2023-09-22MSIFTDiscoveryPortfolio_485B_PSP_January2024
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust

Discovery Portfolio

Prospectus   |   January 28, 2024 
Share Class
Ticker Symbol
Class I
MPEGX
Class A
MACGX
Class L
MSKLX
Class C
MSMFX
Class R6
MMCGX
image 
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves investment risks, and you may lose money in the Fund.
IFTMCGPRO 1/24 

 
 
Table of Contents
 
Page
1
7
8

 
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio 
Investment Objective
The Discovery Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay fees other than the fees and expenses of the Fund, such as brokerage commissions and other fees charged by financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
For purchases of Class A shares, you may qualify for a sales charge discount if the cumulative net asset value per share (“NAV”) of Class A shares of the Fund being purchased in a single transaction, together with the NAV of any shares of the Fund and any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund already held in Related Accounts (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A Shares”) as of the date of the transaction, amounts to $50,000 or more. For purposes of this calculation, holdings of the following Morgan Stanley Funds are excluded: Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Exchange Privilege”) and Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Exchange Privilege”). Shares of Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds that you acquired in a prior exchange of shares of the Fund or shares of another Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (other than Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios) are included in the Class A share right of accumulation. More information about this combined purchase discount and other discounts is available from your authorized financial intermediary, on page 21 of the Prospectus in the section entitled “Shareholder Information—Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A Shares” and in Appendix A attached to the Prospectus.
Class I shares may be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund’s principal underwriter permitting such firms to (i) offer Class I shares solely when acting as an agent for the investor and (ii) impose on an investor transacting in Class I shares through such platforms a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
Shareholder Fees  (fees paid directly from your investment)
 
Class I
Class A
Class L
Class C
Class R6
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
None
5.25%
None
None
None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage based on the lesser of the offering price or NAV at redemption)
None
None1
None
1.00%2
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses  (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Class I
Class A
Class L
Class C
Class R6
Advisory Fee3
0.50%
0.50%
0.50%
0.50%
0.50%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee
None
0.25%
0.75%
1.00%
None
Other Expenses4
0.24%
0.27%
0.31%
0.30%
0.15%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.74%
1.02%
1.56%
1.80%
0.65%
1 

 
Back to Table of Contents
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio (Con’t) 
Example
The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. After eight years, Class C shares of the Fund generally will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund. The example for Class C shares reflects the conversion to Class A shares after eight years. Please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Conversion Features” for more information.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
If You SOLD Your Shares
 
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class I
$76
$237
$411
$918
Class A
$624
$833
$1,059
$1,707
Class L
$159
$493
$850
$1,856
Class C
$283
$566
$975
$1,911
Class R6
$66
$208
$362
$810
If You HELD Your Shares
 
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class I
$76
$237
$411
$918
Class A
$624
$833
$1,059
$1,707
Class L
$159
$493
$850
$1,856
Class C
$183
$566
$975
$1,911
Class R6
$66
$208
$362
$810
1 Investments in Class A shares that are not subject to any sales charges at the time of purchase are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% that will be imposed if you sell your shares within 12 months after purchase, except for certain specific circumstances. See “Shareholder Information—How To Redeem Fund Shares” for further information about the CDSC waiver categories.
2 The Class C CDSC is only applicable if you sell your shares within one year after the last day of the month of purchase. See “Shareholder Information—How To Redeem Fund Shares” for a complete discussion of the CDSC.
3 “Advisory Fee” includes the management fee of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized as a company under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). The Fund’s “Adviser,” Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to waive or credit a portion of the advisory fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to the Adviser by the Subsidiary.
4 “Other Expenses” include expenses of the Fund’s and Subsidiary’s most recent fiscal year.
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 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 51%  of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies, with capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell Midcap® Growth Index, which as of December 31, 2023, ranged between $202.3 million and $57.7 billion.
The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. The Adviser typically invests in unique companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages with above average business visibility, the ability to deploy capital at high rates of return, strong balance sheets and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser typically focuses a significant portion of the Fund’s investments in a limited number of issuers, which may be in the same industry, sector or geographic region.
The Adviser actively integrates sustainability into the investment process by using environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors as a lens for additional fundamental research, which can contribute to investment decision-making. The Adviser seeks to understand how environmental and social initiatives within companies can create value by strengthening durable competitive advantages, creating growth opportunities, driving profitability and/or aligning with secular growth trends. The Adviser generally engages with company management teams to discuss their ESG practices, with the aim of identifying how sustainability themes present opportunities and risks that can be material to the value of the security over the long-term. Other aspects of the investment
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio (Con’t) 
process include a proprietary, systematic evaluation of governance policies, specifically focusing on compensation alignment on long-term value creation. Although consideration of ESG factors is incorporated into the investment process, it is only one of many tools the Adviser utilizes to make investment decisions.
The Fund may invest in equity securities. The Fund may also invest in privately placed and restricted securities.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. The securities in which the Fund may invest may be denominated in U.S. dollars or in currencies other than U.S. dollars.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective, and you can lose money investing in this Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include:
Equity Securities. In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed-income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic, political conditions and public health conditions. During periods when equity securities experience heightened volatility, such as during periods of market, economic or financial uncertainty or distress, the Fund’s investments in equity securities may be subject to heightened risks.

