Neuberger Berman Equity Funds

 

 

   

Class E

Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund   NBHEX
Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund   NRGEX
Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund   NIQEX
Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund   NPNEX
Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund   NMUEX
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund   NREEX
Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund   NRAEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prospectus December 18, 2023

 

These securities, like the securities of all mutual funds, have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

Neuberger Berman Equity Funds

Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund   2
Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund   11
Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund   17
Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund   24
Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund   31
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund   38
Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund   45
Descriptions of Certain Practices and Security Types   52
Additional Information about Principal Investment Risks   53
Information about Additional Risks and Other Practices   63
Descriptions of Indices   63
Management of the Funds   64
Financial Highlights   67
Your Investment    
Maintaining Your Account   74
Share Prices   76
Distributions and Taxes   77
Market Timing Policy   80
Portfolio Holdings Policy   80
Fund Structure   80

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund

Class E Shares (NBHEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks total return emphasizing both current income and capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.51
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.06
Total annual operating expenses   0.57
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.51
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.06

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $6   $131   $267   $665

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 30% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund invests in income-oriented equity securities that the Portfolio Managers believe will be able to grow their dividends over time. The Fund strives to deliver a total return with lower volatility relative to the Russell 1000® Value index. Additionally, the Fund seeks to generate a current yield that is greater than the average current yield for stocks in the Russell 1000 Value Index. By selecting these types of equity securities, the Fund seeks to dampen the market volatility associated with investing in equity securities.

 

The Fund typically employs a “value” approach in selecting investments. The Portfolio Managers use a bottom-up, research driven approach to identify companies that they believe have the ability to sustain and potentially to grow their free cash flow and are trading at a discount to what the Portfolio Managers believe to be their net present values. The approach involves examining companies for the presence of potential catalysts that will lead to the creation of value, such as regulatory changes, competitive shifts, reaccelerating earnings, and corporate/management restructuring. The Portfolio Managers also utilize various measures of value, including price-to-earnings ratios, price-to-book ratios and discounted free cash flows, among others.

 

As part of their fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Managers consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors they believe are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Managers believe that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may

 

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enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

 

The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and other real estate companies, convertible securities (including convertible preferred stock, which receives preference in the payment of dividends) and common stocks. The Fund defines a real estate company as one that derives at least 50% of its revenue or profits from real estate, or has at least 50% of its assets invested in real estate. The Fund may emphasize the real estate and utilities sectors of the market at any given time and may invest up to 40% of its total assets in each of these sectors. The Fund may invest in convertible securities that are rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”) or, if unrated, are determined by the Portfolio Managers to be of comparable quality.

 

The Fund also uses derivatives, including futures contracts on individual securities and indices, and options, including writing (selling) calls against positions in the portfolio (“covered calls”) or writing (selling) puts on individual stocks, in an effort to enhance returns.

 

The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. Although the Fund invests primarily in domestic equity securities, it may also invest in equity securities of foreign companies, including those in emerging markets.

 

The Portfolio Managers follow a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a security when it reaches a target price, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, when other opportunities appear more attractive or when the Portfolio Managers believe the security has grown too large relative to the rest of the portfolio.

 

The Fund will not change its strategy of normally investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities, without providing shareholders at least 60 days’ notice. For this purpose, equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common or preferred stock. This test is applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets, market values or company circumstances will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock market, the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Managers in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments will result in leverage, which amplifies the risks that are associated with these markets. The market’s behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Managers will be successful in their attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis, valuation and ESG factors.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Catalyst Risk. Investing in companies in anticipation of a catalyst carries the risk that the catalyst may not happen as anticipated, or the market may react to the catalyst differently than expected. Certain catalysts, such as emergence from, or restructuring as a result of, bankruptcy, carry additional risks and the securities of such companies may be more likely to lose value than the securities of more stable companies. Securities of issuers undergoing such an event may be more volatile than other securities, may at times be illiquid, and may be difficult to value, and management of such a company may be addressing a situation with which it has little experience.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. The value of a convertible security, which is a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the market risks of stocks when the underlying stock’s price is high relative to the conversion price

 

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and is subject to the market risks of debt securities when the underlying stock’s price is low relative to the conversion price. The general market risks of debt securities that are common to convertible securities include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk -- that is, the value of convertible securities will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates; they are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due; and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). Lower-rated debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield than investment grade debt securities and may fall in price during times when the economy is weak or is expected to become weak. To the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception and changes in interest rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

 

Derivatives Risk. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques and risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with investing in more traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds. Derivatives can be highly complex and highly volatile and may perform in unanticipated ways. Derivatives can create leverage, and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests; some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited losses. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of the reference instrument underlying the derivative. There may be imperfect correlation between the behavior of a derivative and that of the reference instrument underlying the derivative. An abrupt change in the price of a reference instrument could render a derivative worthless. Derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument. Suitable derivatives may not be available in all circumstances, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will use derivatives to reduce exposure to other risks when that might have been beneficial. Derivatives involve counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the derivative will fail to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the derivative. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. When the Fund uses derivatives, it will likely be required to provide margin or collateral; these practices are intended to satisfy contractual undertakings and regulatory requirements and will not prevent the Fund from incurring losses on derivatives. The need to provide margin or collateral could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise. Ongoing changes to regulation of the derivatives markets and actual and potential changes in the regulation of funds using derivative instruments could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies. New regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, or may otherwise adversely affect their liquidity, value or performance.

 

Additional risks associated with certain types of derivatives are discussed below:

 

Futures. Futures contracts are subject to the risk that an exchange may impose price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or impossible for a fund to close out a position when desired. In the absence of such limits, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than taking or making delivery. To the extent a Fund enters into futures contracts requiring physical delivery (e.g., certain commodities contracts), the inability of the Fund to take or make physical delivery can negatively impact performance.

 

Options. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a strategy is applied at an inappropriate time or market conditions or trends are judged incorrectly, the use of options may lower the Fund’s return. There can be no guarantee that the use of options will increase the Fund’s return or income. In addition, there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for various options. An abrupt change in the price of an underlying security could render an option worthless. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the

 

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exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

 

By writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire strike price of each option it sells, but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. When the Fund writes a put option, it assumes the risk that it must purchase the underlying instrument at a strike price that may be higher than the market price of the instrument. If there is a broad market decline and the Fund is not able to close out its written put options, it may result in substantial losses to the Fund. By writing a call option, the Fund may be obligated to deliver instruments underlying an option at less than the market price. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it gives up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying instrument above the strike price. If a covered call option that the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will experience a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying instrument, depending on the price at which the Fund purchased the instrument and the strike price of the option. The Fund will receive a premium from writing options, but the premium received may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from exercised options. In the case of a covered call, the premium received may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying instrument during the option period. If an option that the Fund has purchased is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the amount of the premium it paid and the use of those funds.

 

Dividend Risk. There is no guarantee that the companies in which the Fund invests will declare dividends in the future or that dividends, if declared, will remain at current levels or increase over time. Changes in a company’s dividend policies may negatively impact the Fund. Securities that pay dividends may be sensitive to changes in interest rates, and as interest rates rise or fall, the prices of such securities may be impacted. During a broad market advance, securities that pay dividends may not appreciate as much as securities that do not pay dividends.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Investing in emerging market countries involves risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in more developed foreign countries. The governments of emerging market countries may be more unstable and more likely to impose capital controls, nationalize a company or industry, place restrictions on foreign ownership and on withdrawing sale proceeds of securities from the country, intervene in the financial markets, and/or impose burdensome taxes that could adversely affect security prices. To the extent a foreign security is denominated in U.S. dollars, there is also the risk that a foreign government will not let U.S. dollar-denominated assets leave the country. In addition, the economies of emerging market countries may be dependent on relatively few industries that are more susceptible to local and global changes. Emerging market countries may also have less developed legal and accounting systems, and their legal systems may deal with issuer bankruptcies and defaults differently than U.S. law would. Securities markets in emerging market countries are also relatively small and have substantially lower trading volumes. Securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers in foreign countries with more developed economies or markets and the situation may require that the Fund fair value its holdings in those countries.

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

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Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as income-oriented equity securities that pay dividends, will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the value of such securities may decline.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in securities of small-, mid-, or large-cap companies, it takes on the associated risks. At times, any of these market capitalizations may be out of favor with investors. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to large-cap companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities, which are a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities, however, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred securities are generally payable at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors and after the company makes required payments to holders of its debt securities. For this reason, preferred securities are subject to greater credit, interest, and liquidation risk than debt securities, and the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than debt securities to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies. Preferred securities may be less liquid than common stocks.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being

 

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proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

REITs and Other Real Estate Companies Risk. REITs and other real estate company securities are subject to risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general, including, among other risks: general and local economic conditions; changes in interest rates; declines in property values; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; increases in property taxes and other operating expenses; overbuilding in their sector of the real estate market; fluctuations in rental income; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; changes in tax and regulatory requirements; losses due to environmental liabilities; casualty or condemnation losses; changing social trends regarding working arrangements; or other economic, social, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation.

 

Regardless of where a REIT is organized or traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in the region where its properties are located. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free “pass-through” of distributed net investment income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (“Code”) or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The value of REIT common shares may decline when interest rates rise. REITs and other real estate company securities tend to be small- to mid-cap securities and are subject to the risks of investing in small- to mid-cap securities.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

If the Fund emphasizes the real estate sector, the utilities sector, or both sectors, your investment in the Fund will be linked to the performance of one or both sectors and the value of the Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a mix of different sectors or industries.

 

Utility Companies Risk. Utility companies are sensitive to changes in interest rates and other economic conditions, government regulation, uncertainties created by deregulation, environmental protection or energy conservation policies and practices, the level and demand for services, and the cost of technological advances and the possible inability to implement them at opportune times. In addition, securities of utility companies are volatile and may underperform in a sluggish economy.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management

 

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team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Institutional Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Institutional Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

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Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 10.36%
2014 11.91%
2015 -3.14%
2016 15.26%
2017 13.23%
2018 -5.45%
2019 21.50%
2020 2.94%
2021 21.69%
2022 -3.51%

Best quarter:         Q2 2020 11.84%

Worst quarter:        Q1 2020 -22.00%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 -3.32%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Equity Income Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -3.51   6.79   8.05
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -5.36   5.08   6.33
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -0.78   5.16   6.17
Russell 1000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -7.54   6.67   10.29

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Portfolio Managers Richard S. Levine (Managing Director of the Manager), Alexandra Pomeroy (Managing Director of the Manager), and Associate Portfolio Managers William D. Hunter (Managing Director of the Manager) and Shawn Trudeau (Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. Levine and Ms. Pomeroy have served as Portfolio Managers of the Fund since its inception in 2006, Mr. Hunter joined as an Associate Portfolio Manager in 2012 and Mr. Trudeau joined as an Associate Portfolio Manager in 2018.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

9 Equity Income Fund

Table of Contents

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

10 Equity Income Fund

Table of Contents

 

Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund

Class E Shares (NRGEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks growth of capital.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.66
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.03
Total annual operating expenses   0.69
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.66
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.03

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $3   $154   $319   $796

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund invests mainly in common stocks of small-capitalization companies, which it defines as those with a total market capitalization within the market capitalization range of companies in the Russell 2000® Index at the time of initial purchase. The market capitalization of the companies in the Fund’s portfolio and the Russell 2000 Index changes over time and the Fund may continue to hold or add to a position in a company after its market capitalization has moved outside the range of the Russell 2000 Index.

 

The Fund seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies and industries. At times, the Portfolio Managers may emphasize certain sectors that they believe will benefit from market or economic trends.

 

Although the Fund invests primarily in domestic stocks, it may also invest in stocks of foreign companies.

 

The Portfolio Managers generally look for what they believe to be undervalued companies whose current market shares and balance sheets are strong. In addition, the Portfolio Managers tend to focus on companies whose financial strength is largely based on existing business lines rather than on projected growth. Factors in identifying these firms may include: a history of above-average returns; an established market niche; circumstances that would make it difficult for new competitors to enter the market; the ability to finance their own growth; and a belief that the company has sound future business prospects. This approach is

 

11 Genesis Fund

 

designed to let the Fund benefit from potential increases in stock prices, while endeavoring to limit the risks typically associated with small-cap stocks.

 

As part of their fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Managers consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors they believe are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Managers believe that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

 

The Portfolio Managers follow a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a security when it reaches a target price, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock market, the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Managers in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The market’s behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Managers will be successful in their attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis, valuation and ESG factors.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, foreign markets may perform differently than the U.S. markets. The effect of economic instability on specific foreign markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

12 Genesis Fund

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially

 

13 Genesis Fund

 

sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

Small- and Mid-Cap Companies Risk. At times, small- and mid-cap companies may be out of favor with investors. Compared to larger companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions. To the extent the Fund holds securities of mid-cap companies, the Fund will be subject to their risks.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

14 Genesis Fund

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Investor Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Investor Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Investor Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 36.99%
2014 -0.22%
2015 0.26%
2016 18.14%
2017 15.59%
2018 -6.67%
2019 29.44%
2020 24.84%
2021 18.17%
2022 -18.48%

Best quarter:         Q2 2020 24.83%

Worst quarter:        Q1 2020 -21.01%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 6.69%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Genesis Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -18.48   7.75   10.52
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -20.57   5.64   7.83
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -9.43   5.99   7.79
Russell 2000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -20.44   4.13   9.01

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Robert W. D’Alelio, Brett S. Reiner and Gregory G. Spiegel (each a Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. D’Alelio has managed the Fund since 1997. Mr. Reiner joined as an Associate Portfolio Manager in 2005 and became co-Portfolio Manager in August 2019. Mr. Spiegel joined as an Associate Portfolio Manager in 2015 and became co-Portfolio Manager in August 2019.

 

15 Genesis Fund

Table of Contents

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

16 Genesis Fund

Table of Contents

 

Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund

Class E Shares (NIQEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing primarily in common stocks of foreign companies.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.81
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.07
Total annual operating expenses   0.88
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.81
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.07

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $7   $200   $408   $1,009

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 41% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund invests mainly in common stocks of foreign companies of any size, including companies in developed and emerging markets. The Fund defines a foreign company as one that is organized outside of the United States and conducts the majority of its business abroad.

