gains from investment transactions, in excess of available capital loss carryforwards, would be taxable to the Fund if not distributed, and, therefore, will be distributed to shareholders at least annually.

The timing and characterization of certain income and capital gains distributions are determined annually in accordance with federal tax regulations which may differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. As a result, net investment income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions for a reporting period may differ significantly from distributions during such period. Accordingly, the Fund may periodically make reclassifications among certain of its capital accounts without impacting the net asset value of the Fund.

At July 31, 2004 the Fund's components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:

Undistributed ordinary income*
$ 2,051,891
Undistributed net long-term capital gains
$ -
Capital loss carryforwards
$ (4,977,000)
Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments
$ 7,602,800

In addition, the tax character of distributions paid to shareholders by the Fund are summarized as follows:


Years ended July 31,


2004

2003

Distributions from ordinary income*
$ 2,301,897 $ 1,500,583

* For tax purposes short-term capital gains distributions are considered ordinary income distributions.

Expenses. Expenses of the Trust arising in connection with a specific Fund are allocated to that Fund. Other Trust expenses which cannot be directly attributed to a Fund are apportioned among the Funds in the Trust.

Other. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade date plus one basis for daily net asset value calculations. However, for financial reporting purposes, investment security transactions are reported on trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are recorded on an identified cost basis. All premiums and discounts are amortized/accreted for both tax and financial reporting purposes.

B. Purchases and Sales of Securities

During the year ended July 31, 2004, purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term instruments) aggregated $7,743,367 and $20,074,699, respectively.

C. Related Parties

Management Agreement. Under the Management Agreement, the Advisor directs the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions. The Advisor determines the securities, instruments and other contracts relating to investments to be purchased, sold or entered into by the Fund. In addition to portfolio management services, the Advisor provides certain administrative services in accordance with the Management Agreement. The management fee payable under the Management Agreement is equal to an annual rate of 0.50% of average daily net assets, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly.

For the year ended July 31, 2004, the Advisor has agreed to reimburse the Fund $447 for expenses.

Administrative Fee. Under the Administrative Agreement, the Advisor provided or paid others (affiliated and non-affiliated) to provide substantially all of the administrative services required by the Fund (other than those provided by the Advisor under its Management Agreement with the Fund, as described above) such as transfer agent, custody, legal and audit, in exchange for the payment by the Fund of an administrative service fee (the "Administrative Fee") of 0.20% of average daily net assets, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly.

The Administrative Agreement between the Advisor and the Fund terminated September 30, 2003, and effective October 1, 2003, and the Fund directly bears the cost of those expenses formerly covered under the Administrative Agreement.

For the period August 1, 2003 through September 30, 2003, the Administrative Fee was $28,402.

Effective October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2005, the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay certain operating expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to maintain the Fund's operating expenses at 1.00% of average daily net assets (excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, Rule 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, trustee and trustee counsel fees, organizational and offering expenses).

Service Provider Fees. Scudder Investments Service Company ("SISC"), an affiliate of the Advisor, is the Fund's transfer, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent. Pursuant to a sub-transfer agency agreement between SISC and DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), SISC has delegated certain transfer agent and dividend paying agent functions to DST. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by SISC, not by the Fund. For the period October 1, 2003 through July 31, 2004, the amount charged to the Fund by SISC aggregated $100,650, of which $42,482 is unpaid at July 31, 2004.

Prior to September 30, 2003, the service provider fees outlined above were paid by the Advisor in accordance with the Administrative Agreement.

Distribution Service Agreement. Under the Distribution Service Agreement, in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, Scudder Distributors, Inc. ("SDI"), a subsidiary of the Advisor, provides information and administrative services ("Service Fee") to shareholders at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets. SDI in turn has various agreements with financial services firms that provide these services and pays these fees based upon the assets of shareholder accounts the firms service. For the year ended July 31, 2004, the Service Fee was $207,389, of which $15,286 is unpaid at July 31, 2004. Accordingly, for the year ended July 31, 2004, the Service Fee was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.25% of the Fund's average net assets.