The value of equity securities and related instruments may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; unexpected trading activity among retail investors; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline.
 
Mid Cap Companies. Investments in mid cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by mid cap companies may be less liquid and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.
 
Foreign and Emerging Market Securities. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political (including geopolitical), economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets that have historically been considered stable may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets or the imposition of punitive taxes. The governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain sectors or industries. In addition, a foreign government may limit or cause delay in the convertibility or repatriation of its currency which would adversely affect the U.S. dollar value and/or liquidity of investments denominated in that currency. Certain foreign investments may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions, or become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. When the Fund holds illiquid investments, its portfolio may be harder to value. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to an investment may not be available or reliable.  In addition, the Fund is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging market countries. In addition, the Fund’s investments in foreign issuers may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of those investments will fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by the use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of the foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions may reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract. Economic sanctions or other
 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio (Con’t) 
similar measures may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Economic sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities, negatively impact the value or liquidity of  the Fund’s investments, significantly delay or prevent the settlement of the Fund’s securities transactions, force the Fund to sell or otherwise dispose of investments at inopportune times or prices, or impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategies.
 
Liquidity. The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or restricted or that may become illiquid or less liquid in response to overall economic conditions or adverse investor perceptions, and which may entail greater risk than investments in other types of securities. These investments may be more difficult to value or sell, particularly in times of market turmoil, and there may be little trading in the secondary market available for particular securities.  If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid or restricted security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss or for less than its fair value.
 
Focused Investing. Although the Fund is a diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Fund typically invests a significant portion of its portfolio in a limited number of issuers, which may be in the same industry, sector or geographic region. As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to risks associated with, and negative events affecting those issuers, industries, sectors or geographic regions, and a decline in the value of a particular instrument may cause the Fund’s overall value to be more volatile and decline to a greater degree than if the Fund were invested more widely.
 
Private Placements and Restricted Securities. The Fund’s investments may include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities could have the effect of increasing the level of Fund illiquidity to the extent the Fund may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. Additionally, the market for certain investments deemed liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions.
 
Information Technology Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in the information technology sector, the value of Fund shares may be particularly impacted by events that adversely affect the information technology sector, such as rapid changes in technology product cycles, product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not invest significantly in companies in the technology sector.
 
Market and Geopolitical Risk. The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the values of the Fund’s investments, which change due to economic and other events that affect markets generally, as well as those that affect particular regions, countries, industries, companies or governments. These events may be sudden and unexpected, and could adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, which may in turn impact valuation, the Fund’s ability to sell securities and/or its ability to meet redemptions. The risks associated with these developments may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as war, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts, social unrest, recessions, inflation, interest rate changes and supply chain disruptions) adversely interrupt the global economy and financial markets. It is difficult to predict when events affecting the  U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects (which may last for extended periods). These events may negatively impact broad segments of businesses and populations and have a significant and rapid negative impact on the performance of the Fund’s investments, and exacerbate pre-existing risks to the Fund.
 
Active Management Risk. In pursuing the Fund’s investment objective, the Adviser has considerable leeway in deciding which investments to buy, hold or sell on a day-to-day basis, and which trading strategies to use. For example, the Adviser, in its discretion, may determine to use some permitted trading strategies while not using others. The success or failure of such decisions will affect the Fund’s performance.
 