 

In picking stocks, the Portfolio Managers look for what they believe to be well-managed and profitable companies that show growth potential and whose stock prices are undervalued. Factors in identifying these firms may include strong fundamentals, such as attractive cash flows and balance sheets, as well as prices that are attractive in light of projected returns. The Portfolio Managers also consider the outlooks for various countries and regions around the world, examining economic, market, social, and political conditions.

 

As part of their fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Managers consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors they believe are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Managers believe that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as

 

17 International Equity Fund

 

certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

 

The Fund seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies and industries. Although the Fund has the flexibility to invest a significant portion of its assets in one country or region, it generally intends to invest across a broad range of countries and geographical regions. At times, the Portfolio Managers may emphasize certain sectors or industries that they believe offers a better risk/reward opportunity.

 

The Portfolio Managers follow a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a security when it reaches a target price, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

 

The Fund will not change its strategy of normally investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities, without providing shareholders at least 60 days’ notice. This test is applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets, market values or company circumstances will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in international stock markets, the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Managers in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The markets’ behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Managers will be successful in their attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis, valuation and ESG factors.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception and changes in interest rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Investing in emerging market countries involves risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in more developed foreign countries. The governments of emerging market countries may be more unstable and more likely to impose capital controls, nationalize a company or industry, place restrictions on foreign ownership and on withdrawing sale

 

18 International Equity Fund

 

proceeds of securities from the country, intervene in the financial markets, and/or impose burdensome taxes that could adversely affect security prices. To the extent a foreign security is denominated in U.S. dollars, there is also the risk that a foreign government will not let U.S. dollar-denominated assets leave the country. In addition, the economies of emerging market countries may be dependent on relatively few industries that are more susceptible to local and global changes. Emerging market countries may also have less developed legal and accounting systems, and their legal systems may deal with issuer bankruptcies and defaults differently than U.S. law would. Securities markets in emerging market countries are also relatively small and have substantially lower trading volumes. Securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers in foreign countries with more developed economies or markets and the situation may require that the Fund fair value its holdings in those countries.

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one country or geographic region. If the Fund does so, there is a greater risk that economic, political, regulatory, diplomatic, social and environmental conditions in that particular country or geographic region may have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance and that the Fund’s performance will be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds.

 

Growth Stock Risk. Because the prices of most growth stocks are based on future expectations, these stocks tend to be more sensitive than value stocks to bad economic news and negative earnings surprises. When these expectations are not met or decrease, the prices of these stocks may decline, sometimes sharply, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. The Fund attempts to lessen the risk of such losses by seeking growth stocks that sell at what the adviser believes are attractive prices. If the adviser is incorrect in its assessment of a stock’s value, this may negatively impact the Fund. Bad economic news or changing investor perceptions may adversely affect growth stocks across several sectors and industries simultaneously.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

Liquidity Risk. From time to time, the trading market for a particular investment in which the Fund invests, or a particular type of instrument in which the Fund is invested, may become less liquid or even illiquid. Illiquid investments frequently can be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous price or time, and there is a greater risk that the investments may not be sold for the price at which the Fund is carrying them. Certain investments that were liquid when the Fund purchased them may become illiquid, sometimes abruptly. Additionally, market closures due to holidays or other factors may render a security or group of securities (e.g., securities tied to a particular country or geographic region) illiquid for a period of time. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be volatile. During periods of substantial market volatility, an investment or even an entire market segment may become illiquid, sometimes abruptly, which can adversely affect the Fund’s ability to limit losses.

 

Unexpected episodes of illiquidity, including due to market or political factors, instrument or issuer-specific factors and/or unanticipated outflows or other factors, may limit the Fund’s ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time period. To meet redemption requests during periods of illiquidity, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in securities of small-, mid-, or large-cap companies, it takes on the associated risks. At times, any of these market capitalizations may be out of favor with investors. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to large-cap companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

19 International Equity Fund

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially

 

20 International Equity Fund

 

sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or a possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. The Fund could also lose money if the value of the collateral decreases.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Institutional Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Institutional Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance typically would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

21 International Equity Fund

 

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 18.03%
2014 -1.91%
2015 2.13%
2016 -1..05%
2017 27.16%
2018 -16.43%
2019 27.86%
2020 13.87%
2021 13.61%
2022 -21.39%

Best quarter:         Q2 2020 21.35%

Worst quarter:        Q1 2020 -23.29%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 3.94%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

International Equity Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -21.39   1.67   4.92
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -22.45   0.44   4.09
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -11.91   1.38   3.93
MSCI EAFE® Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -14.45   1.54   4.67

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Elias Cohen, CFA (Managing Director of the Manager) and Thomas Hogan, CFA (Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. Cohen has managed the Fund since January 2019. Mr. Hogan became an Associate Portfolio Manager in January 2021 and became Portfolio Manager of the Fund in December 2022.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not

 

22 International Equity Fund

Table of Contents

 

taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

23 International Equity Fund

Table of Contents

 

Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund

Class E Shares (NPNEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.42
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.03
Total annual operating expenses   0.45
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.42
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.03

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $3   $102   $210   $526

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 81% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of large-capitalization companies, which it defines as those with a market capitalization within the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Value Index at the time of purchase.

 

The Portfolio Managers look for what they believe to be well-managed companies whose stock prices are undervalued. The Portfolio Managers seek to identify companies with catalysts that they believe have the potential to improve the companies’ earnings from depressed levels. Such catalysts may include: management changes, restructurings, new products, new services, or new markets. The Portfolio Managers may also look for other characteristics in a company, such as a strong market position relative to competitors, a high level of stock ownership among management, and a recent sharp decline in stock price that appears to be the result of a short-term market overreaction to negative news.

 

Although the Fund invests primarily in domestic stocks, it may also invest in stocks of foreign companies. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

 

The Fund seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies and industries. At times, the Portfolio Managers may emphasize certain sectors or industries that they believe are undervalued relative to their historical valuations.

 

24 Large Cap Value Fund

 

The Fund may also use options, including, but not limited to, buying and selling (writing) put and call options on individual stocks, to attempt to enhance returns. The Fund will only sell (write) call options on individual stocks if it simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the stock underlying the option (“covered call option”).

 

The Portfolio Managers follow a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a security when it reaches a target price, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive. In an effort to achieve its goal, the Fund may have elevated portfolio turnover.

 

The Fund will not change its strategy of normally investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of large-capitalization companies, without providing shareholders at least 60 days’ notice. This test is applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets, market values or company circumstances will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock market, the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Managers in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The market’s behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Managers will be successful in their attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis and valuation.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Catalyst Risk. Investing in companies in anticipation of a catalyst carries the risk that the catalyst may not happen as anticipated, or the market may react to the catalyst differently than expected. Certain catalysts, such as emergence from, or restructuring as a result of, bankruptcy, carry additional risks and the securities of such companies may be more likely to lose value than the securities of more stable companies. Securities of issuers undergoing such an event may be more volatile than other securities, may at times be illiquid, and may be difficult to value, and management of such a company may be addressing a situation with which it has little experience.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception and changes in interest rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

 

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, foreign markets may perform differently than the U.S. markets. The effect of economic instability on specific foreign

 

25 Large Cap Value Fund

 

markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which may increase the Fund’s transaction costs, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may generate a greater amount of capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Mid- and Large-Cap Companies Risk. At times, mid- and large-cap companies may be out of favor with investors. Compared to smaller companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to larger companies, mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of mid-cap companies are often more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

Options Risk. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a strategy is applied at an inappropriate time or market conditions or trends are judged incorrectly, the use of options may lower the Fund’s return. There can be no guarantee that the use of options will increase the Fund’s return or income. In addition, there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for various options. An abrupt change in the price of an underlying security could render an option worthless. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

 

By writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire strike price of each option it sells, but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. When the Fund writes a put option, it assumes the risk that it must purchase the underlying instrument at a strike price that may be higher than the market price of the instrument. If there is a broad market decline and the Fund is not able to close out its written put options, it may result in substantial losses to the Fund. By writing a call option, the Fund may be obligated to deliver instruments underlying an option at less than the market price. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it gives up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying instrument above the strike price. If a covered call option that the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will experience a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying instrument, depending on the price at which the Fund purchased the instrument and the strike price of the option. The Fund will receive a premium from writing options, but the premium received may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from exercised options. In the case of a covered call, the premium received may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying instrument during the option period. If an option that the Fund has purchased is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the amount of the premium it paid and the use of those funds.

 

26 Large Cap Value Fund

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

REITs and Other Real Estate Companies Risk. REITs and other real estate company securities are subject to risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general, including, among other risks: general and local economic conditions; changes in interest rates; declines in property values; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; increases in property taxes and other operating expenses; overbuilding in their sector of the real estate market; fluctuations in rental income; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; changes in tax and regulatory requirements; losses due to environmental liabilities; casualty or condemnation losses;

 

27 Large Cap Value Fund

 

changing social trends regarding working arrangements; or other economic, social, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation.

 

Regardless of where a REIT is organized or traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in the region where its properties are located. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free “pass-through” of distributed net investment income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (“Code”) or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The value of REIT common shares may decline when interest rates rise. REITs and other real estate company securities tend to be small- to mid-cap securities and are subject to the risks of investing in small- to mid-cap securities.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or a possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. The Fund could also lose money if the value of the collateral decreases.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

28 Large Cap Value Fund

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Investor Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Investor Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Investor Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 31.39%
2014 11.02%
2015 -12.30%
2016 28.22%
2017 13.40%
2018 -0.93%
2019 23.94%
2020 14.47%
2021 28.12%
2022 -0.52%

Best quarter:         Q4 2020 28.65%

Worst quarter:        Q1 2020 -26.83%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 -4.81%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Large Cap Value Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -0.52   12.37   12.79
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -1.05   10.95   10.47
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   0.07   9.50   9.59
Russell 1000® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -7.54   6.67   10.29

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

29 Large Cap Value Fund

Table of Contents

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Portfolio Manager Eli M. Salzmann (Managing Director of the Manager) and Associate Portfolio Manager David Levine, CFA (Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. Salzmann has managed the Fund since December 2011 and Mr. Levine has managed the Fund since April 2021.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

30 Large Cap Value Fund

Table of Contents

 

Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

Class E Shares (NMUEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks long-term total return.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.60
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.12
Total annual operating expenses   0.72
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.60
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.12

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $12   $170   $341   $838

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund invests in a concentrated portfolio, consisting mainly of common stocks of companies that are selected using a fundamental, bottom-up research approach. The Fund may hold stocks of companies of any market capitalization and in any sector. Under normal market conditions, the Fund typically will hold a limited number of stocks.

 

Portfolio construction is an important component of the investment process and primarily consists of three distinct investment categories: Special Situations, Opportunistic, and Classic. Special Situations have unique attributes (e.g., restructurings, spin-offs, post-bankruptcy equities) that require specific methodologies and customized investment research. Opportunistic investments are companies that have become inexpensive for a tangible reason that the Portfolio Manager believes is temporary. Classic investments are those companies with long histories of shareholder-friendly policies, high-quality management teams and consistent operating performance.

 

The Portfolio Manager performs both quantitative and qualitative analysis in an effort to identify companies that he believes have the potential to increase in value. This potential may be realized in many ways, some of which include: free cash flow generation, product or process enhancements, margin increases, and improved capital structure management. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of issuers and their potential in light of their financial condition, industry position, market opportunities, senior management teams and any special situations as well as any relevant economic, political and regulatory factors.

 

31 Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

 

As part of his fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Manager considers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors he believes are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Manager believes that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

 

The Portfolio Manager employs disciplined valuation criteria and dynamic price limits to determine when to buy or sell a stock. The valuation criteria and price limits will change over time as a result of changes in company-specific, industry and market factors. The Portfolio Manager follows a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a stock when it reaches a dynamic price target, when other opportunities appear more attractive, or when the Portfolio Manager’s research indicates deteriorating fundamentals.

 

Although the Fund invests primarily in domestic stocks, it may also invest in stocks of foreign companies.

 

At times, the Portfolio Manager may emphasize certain sectors that he believes will benefit from market or economic trends.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock market, the Portfolio Manager’s evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Manager in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The market’s behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Manager’s evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Manager will be successful in his attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis, valuation and ESG factors.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception and changes in interest rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

 

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, foreign markets may perform differently than the U.S. markets. The effect of economic instability on specific foreign markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

32 Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

Growth Stock Risk. Because the prices of most growth stocks are based on future expectations, these stocks tend to be more sensitive than value stocks to bad economic news and negative earnings surprises. When these expectations are not met or decrease, the prices of these stocks may decline, sometimes sharply, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Bad economic news or changing investor perceptions may adversely affect growth stocks across several sectors and industries simultaneously.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

The Fund’s portfolio may contain fewer securities than the portfolios of other funds, which increases the risk that the value of the Fund could go down because of the poor performance of one or a few investments.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in securities of small-, mid-, or large-cap companies, it takes on the associated risks. At times, any of these market capitalizations may be out of favor with investors. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to large-cap companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being

 

33 Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

 

proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

Special Situations Risk. Companies that are considered “special situations” include, among others: companies that have unrecognized recovery prospects or new management teams; companies involved in restructurings or spin-offs; companies emerging from, or restructuring as a result of, bankruptcy; companies making initial public offerings that trade below their initial offering prices; and companies with a break-up value above their market price. Investing in special situations carries the risk that certain of such situations may not happen as anticipated or the market may react differently than expected to such situations. The securities of companies involved in special situations may be more volatile than other securities, may at times be illiquid, or may be difficult to value.