Trustees' Fees and Expenses. The Fund pays each Trustee not affiliated with the Advisor retainer fees plus specified amounts for attended board and committee meetings.

Scudder Cash Management QP Trust. Pursuant to an Exemptive Order issued by the SEC, the Fund may invest in the Scudder Cash Management QP Trust (the "QP Trust") and other affiliated funds managed by the Advisor. The QP Trust seeks to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital and the maintenance of liquidity. The QP Trust does not pay the Advisor a management fee for the affiliated funds' investments in the QP Trust.

D. Expense Off-Set Arrangement

The Fund has entered into an arrangement with its custodian whereby credits realized as a result of uninvested cash balances are used to reduce a portion of the Fund's custodian expenses. During the year ended July 31, 2004, the custodian fees were reduced by $14 for custodian credits earned.

E. Line of Credit

The Fund and several other affiliated funds (the "Participants") share in a $1.25 billion revolving credit facility administered by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank for temporary or emergency purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests that otherwise might require the untimely disposition of securities. The Participants are charged an annual commitment fee which is allocated, based upon net assets, among each of the Participants. Interest is calculated at the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5 percent. The Fund may borrow up to a maximum of 33 percent of its net assets under the agreement.

F. Regulatory Matters and Litigation

Since at least July 2003, federal, state and industry regulators have been conducting ongoing inquiries and investigations ("inquiries") into the mutual fund industry, and have requested information from numerous mutual fund companies, including Scudder Investments. We are unable to determine what the outcome of these inquiries will be or what the effect, if any, would be on the funds or their advisors. Publicity about mutual fund practices arising from these industry-wide inquiries serves as the general basis of a number of private lawsuits against the Scudder funds. These lawsuits, which previously have been reported in the press, involve purported class action and derivative lawsuits, making various allegations and naming as defendants various persons, including certain Scudder funds, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") and its affiliates, certain individuals, including in some cases Fund Trustees/Directors, and other parties. DeAM has undertaken to bear all liabilities and expenses incurred by the Scudder funds in connection with these lawsuits, or other lawsuits or regulatory actions that may be filed making allegations similar to these lawsuits regarding fund valuation, market timing, revenue sharing or other subjects of the pending inquiries. Based on currently available information, DeAM believes the likelihood that the pending lawsuits will have a material adverse financial impact on a Scudder fund is remote and such actions are not likely to materially affect its ability to perform under its investment management agreements with the Scudder funds.


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


To the Trustees and Shareholders of Scudder Target 2012 Fund:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, of the Scudder Target 2012 Fund (the "Fund"), one of a series of the Scudder Target Fund, as of July 31, 2004, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of July 31, 2004, by correspondence with the custodian. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Scudder Target 2012 Fund of the Scudder Target Fund at July 31, 2004, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Boston, Massachusetts
September 22, 2004

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP


Tax Information (Unaudited)


For corporate shareholders, 16% of the income dividends paid during the Fund's fiscal year ended July 31, 2004, qualified for the dividends received deductions.

For federal income tax purposes, the Fund designates $400,000 or the maximum amount allowable under tax law, as qualified dividend income.

Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about federal or state income tax laws, or on how to prepare your tax returns. If you have specific questions about your account, please call 1-800-SCUDDER.


Trustees and Officers


The following table presents certain information regarding the Trustees and Officers of the fund as of July 31, 2004. Each individual's year of birth is set forth in parentheses after his or her name. Unless otherwise noted, (i) each individual has engaged in the principal occupation(s) noted in the table for at least the most recent five years, although not necessarily in the same capacity, and (ii) the address of each individual is c/o Deutsche Asset Management, 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 60606. Each Trustee's term of office extends until the next shareholder's meeting called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of a successor, or until such Trustee sooner dies, retires, resigns or is removed as provided in the governing documents of the fund.