Shares of the Fund are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Performance Information
The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s Class I  shares’ performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods and since inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as an index that represents a group of similar mutual funds, over time. The performance of the other classes, which is shown in the table below, will differ because the classes have different ongoing fees. The Fund’s returns in the table include the maximum applicable sales charge for Class A and Class C and assume you sold your shares at the end of each period (unless otherwise noted).  The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.morganstanley.com/im or by calling toll-free 1-800-869-6397.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio (Con’t) 
Annual Total Returns—Calendar Years
image 
High Quarter
06/30/20
69.78%
Low Quarter
06/30/22
-41.72%
Average Annual Total Returns
(for the calendar periods ended  December 31, 2023)
 
Past
One Year
Past
Five Years
Past
Ten Years
Since Inception
Class I (commenced operations on 3/30/90)
Return Before Taxes
46.66%
9.90%
7.55%
11.66%
Return After Taxes on Distributions1
46.66%
7.13%
3.22%
9.01%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
27.62%
8.55%
5.21%
9.33%
Class A (commenced operations on 1/31/97)
Return Before Taxes
38.60%
8.43%
6.67%
9.28%
Class L (commenced operations on 6/14/12)
Return Before Taxes
45.56%
9.04%
6.67%
9.18%
Class C (commenced operations on 5/31/17)
Return Before Taxes
44.17%
8.77%
N/A
9.73%
Class R6  (commenced operations on 9/13/13)
Return Before Taxes
46.83%
10.02%
7.66%
8.42%
Russell Midcap® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)2
25.87%
13.81%
10.57%
10.58%3
Lipper Mid-Cap Growth Funds Index (reflects no deductions for taxes)4
20.33%
11.52%
9.06%
9.82%3
1 These returns do not reflect any tax consequences from a sale of your shares at the end of each period.
2 The Russell Midcap® Growth Index measures the performance of the mid-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell Midcap® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Midcap® Index is a subset of the Russell 1000® Index and includes approximately 800 of the smallest securities in the Russell 1000® Index, which in turn consists of approximately 1,000 of the largest U.S. securities based on a combination of market capitalization and current index membership. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
3 Since Inception reflects the inception date of Class I.
4 The Lipper Mid-Cap Growth Funds Index is an equally weighted performance index of the largest qualifying funds (based on net assets) in the Lipper Mid-Cap Growth Funds classification. There are currently 30 funds represented in this Index. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns for the Fund’s other classes will vary from Class I shares’ returns.  Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and 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. After-tax returns may be higher than before-tax returns due to foreign tax credits and/or an assumed benefit from capital losses that would have been realized had Fund shares been sold at the end of the relevant periods, as applicable.
Fund Management
Adviser. Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 
Discovery Portfolio (Con’t) 
Portfolio Managers.  The Fund is managed by members of Counterpoint Global. Information about the members jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is shown below:
Name
Title with Adviser
Date Began
Managing Fund
Dennis P. Lynch
Managing Director
January 2002
Sam G. Chainani
Managing Director
June 2004
Jason C. Yeung
Managing Director
September 2007
Armistead B. Nash
Managing Director
September 2008
David S. Cohen
Managing Director
January 2002
Alexander T. Norton
Executive Director
July 2005
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust (the “Trust”) has suspended offering Class L shares of the Fund for sale to all investors. The Class L shareholders of the Fund do not have the option of purchasing additional Class L shares. However, the existing Class L shareholders may invest in additional Class L shares through reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
The minimum initial investment generally is $1 million for Class I shares and $1,000 for each of Class A and Class C  shares of the Fund. To purchase Class R6 shares, an investor must meet a minimum initial investment of $5 million or be a defined contribution, defined benefit or other employer sponsored employee benefit plan, in each case provided that the plan trades through an intermediary that combines its clients’ assets in a single omnibus account, whether or not such plan is qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and in each case subject to the discretion of the Adviser. The minimum initial investment may be waived for certain investments. For more information, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Minimum Investment Amounts.”
Shares of the Fund may be purchased or sold on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business directly from the Fund by mail (c/o SS&C Global Investor and Distribution Solutions, Inc. (“SS&C GIDS”), P.O. Box 219804, Kansas City, MO 64121-9804), by telephone (1-800-869-6397) or by contacting an authorized third-party, such as a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary that has entered into a selling agreement with the Fund’s “Distributor,” Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc. (each, a “Financial Intermediary”). In addition, you can sell Fund shares at any time by enrolling in a systematic withdrawal plan. If you sell Class A or Class C shares, your net sale proceeds are reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC. For more information, please refer to the sections of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder  Information—How To Purchase Fund Shares” and “—How To Redeem Fund Shares.”
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments, which may be significant in amount, may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Financial Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your Financial Intermediary’s web site for more information.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Details of the Fund 
Discovery Portfolio 
Investment Objective
The Discovery Portfolio seeks long-term capital growth.
Approach
The Adviser seeks long-term capital growth by investing primarily in established and emerging companies with capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell MidCap® Growth Index.
Process
The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. The Adviser typically invests in unique companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages with above average business visibility, the ability to deploy capital at high rates of return, strong balance sheets and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser typically focuses a significant portion of the Fund’s investments in a limited number of issuers, which may be in the same industry, sector or geographic region. The Adviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding when it determines that the holding no longer satisfies its investment criteria.
In accordance with the Fund’s investment strategy of investing in mid cap companies, the capitalization range of securities in which the Fund may invest is consistent with the capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Growth Index, which as of December 31, 2023, was between $202.3 million and $57.7 billion. The market capitalization limit is subject to adjustment annually based upon the Adviser’s assessment as to the capitalization range of companies which possess the fundamental characteristics of mid cap companies.