 

Certain special situations carry the additional risks inherent in difficult corporate transitions and the securities of such companies may be more likely to lose value than the securities of more stable companies.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate

 

34 Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

 

or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Institutional Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Institutional Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

35 Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

 

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 43.04%
2014 6.73%
2015 -0.64%
2016 13.23%
2017 24.82%
2018 -4.60%
2019 28.07%
2020 12.66%
2021 26.68%
2022 -16.58%

Best quarter:           Q2 2020 18.74%

Worst quarter:         Q1 2020 -24.94%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 7.06%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Multi Cap Opportunities Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -16.58   7.78   12.05
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -21.33   2.79   8.82
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -6.37   5.98   9.77
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -18.11   9.42   12.56

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER

The Fund is managed by Richard S. Nackenson (Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. Nackenson has managed the Fund since 2009.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

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Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

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Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund

Class E Shares (NREEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks total return through investment in real estate securities, emphasizing both capital appreciation and current income.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.80
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses   0.08
Total annual operating expenses   0.88
Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement   0.80
Total annual operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement1    0.08

 

1  Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $8   $201   $409   $1,010

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 38% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities issued by real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and common stocks and other securities issued by other real estate companies. The Fund defines a real estate company as one that derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, real estate.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt securities of real estate companies. These debt securities can be either investment grade securities or below investment grade securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”), provided that, at the time of investment, they are rated at least B by S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or comparably rated by at least one independent credit rating agency) or, if unrated, are determined by the Portfolio Managers to be of comparable quality. The Fund does not normally intend to continue holding securities that are in default or have defaulted with respect to the payment of interest or repayment of principal, but may do so depending on market conditions.

 

The Portfolio Managers make investment decisions through a fundamental analysis of each company. The Portfolio Managers review each company’s current financial condition and industry position, as well as economic and market conditions. In doing so, they evaluate the company’s growth potential, earnings estimates and quality of management, as well as other factors. In an effort to achieve its goal, the Fund may engage in active and frequent trading.

 

38 Real Estate Fund

 

As part of their fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Managers consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors they believe are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by both internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Managers believe that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

 

The Fund is a non-diversified fund, which means that it can invest more of its assets in fewer companies than a diversified fund. The Fund concentrates its assets in the real estate industry. The Fund may at times emphasize particular sub-sectors of the real estate business — for example, apartments, regional malls, offices, infrastructure, industrial, and health care.

 

Some of the REITs and other real estate securities in which the Fund invests may be preferred stock, which receives preference in the payment of dividends.

 

The Fund normally seeks to invest for the long-term, but it may sell securities regardless of how long they have been held if the Portfolio Managers find an opportunity they believe is more compelling, or if the Portfolio Managers’ outlook on the company or the market changes, if a stock reaches a target price, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

 

The Fund will not change its strategy of normally investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities issued by REITs and common stocks and other securities issued by other real estate companies, without providing shareholders at least 60 days’ notice. This test and the test of whether a company is a real estate company are applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets, market values or company circumstances will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock and real estate markets, the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Managers in implementing the Fund’s investment strategies. The markets’ behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Managers will be successful in their attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis, valuation and ESG factors.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that issuers, guarantors, or insurers may fail, or become less able or unwilling, to pay interest and/or principal when due. Changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of an issuer or a downgrade or default affecting any of the Fund’s securities could affect the Fund’s performance by affecting the credit quality or value of the Fund’s securities. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk.

 

Dividend Risk. There is no guarantee that the companies in which the Fund invests will declare dividends in the future or that dividends, if declared, will remain at current levels or increase over time. Changes in a company’s dividend policies may negatively impact the Fund. Securities that pay dividends may be sensitive to changes in interest rates, and as interest rates rise or fall, the prices of such securities may be impacted. During a broad market advance, securities that pay dividends may not appreciate as much as securities that do not pay dividends.

 

39 Real Estate Fund

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which may increase the Fund’s transaction costs, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may generate a greater amount of capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate.

 

Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as debt securities, will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the value of such securities may decline. Typically, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates could have on the security’s price. Thus, the sensitivity of the Fund’s debt securities to interest rate risk will increase with any increase in the duration of those securities.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk. Lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) and unrated debt securities determined to be of comparable quality involve greater risks than investment grade debt securities. Such securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price, sometimes abruptly, due to changes in interest rates, market activity, economic conditions, such as when economic conditions are deteriorating or are expected to deteriorate, or other factors. These securities may be less liquid, may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price and may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires. Lower-rated debt securities are considered by the major rating agencies to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to pay principal and interest and carry a greater risk that the issuer of such securities will default in the timely payment of principal and interest. Issuers of securities that are in default or have defaulted may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment. The creditworthiness of issuers of these securities may be more complex to analyze than that of issuers of investment grade debt securities, and the overreliance on credit ratings may present additional risks.

 

Market Capitalization Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in securities of small-, mid-, or large-cap companies, it takes on the associated risks. At times, any of these market capitalizations may be out of favor with investors. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to large-cap companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is classified as non-diversified. As such, the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in any single issuer or a few issuers is not limited as much as it is for a Fund classified as diversified. Investing a higher percentage of its assets in any one or a few issuers could increase the Fund’s risk of loss and its share price volatility, because the value of its shares would be more susceptible to adverse events affecting those issuers.

 

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities, which are a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities, however, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred securities are generally payable at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors and after the company makes required payments to holders of its debt securities. For this reason, preferred securities are subject to greater credit, interest, and liquidation risk than debt securities, and the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than debt securities to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies. Preferred securities may be less liquid than common stocks.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might

 

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adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

REITs and Other Real Estate Companies Risk. REITs and other real estate company securities are subject to risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general, including, among other risks: general and local economic conditions; changes in interest rates; declines in property values; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; increases in property taxes and other operating expenses; overbuilding in their sector of the real estate market; fluctuations in rental income; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; changes in tax and regulatory requirements; losses due to environmental liabilities; casualty or condemnation losses; changing social trends regarding working arrangements; or other economic, social, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation.

 

Regardless of where a REIT is organized or traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in the region where its properties are located. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free “pass-through” of distributed

 

41 Real Estate Fund

 

net investment income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (“Code”) or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The value of REIT common shares may decline when interest rates rise. REITs and other real estate company securities tend to be small- to mid-cap securities and are subject to the risks of investing in small- to mid-cap securities.

 

Sector Risk. Although the Fund will not invest in real estate directly, because it concentrates its assets in the real estate industry your investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets and the value of the Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a mix of different sectors or industries.

 

The Fund may at times emphasize particular sub-sectors of the real estate business — for example, apartments, regional malls, offices, infrastructure, industrial, and health care. As such, the Fund’s performance would be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those businesses.

 

Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

As of June 19, 2012, the Fund changed its investment policy to become “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Its performance prior to this change might have been different if current policies had been in effect.

 

42 Real Estate Fund

 

The performance prior to January 11, 2022 is that of the Fund’s Trust Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Trust Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Trust Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance typically would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years
2013 0.81%
2014 23.80%
2015 3.12%
2016 4.16%
2017 11.57%
2018 -5.14%
2019 31.69%
2020 -1.36%
2021 41.68%
2022 -26.47%

Best quarter:         Q1 2019 17.20%

Worst quarter:        Q1 2020 -17.62%

Year to Date performance as of: 9/30/2023 -5.18%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Real Estate Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -26.47   5.12   6.74
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -28.88   3.30   4.57
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -14.42   3.64   4.78
FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -24.95   4.43   7.10

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is co-managed by Steve Shigekawa (Managing Director of the Manager) and Brian C. Jones, CFA (Managing Director of the Manager). They have been co-Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2008. Mr. Shigekawa was an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund from 2005 to 2008.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund’s net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

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The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

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Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund 

Class E Shares (NRAEX)

 

GOAL

The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing primarily in securities of companies that meet the Fund’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

 

Fees and Expenses

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)    
Management fees   0.50
Distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fees   None
Other expenses1    0.05
Total annual operating expenses   0.55
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement   0.50
Total annual operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement2    0.05

 

1. “Other expenses” are based on estimated expenses for the current fiscal year; actual expenses may vary.
2. Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Expense Example

The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower.

 

    1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
Class E   $5   $126   $257   $641

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, 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 annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

To pursue its goal, the Fund seeks to invest primarily in common stocks of mid- to large-capitalization companies that meet the Fund’s quality oriented financial and ESG criteria. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those with a total market capitalization of $2 billion and above and large-capitalization companies as those with a total market capitalization of $10 billion and above, both at the time of initial purchase.

 

The Portfolio Manager employs a fundamental research driven approach to stock selection and portfolio construction, with a focus on long term sustainability issues that, in the judgement of the Portfolio Manager, are financially material. This sustainable investment approach seeks to identify high quality, well-positioned companies with leadership that is focused on ESG issues relevant to their business. In doing such, the Portfolio Manager seeks to identify companies with certain practices, including (i) clear and relevant communication regarding management’s understanding, commitment to, and prioritization of, sustainability issues relevant to the business; (ii) identification and disclosure of material sustainability considerations and management objectives (e.g., sustainability-linked goals and targets, including their supply chain, or executive compensation frameworks linked to such goals and targets); and/or (iii) board-level oversight on material sustainability issues. As part of the focus on quality, the Portfolio Manager looks for solid balance sheets, strong management teams with a track record of success, good cash flow, the

 

45 Sustainable Equity Fund

 

prospect for above-average earnings growth and the sustainability of those earnings, as well as of the company’s business model, over the long term. The Portfolio Manager seeks to purchase the stock of businesses that he believes to be well positioned and attractively valued. Among companies that meet these criteria, the Portfolio Manager looks for those that show leadership in environmental, social and governance considerations, including safe and equitable workplace practices and constructive community relations.

 

As part of the focus on long-term sustainability, the Portfolio Manager looks for companies that show leadership in their environmental and workplace practices. The Fund seeks to invest in companies that demonstrate ESG policies in the following areas: (i) environmental issues; (ii) employment practices and diversity policies; (iii) community relations; (iv) supply chain issues; (v) product integrity (e.g., safety, quality) and (vi) disclosure and sustainability reporting.

 

Consistent with the Fund’s ESG criteria, the Portfolio Manager focuses on identifying companies that are responsive to environmental issues, including those that have identified and communicated climate-related risks and opportunities, have identified and communicated net-zero transition plans, have committed to or are transitioning to facilitate global decarbonization and/or the reduction of other greenhouse gas emissions; are agents of favorable change in workplace policies (particularly for women and minorities); are committed to upholding universal human rights standards; and are good corporate citizens. The Portfolio Manager judges companies on their corporate citizenship overall, considering their accomplishments as well as their goals. While these judgments are inevitably subjective, the Portfolio Manager endeavors to avoid companies that derive revenue from gambling or the production of alcohol, tobacco, weapons, nuclear power or private prisons. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for a detailed description of the Fund’s ESG criteria.

 

Although the Fund invests primarily in domestic stocks, it may also invest in stocks of foreign companies. The Fund seeks to reduce risk by investing across many different industries.

 

The Portfolio Manager follows a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a security if he believes it is unattractively valued, if a company’s business fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

 

As a sustainable fund, the Fund is required by the federal securities laws to have a policy, which it cannot change without providing investors at least 60 days' written notice, of investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities selected in accordance with its ESG criteria. The 80% test is applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets, market values or company circumstances will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding. In practice, the Portfolio Manager intends to hold only securities selected in accordance with the Fund's ESG criteria.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the stock market, the Portfolio Manager's evaluation of those developments, and the success of the Portfolio Manager in implementing the Fund's investment strategies. The market's behavior can be difficult to predict, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund may take temporary defensive and cash management positions; to the extent it does, it will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies.

 

The actual risk exposure taken by the Fund in its investment program will vary over time, depending on various factors including the Portfolio Manager's evaluation of issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. There can be no guarantee that the Portfolio Manager will be successful in his attempts to manage the risk exposure of the Fund or will appropriately evaluate or weigh the multiple factors involved in investment decisions, including issuer, market and/or instrument-specific analysis and valuation.

 

The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Each of the following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance, can significantly affect the Fund’s performance. The relative importance of, or potential exposure as a result of, each of these risks will vary based on market and other investment-specific considerations.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception and changes in interest

 

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rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

 

ESG Criteria Risk. The Fund’s application of ESG criteria is designed and utilized to help identify companies that demonstrate the potential to create economic value or reduce risk; however, as with the use of any investment criteria in selecting a portfolio, there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will result in the selection of issuers that will outperform other issuers, or help reduce risk in the portfolio. Investing based on ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature and there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. The use of the Fund’s ESG criteria could also affect the Fund’s exposure to certain issuers, sectors or industries, and could impact the Fund’s investment performance depending on whether the ESG criteria used are ultimately reflected in the market. Information used to evaluate the Fund’s application of ESG criteria, like other information used to identify companies in which to invest, may not be readily available, complete, or accurate, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance or create additional risk in the portfolio.

 

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, foreign markets may perform differently than the U.S. markets. The effect of economic instability on specific foreign markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole.

 

The Fund's portfolio may contain fewer securities than the portfolios of other funds, which increases the risk that the value of the Fund could go down because of the poor performance of one or a few investments.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance.

 

Mid- and Large-Cap Companies Risk. At times, mid- and large-cap companies may be out of favor with investors. Compared to smaller companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. Compared to larger companies, mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of mid-cap companies are often more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

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Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, or reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which apply to the Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund and the risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs, and create adverse tax consequences.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors or sub-sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen, among other reasons, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions or investor preferences.

 

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A summary of the Fund’s additional principal investment risks is as follows:

 

Risk of Increase in Expenses. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expenses for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. It is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent price and from the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

PERFORMANCE

The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table below the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund's investment strategy.

 

The following performance is that of the Fund’s Investor Class, which is not offered through this prospectus. Class E would have substantially similar performance to Investor Class because the classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. Because Investor Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance would have been lower than that of Class E.

 

Returns would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses and/or waived a portion of the investment management fees during certain of the periods shown.

 

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Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information.

 

year-by-year % Returns as of 12/31 each year

 

 

Years

Best quarter:          Q2 '20, 19.28%
Worst quarter:        Q1 '20, -21.54%
Year-to-date performance as of 9/30/2023: 11.58%

 

average annual total % returns as of 12/31/22

 

Sustainable Equity Fund   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years
Return Before Taxes   -18.61   7.29   10.93
Return After Taxes on Distributions   -20.37   5.14   8.93
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   -9.74   5.62   8.69
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   -18.11   9.42   12.56

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other returns for the same period due to a tax benefit of realizing a capital loss upon the sale of Fund shares.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGER

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”) is the Fund’s investment manager.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER

The Fund is managed by Daniel P. Hanson, CFA (Managing Director of the Manager). Mr. Hanson has managed the Fund since April 2022.