Independent Trustees

Name, Year of Birth, Position(s) Held with the Fund and Length of Time Served1
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and
Other Directorships Held

Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen
Shirley D. Peterson (1941)
Chairman, 2004-present
Trustee, 1995-present
Retired; formerly, President, Hood College (1995-2000); prior thereto, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson (law firm); Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; Assistant Attorney General (Tax), US Department of Justice. Directorships: Federal Mogul Corp. (supplier of automotive components and subsystems); AK Steel (steel production); Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; Trustee, Bryn Mawr College. Former Directorship: Bethlehem Steel Corp.

81

John W. Ballantine (1946)
Trustee, 1999-present
Retired; formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Management Officer, First Chicago NBD Corporation/The First National Bank of Chicago (1996-1998); Executive Vice President and Head of International Banking (1995-1996). Directorships: Enron Corporation (energy trading firm) (effective May 30, 2002); First Oak Brook Bancshares, Inc.; Oak Brook Bank; American Healthways, Inc. (provider of disease and care management services); Portland General Electric (utility company).

81

Lewis A. Burnham (1933)
Trustee, 1977-present
Retired; formerly, Director of Management Consulting, McNulty & Company (1990-1998); prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Anchor Glass Container Corporation.

81

Donald L. Dunaway (1937)
Trustee, 1980-present
Retired; formerly, Executive Vice President, A.O. Smith Corporation (diversified manufacturer) (1963-1994).

81

James R. Edgar (1946)
Trustee, 1999-present
Distinguished Fellow, University of Illinois, Institute of Government and Public Affairs (1999-present); formerly, Governor, State of Illinois (1991-1999). Directorships: Kemper Insurance Companies; John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (processor/packager/marketer of nuts, snacks and candy products); Horizon Group Properties, Inc.; Youbet.com (online wagering platform); Alberto-Culver Company (manufactures, distributes and markets health and beauty care products).

81

Paul K. Freeman (1950)
Trustee, 2002-present
President, Cook Street Holdings (consulting); Senior Visiting Research Scholar, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver; Consultant, World Bank/Inter-American Development Bank; formerly, Project Leader, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (1998-2001); Chief Executive Officer, The Eric Group, Inc. (environmental insurance) (1986-1998).

81

Robert B. Hoffman (1936)
Trustee, 1981-present
Retired; formerly, Chairman, Harnischfeger Industries, Inc. (machinery for the mining and paper industries) (1999-2000); prior thereto, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, Monsanto Company (agricultural, pharmaceutical and nutritional/food products) (1994-1999). Directorships: RCP Advisors, LLC (a private equity investment advisory firm).

81

Fred B. Renwick (1930)
Trustee, 1988-present
Retired; Professor Emeritus of Finance, New York University, Stern School of Business (2001-present); formerly, Professor, New York University Stern School of Business (1965-2001). Directorships: The Wartburg Foundation; Chairman, Finance Committee of Morehouse College Board of Trustees; formerly, Director of Board of Pensions, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; member of the Investment Committee of Atlanta University Board of Trustees; Chair of the Investment Committee, American Bible Society Board of Trustees.

81

John G. Weithers (1933)
Trustee, 1993-present
Retired; formerly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Stock Exchange. Directorships: Federal Life Insurance Company; Chairman of the Members of the Corporation and Trustee, DePaul University; formerly, International Federation of Stock Exchanges; Records Management Systems.