The Adviser actively integrates sustainability into the investment process by using environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors as a lens for additional fundamental research, which can contribute to investment decision-making. The Adviser seeks to understand how environmental and social initiatives within companies can create value by strengthening durable competitive advantages, creating growth opportunities, driving profitability and/or aligning with secular growth trends. The Adviser generally engages with company management teams to discuss their ESG practices, with the aim of identifying how sustainability themes present opportunities and risks that can be material to the value of the security over the long-term. Other aspects of the investment process include a proprietary, systematic evaluation of governance policies, specifically focusing on compensation alignment on long-term value creation. Although consideration of ESG factors is incorporated into the investment process, it is only one of many tools the Adviser utilizes to make investment decisions.
The Fund may invest in equity securities. The Fund may also invest in privately placed and restricted securities.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. The securities in which the Fund may invest may be denominated in U.S. dollars or in currencies other than U.S. dollars.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks 
Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks 
This section discusses additional information relating to Fund investment strategies, other types of investments that the Fund may make and related risk factors. Fund investment practices and limitations are also described in more detail in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which is incorporated by reference and legally is a part of this Prospectus. For details on how to obtain a copy of the SAI and other reports and information, see the back cover of this Prospectus.
Economies and financial markets worldwide have recently experienced periods of increased volatility, uncertainty, distress, government spending, inflation and disruption to consumer demand, economic output and supply chains. To the extent these conditions continue, the risks associated with an investment in the Fund, including those described below, could be heightened and the Fund’s investments (and thus a shareholder’s investment in the Fund) may be particularly susceptible to sudden and substantial losses, reduced yield or income or other adverse developments. The occurrence, duration and extent of these or other types of adverse economic and market conditions and uncertainty over the long term cannot be reasonably projected or estimated at this time.
Equity Securities
Equity securities may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, shares of investment companies, limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features. Many factors affect the value of equity securities, including earnings, earnings forecasts, corporate events and factors impacting the issuer’s industry and the market generally. The Fund may invest in equity securities that are publicly traded on securities exchanges or over-the-counter (“OTC”) or in equity securities that are not publicly traded. Securities that are not publicly traded may be more difficult to value or sell and their value may fluctuate more dramatically than other securities.
The value of equity securities and related instruments may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; unexpected trading activity among retail investors; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
During periods when equity securities experience heightened volatility, such as during periods of market, economic or financial uncertainty or distress, the Fund’s investments in equity securities may be subject to heightened risks.
Depositary Receipts
A depositary receipt is generally issued by a bank or financial institution and represents the common stock or other equity securities of a foreign company. Depositary receipts involve many of the same risks as those associated with direct investment in foreign securities. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
Convertible Securities
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, right, warrant or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt securities or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities generally have characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, because of the conversion feature, tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities. Convertible securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stock of the same or similar issuers. Convertible securities generally rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to other comparable nonconvertible fixed-income securities in such capital structure. Convertible securities generally do not participate directly in any dividend increases or decreases of the underlying securities although the market prices of convertible securities may be affected by any dividend changes or other changes in the underlying securities.
Market and Geopolitical Risk
The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the values of the Fund’s investments, which may change due to economic and other events that affect markets generally, as well as those that affect particular regions, countries, industries, companies or governments. Price movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or less depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which the securities trade. Volatility and disruption in financial markets and economies may be sudden and unexpected, expose the Fund to greater risk, including risks associated with reduced market liquidity and fair valuation, and adversely affect the Fund’s operations. For example, the Adviser potentially will be prevented from executing investment decisions at an
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks 
Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks (Con’t) 
advantageous time or price as a result of any domestic or global market disruptions and reduced market liquidity may impact the Fund’s ability to sell securities to meet redemptions.
The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region, sector, industry, market or with respect to one company may adversely impact other companies and issuers in a different country, region, sector, industry, or market. For example, adverse developments in the banking or financial services sector could impact companies operating in various sectors or industries and adversely impact the Fund’s investments. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters and extreme weather events, health emergencies (such as epidemics and pandemics), terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, health emergencies, social and political (including geopolitical) discord and tensions or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. Inflation rates may change frequently and significantly because of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy and changes in monetary or economic policies (or expectations that these policies may change). Changes in expected inflation rates may adversely affect market and economic conditions, the Fund’s investments and an investment in the Fund. Other financial, economic and other global market and social developments or disruptions may result in similar adverse circumstances, and it is difficult to predict when similar events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects (which may last for extended periods). In general, the securities or other instruments that the Adviser believes represent an attractive investment opportunity or in which the Fund seeks to invest may be unavailable entirely or in the specific quantities sought by the Fund. As a result, the Fund may need to obtain the desired exposure through a less advantageous investment, forgo the investment at the time or seek to replicate the desired exposure through a derivative transaction or investment in another investment vehicle. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund’s portfolio. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Social, political, economic and other conditions and events, such as war, natural disasters, health emergencies (e.g., the novel coronavirus outbreak, epidemics and other pandemics), terrorism, conflicts, social unrest, recessions, inflation, interest rate changes and supply chain disruptions could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economies and financial markets and the Adviser’s investment advisory activities and services of other service providers, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund’s investments and other operations.