 

Buying and Selling Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the Fund's net asset value per share next determined after your order is received in proper form. See “Maintaining Your Account” in the prospectus for eligibility requirements for purchases of Class E shares.

 

The Fund does not impose minimum purchase requirements for Class E shares.

 

Tax Information

Unless you invest in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement plan or account or are a tax-exempt investor, you will be subject to tax on Fund distributions to you of ordinary income and/or net capital gains. Those distributions generally are not taxable to such a plan or account or a tax-exempt investor, although withdrawals from certain retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

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Payments to Investment Providers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of another class of the Fund through an investment provider or other financial intermediary, such as a bank, brokerage firm, workplace retirement program, or financial adviser (who may be affiliated with Neuberger Berman), the Fund and/or Neuberger Berman BD LLC and/or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of shares of those other classes of the Fund and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the investment provider or other financial intermediary and its employees to recommend the Fund or those other classes of the Fund over another investment. To the extent the Fund makes such payments with respect to another class, they can come only out of the assets of that other class.

 

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Descriptions of Certain Practices and Security Types

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that pay interest or dividends and are convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks. Convertible securities generally have some features of common stocks and some features of debt securities. In general, a convertible security performs more like a stock when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price (because it is assumed that it will be converted into the stock) and performs more like a debt security when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price (because it is assumed that it will mature without being converted). Convertible securities typically pay an income yield that is higher than the dividend yield of the issuer's common stock, but lower than the yield of the issuer's debt securities.

 

Derivatives. A derivative is generally a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, changes in the value of one or more “reference instruments,” such as underlying assets (including securities), reference rates, indices or events. Derivatives may relate to stocks, bonds, credit, interest rates, commodities, currencies or currency exchange rates, or related indices. A derivative may also contain leverage to magnify the exposure to the reference instrument. Derivatives may be traded on organized exchanges and/or through clearing organizations, or in private transactions with other parties in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market with a single dealer or a prime broker acting as an intermediary with respect to an executing dealer. Derivatives may be used for hedging purposes and non-hedging (or speculative) purposes. Some derivatives require one or more parties to post “margin,” which means that a party must deposit assets with, or for the benefit of, a third party, such as a futures commission merchant, in order to initiate and maintain the derivatives position. Margin is typically adjusted daily, and adverse market movements may require a party to post additional margin.

 

Call Options. A call option gives the purchaser the right to buy an underlying asset or other reference instrument at a specified price, regardless of the instrument’s market price at the time. Writing (selling) a call option obligates the writer (seller) to sell the underlying asset or other reference instrument to the purchaser at a specified price if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A call option is “covered” if the writer (seller) simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the security underlying the option. The writer (seller) receives a premium when it writes a call option. Purchasing a call option gives the purchaser the right to buy the underlying asset or other reference instrument from the writer (seller) at a specified price if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. The purchaser pays a premium when it purchases a call option.

 

Futures. A futures contract is a standardized agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying asset at a future date, or to make or receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index or other reference instrument at a future date.

 

Put Options. A put option gives the purchaser the right to sell an underlying asset or other reference instrument at a specified price, regardless of the instrument’s market price at the time. Writing (selling) a put option obligates the writer (seller) to buy the underlying asset or other reference instrument from the purchaser at a specified price if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. The writer (seller) receives a premium when it writes a put option. Purchasing a put option gives the purchaser the right to sell the underlying asset or other reference instrument to the writer (seller) at a specified price if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. The purchaser pays a premium when it purchases a put option.

 

ESG Investing. Funds that follow environmental, social and governance considerations seek positive social and environmental impact in addition to economic success. They are designed to allow investors to put their money to work and also support companies that follow principles of good corporate citizenship.

 

Emerging Market Countries. Emerging market countries are generally considered to be those countries whose economies are less developed than the economies of countries such as the United States or most nations in Western Europe.

 

Foreign Stocks. There are many promising opportunities for investment outside the United States. Foreign markets can respond to different factors and therefore may follow cycles that are different from each other. For this reason, many investors put a portion of their portfolios in foreign investments as a way of gaining further diversification.

 

Growth Investing. For growth investors, the aim is to invest in companies that are already successful but could be even more so. Often, these stocks are in emerging or rapidly growing industries. While most growth stocks are known to investors, they may not yet have reached their full potential. The growth investor looks for indications of continued success.

 

Lower-Rated Debt Securities. Lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) typically offer investors higher yields than other fixed income securities. The higher yields are usually justified by the weaker credit profiles of these issuers as compared to investment grade issuers. Lower-rated debt securities may include debt obligations of all types issued by U.S. and

 

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non-U.S. corporate and governmental entities, including bonds, debentures and notes, loan interests and preferred stocks that have priority over any other class of stock of the entity as to the distribution of assets or the payment of dividends. A lower-rated debt security itself may be convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, or it may carry with it the right to acquire equity securities evidenced by warrants attached to the security or acquired as part of a unit with the security.

 

REITs. A REIT is a pooled investment vehicle that invests primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. A domestic REIT is not taxed on net income and net realized gains that are distributed to its shareholders, provided it complies with certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”), and similar treatment may also apply to foreign REITs under the laws in which they are formed. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs or mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property, derive their income primarily from rents and can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments.

 

Value Investing. At any given time, there are companies whose stock prices, whether based on earnings, book value, or other financial measures, do not reflect their full economic opportunities. This happens when investors under-appreciate the business potential of these companies, or are distracted by transient or non-fundamental issues. The value investor examines these companies, searching for those that may rise in price when other investors realize their worth.

 

Additional Information about Principal Investment Risks

 

This section provides additional information about a Fund’s principal investment risks described in its Fund Summary section. The following risks are described in alphabetical order and not in order of any presumed importance or potential exposure.

 

Catalyst Risk. Investing in companies in anticipation of a catalyst carries the risk that the catalyst may not happen as anticipated, possibly due to the actions of other market participants, or may happen in modified or conditional form, or the market may react to the catalyst differently than expected. Furthermore, a catalyst, such as a pending restructuring or spin-off, may be renegotiated or terminated or involve a longer time frame than originally contemplated. In addition, certain catalysts, such as emergence from, or restructuring as a result of, bankruptcy, carry additional risks, and the securities of such companies may be more likely to lose value than the securities of more stable companies. Securities of issuers undergoing such an event may be more volatile than other securities, may at times be illiquid, and may be difficult to value, and management of such a company may be addressing a situation with which it has little experience. In circumstances where the anticipated catalyst does not occur or the position is no longer an attractive investment opportunity, the Fund may incur losses by liquidating that position. If the catalyst later appears unlikely to occur or is delayed, the market prices of the securities may decline sharply. These investments may be highly speculative and an incorrect assessment of the risk associated with such an investment could result in significant losses to the Fund.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. The value of a convertible security, which is a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the market risks of stocks, and its price may be as volatile as that of the underlying stock, when the underlying stock’s price is high relative to the conversion price, and a convertible security is subject to the market risks of debt securities, and is particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, when the underlying stock’s price is low relative to the conversion price. The general market risks of debt securities that are common to convertible securities include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk -- that is, the value of convertible securities will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates; they are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due; and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Because their value can be influenced by many different factors, convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than the underlying common stocks. Securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities that are convertible only at the option of the holder.

 

Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). Lower-rated debt securities involve greater risks than investment grade debt securities. Lower-rated debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price during times when the economy is weak or is expected to become weak. The credit rating of a company’s convertible securities is generally lower than that of its non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered “junior” securities — that is, the company usually must pay interest on its non-convertible debt securities before it can make payments on its convertible securities. If the issuer stops paying interest or principal, convertible securities may become worthless and the Fund could lose its entire investment. To the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies.

 

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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that issuers, guarantors, or insurers may fail, or become less able or unwilling, to pay interest and/or principal when due. Changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of an issuer, factors affecting an issuer directly (such as management changes, labor relations, collapse of key suppliers or customers, or material changes in overhead costs), factors affecting the industry in which a particular issuer operates (such as competition or technological advances) and changes in general social, economic or political conditions can increase the risk of default by an issuer, which may affect a security’s credit quality or value. A downgrade or default affecting any of the Fund’s securities could affect the Fund’s performance by affecting the credit quality or value of the Fund’s securities. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. In addition, lower credit quality may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and may negatively affect a security’s liquidity. Ratings represent a rating agency’s opinion regarding the quality of a security and are not a guarantee of quality and do not protect against a decline in the value of a security. In addition, rating agencies may fail to make timely changes to credit ratings in response to subsequent events and a rating may become stale in that it fails to reflect changes in an issuer’s financial condition. The credit quality of a security or instrument can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly, which may negatively impact its liquidity and value. The securities in which the Fund invests may be subject to credit enhancement (for example, guarantees, letters of credit, or bond insurance). Entities providing credit or liquidity support also may be affected by credit risk. Credit enhancement is designed to help assure timely payment of the security; it does not protect the Fund against losses caused by declines in a security’s value due to changes in market conditions.

 

Currency Risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Domestic issuers that hold substantial foreign assets may be similarly affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to factors external to a country’s economy, which makes the forecasting of currency market movements extremely difficult. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by various factors, including investor perception of a country’s economy and changes in interest rates; intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks, or supranational entities, such as the International Monetary Fund; or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. To the extent the Fund invests or hedges based on the perceived relationship between two currencies, there is a risk that the correlation between those currencies may not behave as anticipated.

 

Derivatives Risk. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques and risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with investing in more traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds. Derivatives can be highly complex and highly volatile and may perform in unanticipated ways. Derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the impact of a decline in the value of the reference instrument underlying the derivative, and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. Derivatives can have the potential for unlimited losses, for example, where the Fund may be called upon to deliver a security it does not own. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. The value of a derivative instrument depends largely on (and is derived from) the value of the reference instrument underlying the derivative. There may be imperfect correlation between the behavior of a derivative and that of the reference instrument underlying the derivative, and the reference instrument may not perform as anticipated. An abrupt change in the price of a reference instrument could render a derivative worthless. Derivatives may involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the reference instrument. Suitable derivatives may not be available in all circumstances, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will use derivatives to reduce exposure to other risks when that might have been beneficial. Derivatives may involve fees, commissions, or other costs that may reduce the Fund’s gains or exacerbate losses from the derivatives. In addition, the Fund’s use of derivatives may have different tax consequences for the Fund than an investment in the reference instruments, and those differences may increase the amount and affect the timing and character of taxable distributions payable to shareholders. Thus, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments in order to satisfy its distribution requirements. Certain aspects of the regulatory treatment of derivative instruments, including federal income tax, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations, or other legally binding authority. In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act which regulates the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the Investment Company Act (“Rule 18f-4”). The Funds have adopted a Rule 18f-4 Policy which provides, among other things, that unless the Fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user” as defined in Rule 18f-4, the Fund is subject to a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. If the Fund qualifies as a limited derivatives user, Rule 18f-4 requires the Fund to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk.

 

Derivatives involve counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the derivative will fail to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the derivative. Counterparty risk may arise because of market activities and developments, the

 

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counterparty’s financial condition (including financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), or other reasons. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. Counterparty risk is generally thought to be greater with OTC derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. However, derivatives that are traded on organized exchanges and/or through clearing organizations involve the possibility that the futures commission merchant or clearing organization will default in the performance of its obligations.

 

When the Fund uses derivatives, it will likely be required to provide margin or collateral; these practices are intended to satisfy contractual undertakings and regulatory requirements and will not prevent the Fund from incurring losses on derivatives. The need to provide margin or collateral could limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise. Derivatives that have margin requirements involve the risk that if the Fund has insufficient cash or eligible margin securities to meet daily variation margin requirements, it may have to sell securities or other instruments from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The Fund normally will remain obligated to meet margin requirements until a derivatives position is closed.

 

Ongoing changes to regulation of the derivatives markets and actual and potential changes in the regulation of funds using derivative instruments could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies. New regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, or may otherwise adversely affect their liquidity, value or performance.

 

Although the Fund may use derivatives to attempt to hedge against certain risks, the hedging instruments may not perform as expected and could produce losses.

 

Additional risks associated with certain types of derivatives are discussed below:

 

Futures. There can be no assurance that, at all times, a liquid market will exist for offsetting a futures contract that the Fund has previously bought or sold and this may result in the inability to close a futures position when desired. This could be the case if, for example, a futures price has increased or decreased by the maximum allowable daily limit and there is no buyer (or seller) willing to purchase (or sell) the futures contract that the Fund needs to sell (or buy) at that limit price. In the absence of such limits, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than taking or making delivery. To the extent a Fund enters into futures contracts requiring physical delivery (e.g., certain commodities contracts), the inability of the Fund to take or make physical delivery can negatively impact performance.

 

Options. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a strategy is applied at an inappropriate time or market conditions or trends are judged incorrectly, the use of options may lower the Fund’s return. There can be no guarantee that the use of options will increase the Fund’s return or income. In addition, there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for various options. An abrupt change in the price of an underlying security could render an option worthless. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors. By writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire strike price of each option it sells, but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. When the Fund writes a put option, it assumes the risk that it must purchase the underlying instrument at a strike price that may be higher than the market price of the instrument. If there is a broad market decline and the Fund is not able to close out its written put options, it may result in substantial losses to the Fund. By writing a call option, the Fund may be obligated to deliver instruments underlying an option at less than the market price. When the Fund writes a covered call option, it gives up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying instrument above the strike price. If a covered call option that the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will experience a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying instrument, depending on the price at which the Fund purchased the instrument and the strike price of the option. The Fund will receive a premium from writing options, but the premium received may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from exercised options. In the case of a covered call, the premium received may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying instrument during the option

 

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period. If an option that the Fund has purchased is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the amount of the premium it paid and the use of those funds.

 

Dividend Risk. Dividends the Fund receives on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of an issuer’s board of directors. There is no guarantee that the companies in which the Fund invests will declare dividends in the future or that dividends, if declared, will remain at current levels or increase over time. Changes in a company’s dividend policies, either a reduction or elimination, may cause the Fund to receive less income and may negatively impact that company’s securities. Securities that pay dividends may be sensitive to changes in interest rates, and as interest rates rise, or fall, the prices of such securities may be impacted. A sharp rise in interest rates, or other market downturn, could result in a decision to decrease or eliminate a dividend. During a broad market advance, securities that pay dividends may not appreciate as much as securities that do not pay dividends.