81


Interested Trustee and Officers2

Name, Year of Birth, Position(s) Held with the Fund and Length of Time Served1
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and
Other Directorships Held

Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen
William N. Shiebler3 (1942)
Trustee, 2004-present
Chief Executive Officer in the Americas for Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") and a member of the DeAM Global Executive Committee (since 2002); Vice Chairman of Putnam Investments, Inc. (1999); Director and Senior Managing Director of Putnam Investments, Inc. and President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Putnam Mutual Funds Inc. (1990-1999)

147

Julian F. Sluyters4 (1960)
Chief Executive Officer, 2004-present
Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management (since May 2004); President and Chief Executive Officer of The Germany Fund, Inc., The New Germany Fund, Inc., The Central Europe and Russia Fund, Inc., The Brazil Fund, Inc., The Korea Fund, Inc., Scudder Global High Income Fund, Inc. and Scudder New Asia Fund, Inc. (since May 2004); President and Chief Executive Officer, UBS Fund Services (2001-2003); Chief Administrative Officer (1998-2001) and Senior Vice President and Director of Mutual Fund Operations (1991-1998) UBS Global Asset Management

n/a

Brenda Lyons5 (1963)
President, 2003-present
Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Philip J. Collora (1945)
Vice President and Assistant Secretary, 1986-present
Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Kenneth Murphy5 (1963)
Vice President, 2002-present
Vice President, Deutsche Asset Management (2000-present); formerly, Director, John Hancock Signature Services (1992-2000)

n/a

Charles A. Rizzo5 (1957)
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, 2002-present
Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management (April 2004-present); formerly, Director, Deutsche Asset Management (April 2000-March 2004); Vice President and Department Head, BT Alex. Brown Incorporated (now Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.) (1998-1999); Senior Manager, Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) (1993-1998)

n/a

John Millette5 (1962)
Secretary, 2001-present
Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Lisa Hertz4 (1970)
Assistant Secretary, 2003-present
Assistant Vice President, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Daniel O. Hirsch6 (1954)
Assistant Secretary, 2002-present
Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management (2002-present) and Director, Deutsche Global Funds Ltd. (2002-present); formerly, Director, Deutsche Asset Management (1999-2002); Principal, BT Alex. Brown Incorporated (now Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.) (1998-1999); Assistant General Counsel, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (1993-1998)

n/a

Caroline Pearson5 (1962)
Assistant Secretary, 1998-present
Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Kevin M. Gay5 (1959)
Assistant Treasurer, 2004-present
Vice President, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Salvatore Schiavone5 (1965)
Assistant Treasurer, 2003-present
Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a

Kathleen Sullivan D'Eramo5 (1957)
Assistant Treasurer, 2003-present
Director, Deutsche Asset Management

n/a


1 Length of time served represents the date that each Trustee was first elected to the common board of Trustees which oversees a number of investment companies, including the fund, managed by the Advisor. For the Officers of the fund, the length of time served represents the date that each Officer was first elected to serve as an Officer of any fund overseen by the aforementioned common board of Trustees.
2 As a result of their respective positions held with the Advisor, these individuals are considered "interested persons" of the Advisor within the meaning of the 1940 Act. Interested persons receive no compensation from the fund.
3 Address: 280 Park Avenue, New York, New York
4 Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York
5 Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts
6 Address: One South Street, Baltimore, Maryland

The fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") includes additional information about the Trustees. The SAI is available, without charge, upon request. If you would like to request a copy of the SAI, you may do so by calling the following toll-free number: 1-800-621-1048.


Account Management Resources


Automated Information Lines

ScudderACCESS (800) 972-3060

Personalized account information, information on other Scudder funds and services via touchtone telephone and for Classes A, B, and C only, the ability to exchange or redeem shares.

Web Site

scudder.com

View your account transactions and balances, trade shares, monitor your asset allocation, and change your address, 24 hours a day.
Obtain prospectuses and applications, blank forms, interactive worksheets, news about Scudder funds, subscription to fund updates by e-mail, retirement planning information, and more.

For More Information

(800) 621-1048

To speak with a Scudder service representative.