Global events may negatively impact broad segments of businesses and populations, cause a significant negative impact on the performance of the Fund’s investments, and exacerbate pre-existing political, social and economic risks to the Fund. The Fund’s operations may be interrupted as a result, which may contribute to the negative impact on investment performance. In addition, governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that could have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s investment performance. In addition, government actions (such as changes to interest rates) could have unintended economic and market consequences that adversely affect the Fund’s investments.
IPOs
The Fund  may purchase shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a company’s initial public offering (“IPO”), and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition.  The Fund’s purchase of shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, including unseasoned trading, small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers may be volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time. IPOs may produce high, double-digit returns. Such returns are highly unusual and may not be sustainable.
Fixed-Income Securities
Fixed-income securities are securities that pay a fixed or a variable rate of interest until a stated maturity date. Fixed-income securities include U.S. government securities, securities issued by federal or federally sponsored agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds and notes, asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, securities rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds” or “high yield/high risk securities”),  municipal bonds, loan participations and assignments, zero coupon bonds, convertible securities, Eurobonds, Brady Bonds, Yankee Bonds, repurchase agreements, commercial paper and cash equivalents.
Fixed-income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity (i.e., interest rate risk), market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk in times of monetary policy change and/or uncertainty, such as when the Federal Reserve Board adjusts a quantitative easing program and/or changes rates. A changing interest rate environment increases certain risks, including the potential for periods of volatility, increased redemptions, shortened durations (i.e., prepayment risk) and extended durations (i.e., extension risk).
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Fixed income and other debt instruments, including mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the principal of such obligation is paid earlier than expected, such as in the case of refinancing. This risk is increased during periods of declining interest rates and prepayments may reduce the Fund’s yield or income as a result of reinvesting the income or other proceeds in lower yielding securities or instruments. These investments are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that the principal of such obligation is paid lower or later than expected. This may negatively affect Fund returns, as the value of the investment decreases when principal payments are made later than expected. This risk is elevated during periods of increasing interest rates. In addition, because principal payments are made later than expected, the investment’s duration may extend (and result in increased interest rate risk) and the Fund may be prevented from investing proceeds it would otherwise have received at the higher prevailing interest rates. Prepayments and extensions may result in a security or debt instrument offering less potential for gains during periods of declining interest rates or rising interest rates, respectively.
Securities with longer  durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed-income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. The Fund may be subject to liquidity risk, which may result from the lack of an active market and the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities may be called (i.e., redeemed by the issuer) prior to final maturity. If a callable security is called, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at a lower rate of interest.
High Yield Securities
High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies. This means that they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. Changes in the value of high yield securities are influenced more by changes in the financial and business position of the issuing company than by changes in interest rates when compared to investment grade securities. During adverse market or economic conditions, high yield securities are typically particularly susceptible to default risk.
In recent years, there has been a broad trend of weaker or less restrictive covenant protections in the high yield market. Among other things, under such weaker or less restrictive covenants, borrowers might be able to exercise more flexibility with respect to certain activities than borrowers who are subject to stronger or more protective covenants. For example, borrowers might be able to incur more debt, including secured debt, return more capital to shareholders, remove or reduce assets that are designated as collateral securing high yield securities, increase the claims against assets that are permitted against collateral securing high yield securities or otherwise manage their business in ways that could impact creditors negatively. In addition, certain privately held borrowers might be permitted to file less frequent, less detailed or less timely financial reporting or other information, which could negatively impact the value of the high yield securities issued by such borrowers. Each of these factors might negatively impact the high yield securities held by the Fund.
Foreign Securities
Foreign issuers generally are subject to different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers. There may be less information available to the public about foreign issuers. Securities of foreign issuers can be less liquid and experience greater price movements. In addition, the prices of such securities may be susceptible to influence by large traders, due to the limited size of many foreign securities markets. Moreover, investments in certain foreign markets that have historically been considered stable may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to developments and changing conditions in such markets. Also, the growing  interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. In some foreign countries, there is also the risk of government expropriation, excessive taxation, political or social instability, the imposition of currency controls or diplomatic developments that could affect the Fund’s investment. There also can be difficulty obtaining and enforcing judgments against issuers in foreign countries. Foreign stock exchanges, broker-dealers and listed issuers may be subject to less government regulation and oversight. The cost of investing in foreign securities, including brokerage commissions and custodial expenses, can be higher than the cost of investing in domestic securities.
Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. International trade barriers or economic sanctions against foreign countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals may adversely affect the Fund’s foreign holdings or exposures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards, and governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets or the imposition of punitive taxes. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in foreign countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain foreign countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. For example, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain sectors or industries. In addition, a foreign government may limit or cause delay in the convertibility or repatriation of its currency which would adversely affect the U.S. dollar value and/or liquidity of investments denominated in that