 

ESG Criteria Risk. The Fund’s application of ESG criteria is designed and utilized to help identify companies that demonstrate the potential to create economic value or reduce risk; however as with the use of any investment criteria in selecting a portfolio, there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will result in the selection of issuers that will outperform other issuers, or help reduce risk in the portfolio. Investing based on ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature and there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. The use of the Fund’s ESG criteria could also affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or industries, and could impact the Fund’s investment performance depending on whether the ESG criteria used are ultimately reflected in the market. Information used to evaluate the Fund’s application of ESG criteria, like other information used to identify companies in which to invest, may not be readily available, complete, or accurate, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance or create additional risk in the portfolio.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political, diplomatic, or economic instability; trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the U.S.); imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals; significant government involvement in an economy and/or market structure; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; higher transaction costs; confiscatory withholding or other taxes; and less stringent auditing and accounting, corporate disclosure, governance, and legal standards. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities. In addition, key information about the issuer, the markets or the local government or economy may be unavailable, incomplete, or inaccurate. As a result, foreign securities may fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries, as well as currency exchange rates. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

 

Investing in emerging market countries involves risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in more developed foreign countries. The governments of emerging market countries may be more unstable and more likely to impose capital controls, nationalize a company or industry, place restrictions on foreign ownership and on withdrawing sale proceeds of securities from the country, intervene in the financial markets, and/or impose burdensome taxes that could adversely affect security prices. To the extent a foreign security is denominated in U.S. dollars, there is also the risk that a foreign government will not let U.S. dollar-denominated assets leave the country. In addition, the economies of emerging market countries may be dependent on relatively few industries that are more susceptible to local and global changes, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Emerging market countries may also have less developed legal and accounting systems, and their legal systems may deal with issuer bankruptcies and defaults differently than U.S. law would. Shareholder claims and legal remedies that are common in the United States may be difficult or impossible to pursue in many emerging market countries. In addition, due to jurisdictional limitations, matters of comity and various other factors, U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to bring enforcement actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons in certain emerging market countries. Most foreign and emerging market companies are not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States, which may impact the availability and quality of information about foreign and emerging market issuers. Securities markets in emerging market countries are also relatively small and have substantially lower trading volumes. Additionally, in times of market stress, regulatory authorities of different emerging market countries may apply varying techniques and degrees of intervention, which can have an effect on prices. Securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers in foreign countries with more developed economies or markets and the situation may require that the Fund fair value its holdings in those countries.

 

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Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund’s ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

 

In addition, foreign markets may perform differently than the U.S. market. Over a given period of time, foreign securities may underperform U.S. securities — sometimes for years. The Fund could also underperform if it invests in countries or regions whose economic performance falls short. To the extent that the Fund invests a portion of its assets in one country, state, region or currency, an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if its investments were not so invested. Further, from time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one country or geographic region. If the Fund does so, there is a greater risk that economic, political, regulatory, diplomatic, social and environmental conditions in that particular country or geographic region may have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance and that the Fund’s performance will be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. The economies and financial markets of certain regions can be highly interdependent and may decline all at the same time. In addition, certain areas are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts or tsunamis and are economically sensitive to environmental events.

 

The effect of economic instability on specific foreign markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate. Some national economies continue to show profound instability, which may in turn affect their international trading and financial partners or other members of their currency bloc.

 

Foreign Exposure Risk. Securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations or holdings, or issued by foreign entities listed on a U.S. exchange, may involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. Additional risks may include exposure to less developed or less efficient commercial trading markets; social, political, diplomatic or economic instability; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; laws limiting or restricting the movement of assets out of the country; nationalization or expropriation of assets; less stringent legal standards; possible unfavorable treatment under U.S. tax laws; and discriminatory application of local regulatory or criminal laws.

 

Growth Stock Risk. Because the prices of most growth stocks are based on future expectations, these stocks tend to be more sensitive than value stocks to bad economic news and negative earnings surprises. When these expectations are not met or decrease, the prices of these stocks may decline, sometimes sharply, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. The Fund attempts to lessen the risk of such losses by seeking growth stocks that sell at what the adviser believes are attractive prices. If the adviser is incorrect in its assessment of a stock’s value, this may negatively impact the Fund. Bad economic news or changing investor perceptions may adversely affect growth stocks across several sectors and industries simultaneously. Growth stocks also may lack the dividends often associated with value stocks that can cushion their decline in a falling market. While the price of any type of stock may rise and fall rapidly, growth stocks may underperform during periods when the market favors value stocks.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which may increase the Fund’s transaction costs, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may generate a greater amount of capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate.

Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as debt securities or income-oriented equity securities that pay dividends, will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the value of such securities may decline. Interest rates may change in response to the supply and demand for credit, changes to government monetary policy and other initiatives, inflation rates, and other factors. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Typically, the longer the maturity (i.e., the term of a debt security) or duration (i.e., a measure of the sensitivity of a debt security to changes in market interest rates, based on the entire cash flow associated with the security) of a debt security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates could have on the security’s price. For example, if interest rates increase by 1%, a debt security with a duration of two years will decrease in value by approximately 2%. Thus, the sensitivity of the Fund’s debt securities to interest rate risk will increase with any increase in the duration of those securities. Short-term securities tend to react to changes in short-term interest rates, and long-term securities tend to react to changes in long-term interest rates. Short-term and long-term interest rates, and interest rates in different countries, do not necessarily move in the same direction or by the same amount. The link between interest rates and debt security prices tends to be weaker with lower-rated debt securities than with investment grade debt securities.

 

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Issuer-Specific Risk. An individual security may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the market as a whole. The value of an issuer’s securities may deteriorate because of a variety of factors, including disappointing earnings reports by the issuer, unsuccessful products or services, loss of major customers, major litigation against the issuer, perceived poor management performance, changes in economic or political conditions or in government regulations affecting the issuer or the competitive environment. Certain unanticipated events, such as natural disasters, may have a significant adverse effect on the value of an issuer’s securities.

 

Liquidity Risk. From time to time, the trading market for a particular investment or type of investment in which the Fund invests is or may become less liquid or even illiquid. Illiquid investments frequently can be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous price or time. An illiquid investment means any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Judgment plays a greater role in pricing these investments than it does in pricing investments having more active markets, and there is a greater risk that the investments may not be sold for the price at which the Fund is carrying them. The Fund may receive illiquid securities as a result of its investment in securities involved in restructurings. Certain investments that were liquid when the Fund purchased them may become illiquid, sometimes abruptly, particularly during periods of increased market volatility, adverse investor perception, economic uncertainty or changes in interest rates. Additionally, market closures due to holidays or other factors may render a security or group of securities (e.g., securities tied to a particular country or geographic region) illiquid for a period of time, which can be extensive. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be volatile. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar investment at the same time as the Fund could decrease the liquidity of such investments, especially during times of market volatility. During periods of substantial market volatility, an investment or even an entire market segment may become illiquid, sometimes abruptly, which can adversely affect the Fund’s ability to limit losses.

 

Unexpected episodes of illiquidity, including due to market or political factors, instrument or issuer-specific factors and/or unanticipated outflows or other factors, may limit the Fund’s ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time period. To meet redemption requests during periods of illiquidity, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions.

 

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk. Lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) and unrated debt securities determined to be of comparable quality involve greater risks than investment grade debt securities. Such securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price, sometimes abruptly, due to changes in interest rates, market activity, economic conditions, such as when economic conditions are deteriorating or are expected to deteriorate, or other factors. These securities may be less liquid and also may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, and may carry higher transaction costs. In particular, these securities may be issued by smaller companies or by highly indebted companies, which are generally less able than more financially stable companies to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. Lower-rated debt securities are considered by the major rating agencies to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to pay principal and interest and carry a greater risk that the issuer of such securities will default in the timely payment of principal and interest. Such securities are susceptible to such a default or decline in market value due to real or perceived adverse economic and business developments relating to the issuer, the industry in general, market interest rates and market liquidity. Such securities may be unsecured or have insufficient collateral and may be subordinated to other creditors, which increases the risk of loss on these securities. Issuers of securities that are in default or have defaulted may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment. Where it deems it appropriate and in the best interests of Fund shareholders, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery on a defaulted security and/or to pursue litigation to protect the Fund’s investment.

 

The credit rating of a security may not accurately reflect the actual credit risk associated with such a security. The creditworthiness of issuers of these securities may be more complex to analyze than that of issuers of investment grade debt securities, and the overreliance on credit ratings may present additional risks.

 

Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, such as a high profile default, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of such securities, especially in a thinly traded or illiquid market. To the extent the Fund owns or may acquire illiquid or restricted lower-rated debt securities or unrated debt securities of comparable quality, these securities may involve special registration responsibilities, liabilities, costs, and liquidity and valuation difficulties.

 

Market Capitalization Risk (Small-, Mid- and Large-Cap Companies Risk). To the extent the Fund invests in securities of small-, mid-, or large-cap companies, it takes on the associated risks. At times, any of these market capitalizations may be out of favor with investors. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly to changes and opportunities and may grow at a slower rate. As such, the return on investment in securities of large-cap companies

 

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may be less than the return on investment in securities of small- and/or mid-cap companies. Compared to large-cap companies, small- and mid-cap companies may depend on a more limited management group, may have a shorter history of operations, less publicly available information, less stable earnings, and limited product lines, markets or financial resources. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole, which at times can be rapid and unpredictable, may be difficult to sell when the economy is not robust or during market downturns, and may be more affected than other types of securities by the underperformance of a sector, during market downturns, or by adverse publicity and investor perceptions. There may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap securities, which means that buy and sell transactions in those securities could have a larger impact on a security’s price than is the case with large-cap securities and the Fund may not be able to liquidate a position at a particular time.

 

A Fund defines mid-capitalization companies by reference to the market capitalization range of companies in a named index. The size of companies in an index changes with market conditions. In addition, changes to the composition of an index can change the market capitalization range of companies in the index and, therefore, the market capitalization range of companies in which a Fund invests.

 

Market Volatility Risk. Markets may be volatile and values of individual securities and other investments, including those of a particular type, may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value, public perceptions concerning these developments, and adverse investor sentiment or publicity. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer may impact a market as a whole. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. If the Fund sells a portfolio position before it reaches its market peak, it may miss out on opportunities for better performance. Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets and economies adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

 

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund is classified as non-diversified. As such, the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in any single issuer or a few issuers is not limited as much as it is for a Fund classified as diversified. Investing a higher percentage of its assets in any one or a few issuers could increase the Fund’s risk of loss and its share price volatility, because the value of its shares would be more susceptible to adverse events affecting those issuers.

 

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund and its service providers, and your ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks (e.g., malicious software coding, ransomware, or “hacking”) or unintentional events (e.g., inadvertent release of confidential information). A cybersecurity incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, customers or employees being unable to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs. A cybersecurity incident may not permit the Fund and its service providers to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Fund, such as trading and calculating net asset value. Any cybersecurity incident could have a substantial adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.

 

The occurrence of any of these problems could result in a loss of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and other consequences, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund or its shareholders. The Manager, through its monitoring and oversight of Fund service providers, endeavors to determine that service providers take appropriate precautions to avoid and mitigate risks that could lead to such problems. While the Manager has established business continuity plans and risk management systems seeking to address these problems, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, and it is not possible for the Manager or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.

 

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities, which are a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities, however, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited.

 

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Distributions on preferred securities are generally payable at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors and after the company makes required payments to holders of its debt securities. For this reason, preferred securities are subject to greater credit, interest, and liquidation risk than debt securities, and the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than debt securities to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies. Preferred securities may be less liquid than common stocks, and there is a risk an issuer of preferred securities may call or redeem prior to any stated maturity. Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. Preferred shareholders may have certain rights if distributions are not paid but generally have no legal recourse against the issuer, may suffer a loss of value if distributions are not paid, and may be required to report the deferred distribution on its tax returns, even though it may not have received any cash. Generally, preferred shareholders have no voting rights with respect to the issuer unless distributions to preferred shareholders have not been paid for a stated period, at which time the preferred shareholders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board. Generally, once all the distributions have been paid to preferred shareholders, the preferred shareholders no longer have voting rights.

 

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

 

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. In addition, ongoing inflation pressures could continue to cause an increase in interest rates and/or negatively impact companies. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase, or the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such increases in interest rates, or when such increases might stop. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets. Also, regulators have expressed concern that changes in interest rates may cause investors to sell fixed income securities faster than the market can absorb them, contributing to price volatility. Over the longer term, the interest rate increases may present a greater risk than has historically been the case due to the prior period of relatively low interest rates and the effect of government fiscal and monetary policy initiatives and potential market reaction to those initiatives, or their alteration or cessation. Historical patterns of correlation among asset classes may break down in unanticipated ways during times of high volatility, disrupting investment programs and potentially causing losses.

 

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the current strength of the U.S. dollar may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

 

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which implicate a Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit a Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact its performance.

 

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of a Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

 

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. The impact of epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future could negatively affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including their liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time and could last for an extended period of time.

 

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High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

 

China’s economy, which had been sustained through debt-financed spending on housing and infrastructure, appears to be experiencing a significant slowdown and growing at a lower rate than prior years. Due to the size of China’s economy, such a slowdown could impact a number of other countries.

 

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

 

A rise in sea levels, a change in weather patterns, including an increase in powerful storms and large wildfires, and/or a climate-driven increase in flooding could cause properties to lose value or become unmarketable altogether. Unlike previous declines in the real estate market, properties in affected zones may not ever recover their value. The U.S. administration appears concerned about the climate change problem and is focusing regulatory and public works projects around those concerns. Regulatory changes and divestment movements tied to concerns about climate change could adversely affect the value of certain land and the viability of industries whose activities or products are seen as accelerating climate change.

 

Losses related to climate change could adversely affect corporate issuers and mortgage lenders, the value of mortgage-backed securities, the bonds of municipalities that depend on tax or other revenues and tourist dollars generated by affected properties, and insurers of the property and/or of corporate, municipal or mortgage-backed securities. Since property and security values are driven largely by buyers’ perceptions, it is difficult to know the time period over which these market effects might unfold.