Written Correspondence

Scudder Investments

PO Box 219356
Kansas City, MO 64121-9356

Proxy Voting

A description of the fund's policies and procedures for voting proxies for portfolio securities and information about how the fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 is available on our Web site - scudder.com (type "proxy voting" in the search field) - or on the SEC's Web site - www.sec.gov. To obtain a written copy of the fund's policies and procedures without charge, upon request, call us toll free at (800) 621-1048.

Principal Underwriter

If you have questions, comments or complaints, contact:

Scudder Distributors, Inc.

222 South Riverside Plaza
Chicago, IL 60606-5808

(800) 621-1148

Nasdaq Symbol

KRFCX

CUSIP Number

81123E-309

Fund Number

53


Notes



Notes



Notes



Notes


t12_backcover0

ITEM 2.         CODE OF ETHICS.

As of the end of the period, July 31, 2004, Scudder Target Fund has adopted a
code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, that applies to its
Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer.

There have been no amendments to, or waivers from, a provision of the code of
ethics during the period covered by this report that would require disclosure
under Item 2.

A copy of the code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR.


ITEM 3.         AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

The Fund's Board of Directors/Trustees has determined that the Fund has at least
one "audit committee financial expert" serving on its audit committee: Mr.
Donald L. Dunaway. This audit committee member is "independent," meaning that he
is not an "interested person" of the Fund (as that term is defined in Section
2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940) and he does not accept any
consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Fund (except in the
capacity as a Board or committee member).

An "audit committee financial expert" is not an "expert" for any purpose,
including for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result
of being designated as an "audit committee financial expert." Further, the
designation of a person as an "audit committee financial expert" does not mean
that the person has any greater duties, obligations, or liability than those
imposed on the person without the "audit committee financial expert"
designation. Similarly, the designation of a person as an "audit committee
financial expert" does not affect the duties, obligations, or liability of any
other member of the audit committee or board of directors.

ITEM 4.         PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.


                            SCUDDER TARGET 2012 FUND
                      FORM N-CSR DISCLOSURE RE: AUDIT FEES

The following table shows the amount of fees that Ernst & Young, LLP
("E&Y"), the Fund's auditor, billed to the Fund during the Fund's last two
fiscal years. For engagements with E&Y entered into on or after May 6, 2003,
the Audit Committee approved in advance all audit services and non-audit
services that E&Y provided to the Fund.

The Audit Committee has delegated certain pre-approval responsibilities to its
Chairman (or, in his absence, any other member of the Audit Committee).

               Services that the Fund's Auditor Billed to the Fund

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Audit-                      All
         Fiscal          Audit      Related          Tax        Other
          Year           Fees         Fees           Fees        Fees
         Ended          Billed       Billed         Billed      Billed
        April 30        to Fund     to Fund        to Fund      to Fund
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004                    $27,333       $0            $4,823       $0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003                    $25,345       $0            $4,386       $0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above "Tax Fees" were billed for professional services rendered for tax
compliance and tax return preparation.

           Services that the Fund's Auditor Billed to the Adviser and
                        Affiliated Fund Service Providers

The following table shows the amount of fees billed by E&Y to Deutsche
Investment Management Americas, Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Adviser"), and any entity
controlling, controlled by or under common control with DeIM ("Control
Affiliate") that provides ongoing services to the Fund ("Affiliated Fund Service
Provider"), for engagements directly related to the Fund's operations and
financial reporting, during the Fund's last two fiscal years.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Audit-                                 All
                      Related             Tax                Other
                        Fees              Fees                Fees
                      Billed to         Billed to           Billed to
                    Adviser and       Adviser and         Adviser and
         Fiscal      Affiliated        Affiliated          Affiliated
          Year         Fund              Fund                Fund
         Ended        Service           Service             Service
        April 30     Providers         Providers           Providers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004                  $133,500            $0                    $0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003                  $325,700            $0                    $0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The "Audit-Related Fees" were billed for services in connection with the
assessment of internal controls and additional related procedures.