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currency. Moreover, if a deterioration occurs in a country’s balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could also be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation, as well as by the application to it of other restrictions on investment. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, which could result in losses to the Fund and increased transaction costs, impair the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations. Certain foreign investments may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions, or become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Certain foreign investments may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers and sellers or when dealers are unwilling to make a market for certain securities. When the Fund holds illiquid investments, its portfolio may be harder to value.
Economic sanctions or other similar measures may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. The Fund’s investments in foreign securities are subject to trade laws and potential economic sanctions in the United States and other jurisdictions. These laws and related governmental actions, including counter-sanctions and other retaliatory measures, can, from time to time, prevent or prohibit the Fund from investing in certain foreign securities. In addition, economic sanctions could prohibit the Fund from transacting with particular countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals by banning them from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments, restricting their ability to settle securities transactions, and freezing their assets. The imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, cause a decline in the value of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in, or economically linked to, the sanctioned country, downgrades in the credit ratings of the sanctioned country or companies located in, or economically linked to, the sanctioned country, devaluation of the sanctioned country’s currency, and increased market volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Economic sanctions or other similar measures could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities, negatively impact the value or liquidity of the Fund’s investments, significantly delay or prevent the settlement of the Fund’s securities transactions, force the Fund to sell or otherwise dispose of investments at inopportune times or prices, increase the Fund’s transaction costs, make the Fund’s investments more difficult to value or impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategies. These conditions may be in place for a substantial period of time and enacted with limited advance notice to the Fund. Even if the Fund does not have significant investments in securities affected by sanctions, sanctions or the threat of sanctions may cause volatility in regional and global markets and may negatively impact the performance of various sectors and industries, as well as companies in other countries, including through global supply chain disruptions, increased inflationary pressures, and reduced economic activity, which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. In addition, trade disputes may affect investor and consumer confidence and adversely affect financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Events such as these and their impact on the Fund are difficult to predict.
In addition, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCAA”) could cause securities of a foreign (non-U.S.) company, including American Depositary Receipts, to be delisted from U.S. stock exchanges if the company does not allow the U.S. government to oversee the auditing of its financial information. Although the requirements of the HFCAA apply to securities of all foreign (non-U.S.) issuers, the SEC has thus far limited its enforcement efforts to securities of Chinese companies. If securities are delisted, the Fund’s ability to transact in such securities will be impaired, and the liquidity and market price of the securities may decline. The Fund may also need to seek other markets in which to transact in such securities, which could increase the Fund’s costs.
Foreign Currency
Investments in foreign securities may be denominated in foreign currencies. The value of foreign currencies may fluctuate relative to the value of the U.S. dollar or other applicable foreign currency. Since the Fund may invest in  non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities, and therefore may convert the value of such securities into  U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates can increase or decrease the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the overall economic health of the issuer. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority also will have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. The Adviser may use derivatives to seek to reduce this risk. The Adviser may in its discretion choose not to hedge against currency risk. In addition, certain market conditions may make it impossible or uneconomical to hedge against currency risk.
Emerging Market Securities
The Fund may invest in emerging market or developing countries, which are countries that major international financial institutions generally consider to be less economically mature than developed nations (such as the United States or most nations in Western Europe). Emerging market or developing countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in economic conditions than more developed countries, and the financial condition of issuers in emerging market or developing countries may be more precarious than in other countries. Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to an investment may not be available or reliable. In addition, the Fund is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging markets countries. In addition, due to jurisdictional limitations, U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) may be limited in their ability to enforce
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regulatory or legal obligations in emerging market countries. In addition, emerging market securities generally are less liquid and subject to wider price and currency fluctuations than securities issued in more developed countries. These characteristics result in greater risk of price volatility in emerging market or developing countries, which may be heightened by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.
REITs and Foreign Real Estate Companies
Investing in REITs and foreign real estate companies exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly and investing in companies in the real estate industry, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs and foreign real estate companies are organized and operated. REITs and foreign real estate companies generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Real estate income and values may also be greatly affected by demographic trends, such as population shifts or changing tastes, preferences (such as remote work arrangements) and values.
Operating REITs and foreign real estate companies requires specialized management skills and the Fund indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Fund. The value of REIT and foreign real estate company securities will also rise and fall in response to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. In particular, the value of these securities may decline when interest rates rise and will also be affected by the real estate market and by the management or development of the underlying properties, which may also be subject to mortgage loans and the underlying mortgage loans may be subject to the risks of default. REITs may be more volatile and/or more illiquid than other types of securities, and publicly traded REIT and real estate company shares are also subject to risks associated with equity securities. In addition, individual REITs and foreign real estate companies may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. REITs may also be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation.