 

Redemption Risk. The Fund may experience periods of large or frequent redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s overall liquidity, or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is greater to the extent that one or more investors or intermediaries control a large percentage of investments in the Fund, have short investment horizons, or have unpredictable cash flow needs. In addition, the risk is heightened if redemption requests are unusually large or frequent or occur during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Large redemptions could hurt the Fund’s performance, increase transaction costs and create adverse tax consequences.

 

REITs and Other Real Estate Companies Risk. REITs and other real estate company securities are subject to risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general, including, among other risks: general and local economic conditions; changes in interest rates; declines in property values; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; increases in property taxes and other operating expenses; overbuilding in their sector of the real estate market; fluctuations in rental income; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; changes in tax and regulatory requirements; losses due to environmental liabilities; casualty or condemnation losses; changing social trends regarding working arrangements; or other economic, social, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Regardless of where a REIT is organized or traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in the region where its properties are located. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free “pass-through” of distributed net investment income and net realized gains under the Code or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, the Code generally allows individuals and certain other non-corporate entities a deduction for 20% of qualified REIT dividends. Regulations provide that a regulated investment company can pass the character of its qualified REIT dividends through to its shareholders for purposes of benefiting from this deduction.

 

While certain of these risk factors may affect only one or a few real estate sectors at a time, others may affect the real estate industry broadly. For example, the value of REIT common shares may decline when interest rates rise. During periods of high interest rates, REITs and other real estate companies may lose appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments. High interest rates may also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain.

 

Most equity REITs receive a flow of income from property rentals, which, after covering their expenses, they pay to their shareholders in the form of dividends. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property they own, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit they extend or mortgages they purchase.

 

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REITs and other real estate company securities tend to be small- to mid-cap securities and are subject to the risks of investing in small- to mid-cap securities. Some of the REIT securities in which the Fund invests may be preferred stock, which receives preference in the payment of dividends.

 

Risk Management. Management undertakes certain analyses with the intention of identifying particular types of risks and reducing the Fund’s exposure to them. However, risk is an essential part of investing, and the degree of return an investor might expect is often tied to the degree of risk the investor is willing to accept. By its very nature, risk involves exposure to the possibility of adverse events. Accordingly, no risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to such events; at best, it may only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by adverse events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. While the prospectus describes material risk factors associated with the Fund’s investment program, there is no assurance that as a particular situation unfolds in the markets, management will identify all of the risks that might affect the Fund, rate their probability or potential magnitude correctly, or be able to take appropriate measures to reduce the Fund’s exposure to them. The Fund could experience losses if judgments about risk prove to be incorrect. Measures taken with the intention of decreasing exposure to identified risks might have the unintended effect of increasing exposure to other risks.

 

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in one sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors, industries, or sub-sectors. An individual sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. The Fund’s performance could also be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-sectors do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance. For a summary of the Fund’s recent sector allocations, see its most recent shareholder report. (The information in the report is as of the date of the report and may have changed.) For information about the risks of investing in particular sectors, see the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

 

Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities, a possible delay in receiving additional collateral (to cover an increase in the market value of the loaned securities or a decrease in the value of any securities collateral), or a possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. There is a risk that a borrower may default on its obligations to return loaned securities, which could negatively impact the Fund. The Fund could also lose money if the value of the collateral decreases.

 

To the extent that the portfolio securities acquired with such collateral have decreased in value, it may result in the Fund realizing a loss at a time when it would not otherwise do so. As such, securities lending may introduce leverage into the Fund. The Fund also may incur losses if the returns on securities that it acquires with cash collateral are less than the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs.

 

Special Situations Risk. Investing in special situations carries the risk that certain of such situations may not happen as anticipated or the market may react differently than expected to such situations. The securities of companies involved in special situations may be more volatile than other securities, may at times be illiquid, or may be difficult to value.

 

Furthermore, a special situation, such as a pending restructuring or spin-off, may be renegotiated or terminated or involve a longer time frame than originally contemplated. In addition, certain special situations, such as companies emerging from, or restructuring as a result of, bankruptcy, involve difficult transitions in corporate structure, finance and/or governance. These situations carry additional risks and the securities of such companies may be more likely to lose value than the securities of more stable companies. It also may be difficult to obtain complete financial or other information about companies involved in certain special situations and management of such companies may be addressing a situation with which it has little experience. The terms of certain special situation investments may be subject to restrictions that prevent the Fund from selling the position until the special situation is largely resolved which may limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise.

 

Utility Companies Risk. Utility companies are sensitive to changes in interest rates and other economic conditions, government regulation, uncertainties created by deregulation, power shortages and surpluses, the price and availability of fuel, environmental protection or energy conservation policies and practices, the level and demand for services, increased risk and competition in deregulated sectors, and the cost of technological advances and the possible inability to implement them at opportune times. In addition, securities of utility companies are volatile and may underperform in a sluggish economy.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market or other conditions make it difficult to value an investment, the Fund may be required to value such investments using more subjective methods, known as fair value methodologies. Using fair value methodologies to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent closing price and from

 

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the prices used by other funds to calculate their NAVs. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received if the Fund had not held fair-valued securities or had used a different methodology. The value of foreign securities, certain futures, fixed income securities, and currencies may be materially affected by events after the close of the markets on which they are traded but before the Fund determines its net asset value. The Fund uses pricing services to provide values for certain securities and there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell an investment at the price established by such pricing services. Different pricing services use different valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same investments. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if a pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, the value of the Fund’s investments could be impacted. The Fund’s ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.

 

Value Stock Risk. Value stocks may remain undervalued for extended periods of time, may decrease in value during a given period, may not ever realize what the portfolio management team believes to be their full value or intrinsic value, or the portfolio management team’s assumptions about intrinsic value or potential for appreciation may be incorrect. This may happen because value stocks, as a category, lose favor with investors compared to growth stocks, because of a failure to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions a misappraisal of a stock’s growth potential, or because the stocks’ worth was misgauged. Entire industries or sectors may lose favor with investors, and the Fund, in seeking value stocks, may focus its investments more heavily in those industries or sectors.

 

Information about Additional Risks and Other Practices

 

As discussed in the Statement of Additional Information, a Fund may engage in certain practices and invest in certain securities in addition to those described as its “principal investment strategies” in its Fund Summary section. For example, should a Fund engage in borrowing or securities lending, or should a Fund use derivatives or invest in foreign securities, it will be subject to the additional risks associated with these practices and securities.

 

Borrowing money, securities lending, or using derivatives would create investment leverage, meaning that certain gains or losses would be amplified, increasing share price movements. A Fund that does not engage in derivatives as part of its principal investment strategy may, to a limited extent, use certain derivatives for hedging or investment purposes. A derivative instrument, whether used for hedging or for speculation, could fail to perform as expected, causing a loss for a Fund.

 

Foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments, involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities, and can fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. Securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries.

 

In addition, a Fund may be an investment option for a Neuberger Berman mutual fund that is managed as a “fund of funds.” As a result, from time to time, a Fund may experience relatively large redemptions or investments and could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it is not advantageous to do so.

 

In anticipation of adverse or uncertain market, economic, political, or other temporary conditions, including during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, a Fund may temporarily depart from its goal and use a different investment strategy (including leaving a significant portion of its assets uninvested) for defensive purposes. Doing so could help a Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost opportunities. In addition, in doing so different factors could affect a Fund’s performance and a Fund may not achieve its goal.

 

In addition, to the extent a Fund is new or is undergoing a transition (such as a change in strategy, rebalancing, reorganization, liquidation or experiencing large inflows or outflows) or takes a temporary defensive position, it may deviate from its principal investment strategies during such period.

 

A Fund may change its goal without shareholder approval, although none currently intend to do so.

 

Please see the Statement of Additional Information for more information.

 

Descriptions of Indices

 

The FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that tracks the performance of all equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE Arca or the NASDAQ National Market List. Equity REITs include all tax-qualified REITs with more than 50 percent of total assets in qualifying real estate assets other than mortgages secured by real property.

 

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The MSCI EAFE® Index (Net) (Europe, Australasia, Far East) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets excluding the United States and Canada. The index consists of the following 21 developed market country indexes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Net total return indexes reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indexes) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

 

The Russell 1000® Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity market. It includes approximately 1,000 of the largest securities in the Russell 3000® Index (which measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. public companies based on total market capitalization). The index is rebalanced annually in June.

 

The Russell 1000® Value Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity market. It includes those Russell 1000® Index companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth rates. The index is rebalanced annually in June.

 

The Russell 2000® Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity market. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities in the Russell 3000® Index (which measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. public companies based on total market capitalization). The index is rebalanced annually in June.

 

The S&P 500® Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that focuses on the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity market, and includes a significant portion of the total value of the market.

 

Management of the Funds

 

Investment Manager

 

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“Manager”), located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104, is each Fund’s investment manager and administrator. Neuberger Berman BD LLC (“Distributor”), located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104, is each Fund’s distributor. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Manager is responsible for choosing a Fund’s investments and handling its day-to-day business. The services provided by the Manager as the investment manager and administrator include, among others, overall responsibility for providing all supervisory, management, and administrative services reasonably necessary for the operation of the Funds, which may include, among others, compliance monitoring, operational and investment risk management, legal and administrative services and portfolio accounting services. The Manager carries out its duties subject to the policies established by the Board of Trustees. The investment advisory agreement establishes the fees a Fund pays to the Manager for its services as the Fund’s investment manager and the expenses paid directly by the Fund. Together, the Neuberger Berman affiliates manage approximately $439 billion in total assets (as of 9/30/2023) and continue an asset management history that began in 1939.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Funds' investment advisory agreements is available in the Funds' semi-annual report for the fiscal period ended February 28, 2023.

 

NBIA may engage one or more of foreign affiliates that are not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“participating affiliates”) in accordance with applicable SEC no-action letters. As participating affiliates, whether or not registered with the SEC, the affiliates may provide designated investment personnel to associate with NBIA as “associated persons” of NBIA and perform specific advisory services for NBIA, including services for the Funds, which may involve, among other services, portfolio management and/or placing orders for securities and other instruments. The designated employees of a participating affiliate act for NBIA and are subject to certain NBIA policies and procedures as well as supervision and periodic monitoring by NBIA. The Funds will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements.

 

Neither this Prospectus nor the Statement of Additional Information is intended to give rise to any contract rights or other rights in any shareholder, other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that have not been waived. The Funds enter into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Manager, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third party beneficiaries of, those contractual arrangements. Where shareholders are not third party beneficiaries of contractual arrangements, those contractual arrangements cannot be enforced by shareholders acting on their own behalf.

 

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Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.51% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.66% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.67% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.42% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.60% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.80% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund: For the 12 months ended 8/31/2023, the management fees paid to the Manager by the Fund were 0.50% of its average daily net assets. Class E of the Fund will not pay the Manager fees for administrative services provided to Class E of the Fund except for certain technology costs that are annually approved by the Board of Trustees and are typically not material. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its management fee for the Fund’s Class E shares. This undertaking lasts until 8/31/2025 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional information about each Portfolio Manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager, and each Portfolio Manager’s ownership of shares in the Fund(s) that he or she manages.

 

Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund

Richard S. Levine is a Managing Director of the Manager. He has been a Portfolio Manager with the firm since 1989 and has served as Portfolio Manager since the Fund’s inception in 2006.

 

Alexandra Pomeroy is a Managing Director of the Manager. She has been a Portfolio Manager with the firm since 2005 and has served as Portfolio Manager since the Fund’s inception in 2006.

 

William D. Hunter is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Hunter joined the firm in 2006 and has been an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012.

 

Shawn Trudeau, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Trudeau joined the firm in 2011 and has been an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2018.

 

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Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund

Robert W. D’Alelio is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. D’Alelio has been a senior member of the Small Cap Team since 1996. Mr. D’Alelio has co-managed the Fund’s assets since 1997.

 

Brett S. Reiner is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Reiner has been a member of the Small Cap Team since 2003. Mr. Reiner joined the firm in 2000. He has been co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund since August 2019 and before that was an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2005.

 

Gregory G. Spiegel is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Spiegel has been a member of the Small Cap Team since 2012. Mr. Spiegel joined the firm in 2012. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Spiegel was the Director of Research at another firm, covering global equities and overseeing that firm’s research analysts from 2010 to 2012. He has been co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund since August 2019 and before that was an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2015.

 

Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund

Elias Cohen, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Cohen joined the firm in 2000 and has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since January 2019.

 

Thomas Hogan, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Hogan joined the firm in 2011 and has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2022 and before that was an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2021.

 

Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund

Eli M. Salzmann is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Salzmann joined the firm in 2011 and has been the Portfolio Manager of the Fund since December 2011. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Salzmann spent nearly 14 years at another investment manager where he was a Partner, Director of Large-Cap Value and a portfolio manager specializing in U.S. Large-Cap Value strategies.

 

David Levine, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. Mr. Levine joined the firm in 1995 and has been an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2021.

 

Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund

Richard S. Nackenson is a Managing Director of the Manager. He is also a Senior Portfolio Manager for separate accounts at Neuberger Berman. He has been the Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2009. Mr. Nackenson joined the firm in 1999.

 

Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund

Steve Shigekawa is a Managing Director of the Manager. He has been co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2008 and was an Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund from 2005 to 2008. Prior to that, he was an analyst with the firm covering REIT securities since 2002.

 

Brian C. Jones, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. He has been co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2008. Prior to that, he was an Associate Portfolio Manager for separately managed accounts investing in REIT securities since 2007.