                               Non-Audit Services

The following table shows the amount of fees that E&Y billed during the
Fund's last two fiscal years for non-audit services. For engagements entered
into on or after May 6, 2003, the Audit Committee pre-approved all non-audit
services that E&Y provided to the Adviser and any Affiliated Fund Service
Provider that related directly to the Fund's operations and financial reporting.
The Audit Committee requested and received information from E&Y about any
non-audit services that E&Y rendered during the Fund's last fiscal year to
the Adviser and any Affiliated Fund Service Provider. The Committee considered
this information in evaluating E&Y's independence.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Total
                             Non-Audit Fees
                               billed to
                             Adviser and
                            Affiliated Fund
                          Service Providers          Total
                            (engagements            Non-Audit
                          related directly      Fees billed to
                 Total         to the            Adviser and
               Non-Audit     operations        Affiliated Fund
    Fiscal       Fees        and financial    Service Providers
     Year       Billed         reporting         (all other          Total of
    Ended      to Fund        of the Fund        engagements)       (A), (B)
   April 30      (A)              (B)                 (C)            and (C)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004           $4,823              $0            $681,000          $685,823
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003           $4,386              $0           $4,152,492        $4,156,878
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


All other engagement fees were billed for services in connection with risk
management and process improvement initiatives for DeIM and other related
entities that provide support for the operations of the fund.

ITEM 5.         AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS

                Not Applicable

ITEM 6.         SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

                Not Applicable

ITEM 7.         DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR
                CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

                Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.         PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT
                INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

                Not Applicable.

ITEM 9.         SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

The primary function of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to identify
and recommend individuals for membership on the Board and oversee the
administration of the Board Governance Procedures and Guidelines. Shareholders
may recommend candidates for Board positions by forwarding their correspondence
by U.S. mail or courier service to the Fund's Secretary for the attention of the
Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, Two International Place,
Boston, MA 02110. Suggestions for candidates must include a resume of the
candidate.

ITEM 10.        CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) The Chief Executive and Financial Officers concluded that the Registrant's
Disclosure Controls and Procedures are effective based on the evaluation of the
Disclosure Controls and Procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing
date of this report.

Fund management has previously identified a significant deficiency relating to
the overall fund expense payment and accrual process. This matter relates
primarily to a bill payment processing issue. There was no material impact to
shareholders, fund net asset value, fund performance or the accuracy of any
fund's financial statements. Fund management discussed this matter with the
Registrant's Audit Committee and auditors, instituted additional procedures to
enhance its internal controls and will continue to develop additional controls
and redesign work flow to strengthen the overall control environment associated
with the processing and recording of fund expenses.

(b) There have been no changes in the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's last half-year (the
registrant's second fiscal half-year in the case of the annual report) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
registrant's internal controls over financial reporting.

ITEM 11.        EXHIBITS.

(a)(1)   Code of Ethics  pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is filed and  attached
         hereto as EX-99.CODE ETH.

(a)(2)   Certification  pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the  Investment  Company
         Act of 1940 (17 CFR  270.30a-2(a))  is filed  and  attached  hereto  as
         Exhibit 99.CERT.

(b)      Certification  pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the  Investment  Company
         Act of 1940 (17 CFR  270.30a-2(b))  is furnished and attached hereto as
         Exhibit 99.906CERT.




Form N-CSR Item F

                           SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant
has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Registrant:                         Scudder Target 2012 Fund


By:                                 /s/Julian Sluyters
                                    -------------------------------
                                    Julian Sluyters
                                    Chief Executive Officer

Date:                               October 1, 2004


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has
been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Registrant:                         Scudder Target 2012 Fund

By:                                 /s/Julian Sluyters
                                    -------------------------------
                                    Julian Sluyters
                                    Chief Executive Officer

Date:                               October 1, 2004



By:                                 /s/Paul Schubert
                                    -------------------------------
                                    Paul Schubert
                                    Chief Financial Officer

Date:                               October 1, 2004