REITs also must satisfy specific requirements of the Code in order to qualify for tax-free pass-through income. The failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Fund, including significantly reducing the return to the Fund on its investment in such company. Foreign real estate companies may be subject to laws, rules and regulations governing those entities and their failure to comply with those laws, rules and regulations could negatively impact the performance of those entities. In addition, REITs and foreign real estate companies, like mutual funds, have expenses, including management and administration fees, that are paid by their shareholders. As a result, shareholders will directly bear the expenses of their investment in the Fund and indirectly bear the expenses of the Fund’s investments when the Fund invests in REITs and foreign real estate companies.
Foreign Currency Forward Exchange Contracts
In connection with its investments in foreign securities, the Fund also may enter into contracts with banks, brokers or dealers to purchase or sell securities or foreign currencies at a future date. A foreign currency forward exchange contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Foreign currency forward exchange contracts may be used to seek to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates or to gain or modify exposure to a particular currency. In addition, the Fund may use cross currency hedging or proxy hedging with respect to currencies in which the Fund has or expects to have portfolio or currency exposure. Cross currency and proxy hedges involve the sale of one currency against the positive exposure to a different currency and may be used for hedging purposes or to establish an active exposure to the exchange rate between any two currencies.
Investments in foreign currency forward exchange contracts may substantially change the Fund’s exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the Adviser expects. The Adviser’s success in these transactions will depend principally on its ability to predict accurately the future exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Foreign currency forward exchange contracts may be used for non-hedging purposes in seeking to meet the Fund’s investment objective, such as when the Adviser anticipates that particular non-U.S. currencies will appreciate or depreciate in value, even though securities denominated in those currencies are not then held in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Investing in foreign currency forward exchange contracts for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates, as opposed to hedging currency risks applicable to the Fund’s holdings, further increases the Fund’s exposure to foreign securities losses. There is no assurance that the Adviser’s use of currency derivatives will benefit the Fund or that they will be, or can be, used at appropriate times.
Derivatives
The Fund may, but is not required to, use derivatives and other similar instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to seek to earn income. Derivative instruments used by the Fund will be counted towards the Fund’s exposure in the types of securities listed herein to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to such securities. A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is based, in part, on the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, index or financial instrument. Prevailing interest rates and volatility levels, among other things, also affect the value of derivative instruments. Derivatives and other similar instruments that create synthetic exposure often are subject to risks similar to those of the underlying asset or instrument and may be subject to additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which the derivative instrument relates, risks that the
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transactions may not be liquid, risks arising from margin and payment requirements, risks arising from mispricing or valuation complexity and operational and legal risks. The use of derivatives involves risks that are different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with other portfolio investments. Derivatives may involve the use of highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with other portfolio investments.
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss. Leverage associated with derivative transactions may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or may cause  the Fund to be more volatile than if the Fund had not been leveraged. Although the Adviser seeks to use derivatives to further  the Fund’s investment objective, there is no assurance that the use of derivatives will achieve this result.
The derivative instruments and techniques that the  Fund may use include:
Futures. A futures contract is a standardized, exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying asset, reference rate or index at a specific price at a specific future time. While the value of a futures contract tends to increase or decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument, differences between the futures market and the market for the underlying asset may result in an imperfect correlation. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures contracts involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures contracts can be highly volatile, using futures contracts can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures contracts can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts. No assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. There is also the risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with which the Fund has open positions in the futures contract.
Options. If  the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument, foreign currency or contract, such as a swap agreement or futures contract, on the underlying instrument or foreign currency at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. If the Fund sells an option, it sells to another person the right to buy from or sell to the Fund a specific amount of the underlying instrument, swap, foreign currency, or futures contract on the underlying instrument or foreign currency, at an agreed-upon price during a period of time or on a specified date typically in exchange for a premium received by the Fund. When options are purchased OTC, the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty that wrote the option will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the option contract. Options may also be illiquid and  the Fund may have difficulty closing out its position. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.
Investments in foreign currency options may substantially change the Fund’s exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the Adviser expects. There is a risk that such transactions may reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. The value of a foreign currency option is dependent upon the value of the underlying foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar or other applicable foreign currency. The price of the option may vary with changes in the value of either or both currencies and has no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security. Options on foreign currencies are affected by all of those factors that influence foreign exchange rates and foreign investment generally. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in losses to the Fund and poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts. Options on foreign currencies are traded primarily in the OTC market, but may also be traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges.