 

Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund

Daniel P. Hanson, CFA, is a Managing Director of the Manager. He has been Senior Portfolio Manager of the Fund since April 2022. Mr. Hanson joined the firm in 2022. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hanson spent over 25 years at other asset management firms where he held various roles such as chief investment officer, partner and portfolio manager.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     14.55       13.51  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.29       0.43  
Net gains (losses) — realized and unrealized     (1.11 )     (0.03 )
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (0.82 )     0.40  
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends     0.22       0.42  
Capital gain distributions           0.66  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders     0.22       1.08  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     13.51       12.83  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) — as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.06 (4)      0.06  
Gross expenses(2)      0.57 (4)      0.57  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     3.16 (4)      3.28  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (5.66 )(5)      3.17  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     32.0       32.8  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     44 (5)      30  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense reimbursement.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expense.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not annualized
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     71.07       61.89  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.35       0.63  
Net gains (losses) realized and unrealized     (9.53 )     5.23  
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (9.18 )     5.86  
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends           0.60  
Capital gain distributions           6.00  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders           6.60  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     61.89       61.15  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.03 (4)      0.03  
Gross Expenses(2)      0.70 (4)      0.69  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     0.86 (4)      1.06  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (12.92 )(5)      10.70  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     134.0       146.3  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     12 (5)      17  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of Operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expense.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not Annualized.
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman International Equity Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     14.79       11.20  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.19       0.29  
Net gains (losses) — realized and unrealized     (3.78 )     1.43  
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (3.59 )     1.72  
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends           0.18  
Capital gain distributions           0.49  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders           0.67  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     11.20       12.25  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) — as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.07 (4)      0.07  
Gross expenses(2)      0.86 (4)      0.88  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     2.42 (4)      2.44  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (24.27 )(5)      15.97  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     28.1       32.2  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     49 (5)      41  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense reimbursement.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not annualized.
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman Large Cap Value Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     45.60       40.93  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.73       1.17  
Net gains (losses) realized and unrealized     (5.40 )     1.42  
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (4.67 )     2.59  
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends           0.98  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders           0.98  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     40.93       42.54  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.04 (4)      0.03  
Gross expenses(2)      0.46 (4)      0.45  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     2.62 (4)      2.75  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (10.24 )(5)      6.32  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     146.1       158.8  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     82 (5)      81  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense reimbursement.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not annualized.
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     13.99       11.76  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.09       0.11  
Net gains (losses) — realized and unrealized     (2.32 )     1.18  
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (2.23 )     1.29  
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends           0.17  
Capital gain distributions           2.71  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders           2.88  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     11.76       10.17  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) — as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.10 (4)      0.12  
Gross expenses(2)      0.69 (4)      0.72  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     1.11 (4)      1.05  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (15.94 )(5)      13.70  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     71.6       81.4  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     16 (5)      14  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense reimbursement.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not annualized.
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

These financial highlights describe the performance of the Fund’s Class E shares for the fiscal period indicated. All figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund's most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover).

 

Neuberger Berman Real Estate Fund — Class E

 

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31,   2022(1)    2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     18.24       15.53  
Plus:                
Income from investment operations                
Net investment income (loss)(6)      0.11       0.43  
Net gains (losses) — realized and unrealized     (2.60 )     (1.86 )
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (2.49 )     (1.43 )
Minus:                
Distributions to shareholders                
Income dividends     0.12       0.41  
Capital gain distributions     0.10       1.31  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders     0.22       1.72  
Equals:                
Share price (NAV) at end of year     15.53       12.38  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) — as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense reimbursement arrangements had not been in effect.                
Net expenses — actual     0.08 (4)      0.08  
Gross expenses(2)      0.88 (4)      0.88  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     1.00 (4)      3.30  
OTHER DATA                
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                
Total return (%)(3)      (13.67 )(5)      (9.10 )
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     19.0       16.1  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     37 (5)      38  

 

(1)  Period from 1/11/2022 (beginning of operations) to 8/31/2022.
(2)  Shows what this ratio would have been if there had been no expense reimbursement.
(3)  Would have been lower if the Manager had not reimbursed certain expenses.
(4)  Annualized.
(5)  Not annualized.
(6)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during the fiscal period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund Class E had not commenced operations during the periods shown. The below figures are from Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund Investor Class. Because Investor Class has higher expenses than Class E, its performance typically would have been lower than that of Class E. Beginning with the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, all figures have been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with full financial statements, appears in the Fund’s most recent annual shareholder report (see back cover). The information for the prior fiscal years or periods was audited by a different independent public accounting firm.

 

Neuberger Berman Sustainable Equity Fund — Investor Class

 

YEAR ENDED AUGUST 31,   2019     2020     2021     2022     2023  
PER-SHARE DATA ($)                                        
Data apply to a single share throughout each year indicated. You can see what the Fund earned (or lost), what it distributed to investors, and how its share price changed.                                        
Share price (NAV) at beginning of year     41.86       37.08       39.44       49.85       38.86  
Plus:                                        
Income from investment operations                                        
Net investment income (loss)(1)      0.30       0.22       0.18       0.18       0.14  
Net gains (losses) — realized and unrealized     (1.80 )     5.56       12.84       (6.29 )     5.05  
Subtotal: income (loss) from investment operations     (1.50 )     5.78       13.02       (6.11 )     5.19  
Minus:                                        
Distributions to shareholders                                        
Income dividends     0.16       0.25       0.26       0.34       0.01  
Capital gain distributions     3.12       3.17       2.35       4.54       3.50  
Subtotal: distributions to shareholders     3.28       3.42       2.61       4.88       3.51  
Equals:                                        
Share price (NAV) at end of year     37.08       39.44       49.85       38.86       40.54  
RATIOS (% OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)                                        
The ratios show the Fund's expenses and net investment income (loss) — as they actually are as well as how they would have been if certain expense offset arrangements had not been in effect.                                        
Net expenses — actual     0.86       0.86       0.84       0.85       0.87  
Gross expenses     0.86       0.86       0.84       0.85       0.87  
Net investment income (loss) — actual     0.80       0.59       0.40       0.40       0.36  
OTHER DATA                                        
Total return shows how an investment in the Fund would have performed over each year, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The turnover rate reflects how actively the Fund bought and sold securities.                                        
Total return (%)     (2.70 )     16.12       34.45       (13.70 )     14.74  
Net assets at end of year (in millions of dollars)     446.1       429.6       437.8       346.2       354.8  
Portfolio turnover rate (%)     20       21       16       14       20  

 

(1)  Calculated based on the average number of shares outstanding during each fiscal period.

 

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Your Investment

 

Maintaining Your Account

 

Class E shares are not offered for sale directly to the general public and may be purchased only by the Neuberger Berman Group LLC 401(k) plan on behalf of the plan participants. The information in this section pertains to plan participants (i.e., eligible investors). Class E shares of the Funds may be held only by eligible investors and cannot be transferred or exchanged. The Funds reserve the right to redeem Class E shares of any investor if the investor ceases to be an eligible investor.

 

For more information with regard to Class E shares, please call the Funds at 800.877.9700.

 

The Funds do not issue certificates for shares.

 

Every buy or sell order will be processed at the next share price to be calculated after the order has been received in proper form. Purchase orders are deemed “received in proper form” when the Funds' transfer agent has received payment for the shares. Redemption orders are deemed “received in proper form” when the Funds' transfer agent has received your order to sell Fund shares.

 

The Funds typically expect to meet redemption requests, under both normal and stressed market conditions, by redeeming cash and cash equivalent portfolio holdings and/or selling portfolio securities or other instruments. As described further below and in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information, the Funds also reserve the right to redeem an investor’s shares in kind (i.e., providing investors with portfolio securities instead of cash), in whole or in part to meet redemption requests in stressed market conditions and other appropriate circumstances.

 

The Funds reserve the right to pay in kind for redemptions. The Funds also may elect to honor a shareholder’s request for the Fund to pay in kind for redemptions in an attempt to manage any liquidity needs, to manage and optimize its portfolio composition, to offset transaction costs associated with portfolio transactions, and/or to more efficiently manage its portfolio. The securities provided to investors in an in-kind redemption may be a pro-rata portion of the Fund’s portfolio or a non-pro-rata portion of the Fund’s portfolio selected by the Manager based upon various circumstances and subject to the Fund’s policies and procedures and any applicable laws or regulations. If the securities provided to investors in an in-kind redemption are a non-pro-rata portion of the Fund’s portfolio, it will only include securities that have been disclosed in the Fund's most recent public portfolio holdings disclosure.

 

Redemptions in kind may cause you to incur transaction costs to the extent you dispose of the securities redeemed in kind and the value of the securities redeemed in kind may decrease between the time of redemption and the time of such sale. The Funds may also borrow under any available line of credit and other available methods to meet redemption requests in both normal and stressed market conditions and other appropriate circumstances.

 

A redemption can be part of an exchange into (1) another fund available through your Employee Benefit Plan or (2) another account or IRA.

 

If you are married, and all or part of your investment is attributable to purchases made under either (i) an employer plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) or (ii) an employer plan that provides for spousal rights to benefits, then to the extent required by the Code or ERISA or the terms of your employer plan, your rights to make certain redemptions may be restricted by the rights of your spouse to such benefits.

 

Other policies — Under certain circumstances, which may include normal and stressed market conditions, the Funds reserve the right to:

 

suspend the offering of shares
reject any exchange or purchase order
suspend or reject future purchase orders from any investor who has not provided timely payment to settle a purchase order
change, suspend, or revoke the exchange privilege
suspend the telephone order privilege
satisfy an order to sell Fund shares with securities rather than cash
suspend or postpone investors’ ability to sell Fund shares or postpone payments on redemptions for more than seven days, on days when trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange”) is restricted, or as otherwise permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)

 

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suspend or postpone your ability to sell Fund shares or postpone payments on redemptions for more than seven days, on days when the Exchange is closed
suspend or postpone your ability to sell Fund shares or postpone payments on redemptions for more than seven days, on days when the Exchange closes early (e.g., on the eve of a major holiday or because of a local emergency, such as a blizzard)
change investment minimums or other requirements for buying and selling, or waive any minimums or requirements for certain investors
remain open and process orders to purchase or sell Fund shares when the Exchange is closed.

 

Proceeds from the sale of shares — The proceeds from the shares you sell are typically sent out the next business day after your order is executed, and nearly always within seven days regardless of payment type. When you sell shares through your financial intermediary, contact your provider to find out when proceeds will be sent to you. There are two cases in which proceeds may be delayed beyond this time:

 

in unusual circumstances where the law allows additional time if needed
if a check you wrote to buy shares has not cleared by the time you sell those shares; clearance may take up to 15 calendar days from the date of purchase.

 

If you think you may need to sell shares soon after buying them, you can avoid the check clearing time by investing by wire.

 

Statements and Confirmations — Please review your account statements and confirmations carefully as soon as you receive them. You must contact us within 30 days if you have any questions or notice any discrepancies. Otherwise, you may adversely affect your right to make a claim about the transaction(s).

 

Important information regarding unclaimed/abandoned property — If your financial intermediary is unable to locate you, then it is required by law to determine whether your account(s) must be deemed “unclaimed” or “abandoned.” Your financial intermediary (or the Distributor) is required to transfer (or escheat) unclaimed or abandoned property to the appropriate state government in accordance with state law. Your account(s) may also be deemed “unclaimed” or “abandoned” and subsequently transferred to the appropriate state government if no activity (as defined by that state) occurs within the account(s) during the period of time specified by state law or if checks related to the account(s) remain uncashed. Your last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction.

 

It is your responsibility to ensure that your financial intermediary (or the Distributor) maintains a correct address for your account(s). An incorrect address may cause your account statements and other mailings to be returned as undeliverable. Neither the Distributor nor a Fund nor its transfer agent will be liable to investors or their representatives for good faith compliance with state unclaimed or abandoned property (escheatment) laws. If you use a financial intermediary, contact that provider regarding applicable state escheatment laws.

 

Financial Intermediaries

 

Class E shares described in this prospectus may be purchased by the Neuberger Berman Group LLC 401(k) plan on behalf of the plan participants.

 

The fees and policies outlined in this prospectus are set by the Funds and by the Distributor. However, most of the information you will need for managing your investment will come from your financial intermediary. This includes information on how to buy and sell Class E shares, investor services, and additional policies.

 

In exchange for the services it offers, your financial intermediary may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this prospectus.

 

A Plan Service Provider or an employee benefits office can provide plan participants with detailed information on how to participate in the plan, elect a Fund as an investment option, elect different investment options, alter the amounts contributed to the plan, or change allocations among investment options. For questions about participant accounts, plan participants should contact their Plan Service Provider or their employee benefits office.

 

Financial intermediaries may provide some of the shareholder servicing and account maintenance services required by plan accounts and their plan participants, including transfers of registration, dividend payee changes and generation of confirmation statements, and may arrange for Plan Service Providers to provide other investment or administrative services. Financial intermediaries may charge plans and plan participants transaction fees and/or other additional amounts for such services. Similarly, plans may charge plan participants for certain expenses, which are in addition to those described in this prospectus. These fees and additional amounts could reduce an investment return in Class E

 

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shares of the Funds. Please contact your financial intermediary regarding whether any fees or expenses apply to your investment in the Funds.

 

Class E shares do not pay any service, distribution, or administrative fees to financial intermediaries on Class E shares.

 

Information Required from New Accounts

 

To help the U.S. government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

 

When you open an account, we (which may include your financial intermediary acting on our behalf) will require your name, address, date of birth, and social security number or other taxpayer identification number. We may also require other identifying documents. If we cannot verify the information you supply to us or if it is incomplete, we may be required to return your funds or redeem your account.

 

Share Prices

 

Because Class E shares of each Fund do not have a sales charge, the price you pay for each share of a Fund is the Fund’s net asset value per share. Similarly, because the Funds do not charge fees for selling shares, your Fund pays you the full share price (net asset value) when you sell shares. Remember that your financial intermediary may charge fees for its services.

 

If you use a financial intermediary, that provider may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this prospectus.

 

The Funds are generally open for business every day the Exchange is open. The Exchange is generally closed on all national holidays and Good Friday; Fund shares will not be priced on those days or other days on which the Exchange is scheduled to be closed. When the Exchange is closed for unusual reasons, Fund shares will generally not be priced although a Fund may decide to remain open and price Fund shares and in such a case, the Fund would post a notice on www.nb.com.

 

Each Fund normally calculates its share price on each day the Exchange is open once daily as of 4:00 P.M., Eastern time. In the event of an emergency or other disruption in trading on the Exchange, a Fund’s share price would still normally be determined as of 4:00 P.M., Eastern time. In general, every buy or sell order you place will go through at the next share price calculated after your order has been received in proper form (see “Maintaining Your Account” for information on placing orders). Check with your financial intermediary to find out by what time your order must be received so that it can be processed the same day. Depending on when your financial intermediary accepts orders, it is possible that a Fund’s share price could change on days when you are unable to buy or sell shares.

 

Because foreign markets may be open on days when U.S. markets are closed, the value of foreign securities owned by a Fund could change on days when you cannot buy or sell Fund shares. Remember, though, any purchase or sale takes place at the next share price calculated after your order is received in proper form.

 

Share Price Calculations

 

The net asset value per share of Class E of a Fund is the total value of Fund assets attributable to Class E minus the liabilities attributable to that class, divided by the total number of shares outstanding for that class. Because the value of a Fund's portfolio securities changes every business day, its share price usually changes as well.

 

A Fund generally values its investments based upon their last reported sale prices, market quotations, or estimates of value provided by an independent pricing service as of the time as of which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Debt securities and certain derivative instruments that do not trade on an exchange generally are valued by one or more independent pricing services approved by the Manager on the basis of market quotations and in the case of derivatives, market data about the underlying investments. Short-term securities held by a Fund may be valued on the basis of amortized cost, unless other factors indicate that amortized cost is not an accurate estimate of the security’s value. Equity securities (including securities issued by ETFs) and exchange-traded derivative instruments held by a Fund generally are valued by one or more independent pricing services approved by the Manager at the last reported sale price or official closing price or, if there is no reported sale quoted on a principal exchange or market for that security or official closing price, on the basis of market quotations.

 

Investments in non-exchange traded investment companies are valued using the respective fund’s daily calculated net asset value per share. The prospectus for the fund explains the circumstances under which the fund will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

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If a valuation for a security is not available from an independent pricing service or if the Manager believes in good faith that the valuation does not reflect the amount a Fund would receive on a current sale of that security, the Fund seeks to obtain quotations from brokers or dealers. If such quotations are not readily available, the Fund may use a fair value estimate made according to methods approved by the Manager. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Board of Trustees designated the Manager as the Fund’s valuation designee. As the Fund’s valuation designee, the Manager is responsible for determining fair value in good faith for any and all Fund investments. A Fund may also use these methods to value certain types of illiquid securities. Fair value pricing generally will be used if the market in which a portfolio security trades closes early or if trading in a particular security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time as of which a Fund’s share price is calculated.

 

A Fund may also fair value securities that trade in a foreign market if significant events that appear likely to affect the value of those securities occur between the time the foreign market closes and the time as of which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Significant events may include (1) corporate actions or announcements that affect a single issuer, (2) governmental actions that affect securities in one sector, country or region, (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts that affect a country or region, or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations.

 

For certain foreign assets, after the relevant foreign markets have closed, a third-party vendor supplies evaluated, systematic fair value pricing based upon analysis of historical correlation of multiple factors. In the case of both foreign equity and foreign income securities, in the absence of precise information about the market values of these foreign securities as of the time as of which a Fund’s share price is calculated, the Manager has determined on the basis of available data that prices adjusted or evaluated in this way are likely to be closer to the prices a Fund could realize on a current sale than are the prices of those securities established at the close of the foreign markets in which the securities primarily trade. Please see the Funds' Statement of Additional Information for additional detail about the Funds' fair valuation practices.

 

The effect of using fair value pricing is that a portfolio security will be priced based on the subjective judgment of the Manager, operating under procedures approved by the Manager, instead of being priced using valuations from an independent pricing service. Fair value pricing can help to protect a Fund by reducing arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing will completely prevent dilution of a Fund’s net asset value by such traders.

 

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the Fund calculates its net asset value. In addition, foreign markets may be open on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change at times or on days when the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated, when Fund shares do not trade, and when sales and redemptions of Fund shares do not occur.

 

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions — Each Fund pays out to its shareholders any net investment income and net realized capital and foreign currency gains. Ordinarily, each Fund makes any distributions once a year (usually in December), except that Equity Income Fund and Real Estate Fund typically distribute any net investment income quarterly. A Fund may make additional distributions, if necessary, to avoid federal income or excise taxes.

 

How distributions are taxed — Except for tax-advantaged retirement plans and accounts and other tax-exempt investors (collectively, “exempt investors”) and except as noted in the next paragraph, all Fund distributions you receive are generally taxable to you, regardless of whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in additional Fund shares.

 

Fund distributions to IRAs, Roth IRAs, and qualified retirement plans generally are tax-free. Eventual withdrawals from a Roth IRA also may be tax-free, while withdrawals from other retirement plans and accounts generally are subject to federal income tax.

 

Distributions generally are taxable to shareholders other than exempt investors in the year they are received. In some cases, however, distributions received in January are treated for federal income tax purposes as if they had been paid the previous December 31. Your tax statement (see “Taxes and You”) will help clarify this for you.

 

Distributions of net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“dividends”) are taxed as ordinary income. However, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy certain holding period and other restrictions with respect to their Fund shares on which the dividends are paid, a Fund’s dividends attributable to “qualified dividend income” (generally, dividends the Fund receives on stock of most U.S. and certain foreign corporations with respect to which it satisfies those restrictions) are subject to maximum federal income tax rates that are lower than the maximum rates for ordinary income (“lower maximum rates”).

 

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Distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are taxed as long-term capital gain and for individual shareholders are subject to the lower maximum rates. The tax treatment of capital gain distributions from a Fund depends on how long the Fund held the securities it sold that generated the gain, not on when you bought your shares of the Fund or whether you reinvested your distributions.

 

If, for any taxable year, a Fund distributes an amount that exceeds the sum of its current earnings and profits (generally, the sum of its investment company taxable income plus net capital gain for that year — which might result from, among other things, the difference between book and tax accounting treatment of certain derivatives and foreign currency transactions — plus its accumulated earnings and profits, if any) that excess generally will not be taxable (a so-called “return of capital”), which will reduce your tax basis in your Fund shares. To the extent that excess is greater than your tax basis, it will be treated as gain from a redemption of your shares (taxed as described below).

 

Shareholders should review any notice that accompanies a payment of dividends or other distributions to determine whether any portion of the payment represents a return of capital rather than a distribution of a Fund’s net income and/or realized gains.

 

How share transactions are taxed — When you sell (redeem) or exchange Fund shares, you generally will realize a taxable gain or loss. An exception, once again, applies to exempt investors. For individual shareholders, any capital gain recognized on a redemption or exchange of Fund shares that have been held for more than one year will qualify for the lower maximum rates.

 

Additional tax — An individual shareholder’s distributions from a Fund and net gains recognized on redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are subject to a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income” (which generally includes distributions from a Fund and net gains from the disposition of Fund shares) or (2) the excess of the individual's “modified adjusted gross income” over a specified threshold amount. This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. You should consult your own tax professional regarding the effect, if any, this tax may have on your investment in Fund shares.

 

Taxes and You

 

The taxes you actually owe on Fund distributions and share transactions can vary with many factors, such as your marginal tax bracket, how long you held your shares and, if you are an individual shareholder, whether you owe federal alternative minimum tax.

 

How can you figure out your tax liability on Fund distributions and share transactions? One helpful tool is the tax statement that we or your financial intermediary sends you after the end of each calendar year. It details the distributions you received during the past year and shows their tax status. That statement, or a separate statement from us or your financial intermediary, also covers your share transactions.

 

Most importantly, consult your tax professional. Everyone’s tax situation is different, and your tax professional should be able to help you answer any questions you may have.

 

Backup Withholding

 

A Fund is required to withhold at the backup withholding rate from the money you are otherwise entitled to receive from its distributions and redemption proceeds (regardless of whether you realized a gain or loss) if you are an individual shareholder who fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number to the Fund. Withholding at that rate also is required from a Fund’s distributions to which you are otherwise entitled if you are an individual shareholder and the Internal Revenue Service tells us that you are subject to backup withholding (1) for failing to properly report the receipt of interest or dividend income or (2) for any other reason.

 

If you use a financial intermediary, you must supply your signed taxpayer identification number form (generally, Form W-9) to your financial intermediary and it must supply its taxpayer identification number to us, in order to avoid backup withholding.

 

Buying Shares Before a Distribution

 

The money a Fund earns, either as net investment income or as net realized capital gains, is reflected in its share price until it distributes the money. At that time, the amount of the distribution is deducted from the share price. Because of this, if you buy shares of a Fund just before it makes such a distribution, you will end up getting some of your investment back as a taxable distribution. You can avoid this situation by waiting to invest until after the record date for the distribution.

 

Generally, if you are an exempt investor, there are no current tax consequences to you from distributions.

 

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Basis Determination and Reporting

 

Your basis in Fund shares that you acquired or acquire after December 31, 2011 (collectively, “Covered Shares”), will be determined in accordance with the Funds' default basis determination method, which is average cost basis, unless you affirmatively elect in writing (which may be electronic) to use a different basis determination method acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service. The basis determination method may not be changed with respect to a redemption (including a redemption that is part of an exchange) of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption. A Fund must report to the Internal Revenue Service and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares. See “Additional Tax Information” in the Statement of Additional Information for more information about the rules regarding basis determination and a Fund’s reporting obligation. You should consult with your tax professional to determine the best basis determination method for your tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis determination and reporting rules apply to you.

 

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Market Timing Policy

 

Frequent purchases, exchanges and redemptions of Fund shares (“market-timing activities”) can interfere with effective Fund management and adversely affect Fund performance in various ways, including by requiring a portfolio manager to liquidate portfolio holdings at a disadvantageous time or price, by increasing costs (such as brokerage costs) to a Fund by requiring a portfolio manager to effect more frequent purchases and sales of portfolio securities, and possibly by requiring a portfolio manager to keep a larger portion of Fund assets in cash, all of which could adversely affect the interests of long-term shareholders. To discourage market-timing activities by Fund shareholders, the Board of Trustees has adopted market-timing policies and has approved the procedures of the principal underwriter for implementing those policies. As described earlier in this prospectus, pursuant to such policies, the exchange privilege can be withdrawn from any investor that is believed to be “timing the market” or is otherwise making exchanges judged to be excessive. In furtherance of these policies, under certain circumstances, the Funds reserve the right to reject any exchange or purchase order; change, suspend or revoke the exchange privilege; or suspend the telephone order privilege.

 

The Manager applies the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to market-timing activities by monitoring trading activity in the Funds, identifying excessive trading patterns, and warning or prohibiting shareholders who trade excessively from making further purchases or exchanges of Fund shares. These policies and procedures are applied consistently to all shareholders. Although the Funds make efforts to monitor for market-timing activities, the ability of the Funds to monitor trades that are placed by the underlying shareholders of omnibus accounts maintained by brokers, retirement plan accounts and other approved financial intermediaries may be limited in those instances in which the financial intermediary maintains the underlying shareholder accounts. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Funds will be able to eliminate all market-timing activities.

 

Portfolio Holdings Policy

 

A description of the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings is available in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information.

 

The complete portfolio holdings for each Fund are available at www.nb.com/holdings (click on the tab with the name of the relevant Fund). The complete portfolio holdings for each Fund (except Genesis Fund, Large Cap Value Fund and Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund) are generally posted 15-30 days after each month-end. The complete portfolio holdings for Genesis Fund, Large Cap Value Fund and Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund are generally posted 15-30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Each Fund’s (except Genesis Fund’s, Large Cap Value Fund’s and Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund’s) complete portfolio holdings will remain available at this website until the subsequent month-end holdings have been posted. Genesis Fund’s, Large Cap Value Fund's and Multi-Cap Opportunities Fund’s complete portfolio holdings will remain available at this website until the subsequent quarter-end holdings have been posted. Complete portfolio holdings for the Funds will also be available in reports on Form N-PORT and Form N-CSR filed with the SEC. Historical portfolio holdings are available upon request.

 

Generally, no earlier than five business days after month-end, a Fund may publicly disclose via various shareholder and public communications, such as portfolio manager commentaries, fact sheets or other marketing materials, which will be publicly available at www.nb.com, certain portfolio characteristics and partial information concerning portfolio holdings for the month or quarter as of month-end or quarter-end, as applicable, including but not limited to: up to the top 10 holdings of the Fund (if the Fund engages in short selling, it may also disclose up to the top 10 short positions); up to the top 10 holdings that contributed to and/or detracted from performance or were the best and/or worst performers; sector breakdowns or changes to portfolio composition (e.g., buys and sells). This information will typically remain available at this website until information for the subsequent month or quarter, as applicable, has been posted; however, to comply with Rule 30e-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, quarter-end information may be retained on this website for each Fund’s previous fiscal year. A Fund may also post intra-month updates to holdings and certain portfolio characteristics to www.nb.com. Any such intra-month update would be in addition to and not in lieu of the holdings disclosure policies described above.

 

Fund Structure

 

Each Fund offers one or more classes of shares that have identical investment programs, but may have different fee waivers and different arrangements for distribution and shareholder servicing and, consequently, different expenses. Shares of a class to which a fee waiver applies may not be available to all investors in a Fund. Rather, they will be made available to investors meeting eligibility criteria outlined in the Prospectuses for such share classes. This prospectus relates solely to the Class E shares of the Funds.

 

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NEUBERGER BERMAN EQUITY FUNDS

 

Class E Shares

If you would like further details on these Funds, you can request a free copy of the following documents:

 

Shareholder Reports and Form N-CSR. The shareholder reports and Form N-CSR, which includes financial statements, offer information about each Fund, including:

a discussion by the Portfolio Managers about strategies and market conditions that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year
Fund performance data and financial statements
portfolio holdings.

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The SAI contains more comprehensive information on each Fund, including:

various types of securities and practices, and their risks
investment limitations and additional policies
information about the Fund’s management and business structure.

 

The SAI is hereby incorporated by reference into this prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.

 

Investment Manager: Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC

 

Obtaining Information

 

You can obtain a shareholder report, SAI, and other information such as financial statements from your financial intermediary, or from:

 

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
877-628-2583
Website: www.nb.com

 

Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

 

Each Fund’s current net asset value per share is made available at: http://www.nb.com/performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “Neuberger Berman” name and logo and “Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC” are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC. The individual Fund names in this prospectus are either service marks or registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC. ©2023 Neuberger Berman BD LLC, distributor. All rights reserved.

 

SEC File Number: 811-00582
W0128 12/23