Foreign currency options contracts may be used for hedging purposes or non-hedging purposes in pursuing  the Fund’s investment objective, such as when the Adviser anticipates that particular non-U.S. currencies will appreciate or depreciate in value, even though securities denominated in those currencies are not then held in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Investing in foreign currencies for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates, as opposed to only hedging currency risks applicable to  the Fund’s holdings, further increases the Fund’s exposure to foreign securities losses. There is no assurance that the Adviser’s use of currency derivatives will benefit  the Fund or that they will be, or can be, used at appropriate times.
Swaps. The Fund may enter into OTC swap contracts or cleared swap transactions. An OTC swap contract is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which the parties exchange payments at specified dates on the basis of a specified notional amount, with the payments calculated by reference to specified securities, indices, reference rates, currencies or other instruments. Typically swap agreements provide that when the period payment dates for both parties are the same, the payments are made on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with only the net amount paid by one party to the other). The Fund’s obligations or rights under a swap contract entered into on a net basis will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by each party. Cleared swap transactions may help reduce counterparty credit risk. In a cleared swap, the Fund’s ultimate counterparty is a clearinghouse rather than a swap dealer, bank or other financial
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institution. OTC swap agreements are not entered into or traded on exchanges and often there is no central clearing or guaranty function for swaps. These OTC swaps are often subject to credit risk or the risk of default or non-performance by the counterparty. Certain swaps have begun trading on exchanges called swap execution facilities. Exchange trading is expected to increase liquidity of swaps trading. Both OTC and cleared swaps could result in losses if interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or other factors are not correctly anticipated by the Fund or if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as expected. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related regulatory developments require the clearing and exchange trading of certain standardized swap transactions. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing is occurring on a phased-in basis. The Fund may pay fees or incur costs each time it enters into, amends or terminates a swap agreement.
Structured Investments. The Fund also may invest a portion of its assets in structured investments. A structured investment is a derivative security designed to offer a return linked to a particular underlying security, currency, commodity or market. Structured investments may come in various forms including notes (such as exchange-traded notes), warrants and options to purchase securities. The Fund will typically use structured investments to gain exposure to a permitted underlying security, currency, commodity or market when direct access to a market is limited or inefficient from a tax or cost standpoint. There can be no assurance that structured investments will trade at the same price or have the same value as the underlying security, currency, commodity or market. Investments in structured investments involve risks including issuer risk, counterparty risk and market risk. Holders of structured investments bear risks of the underlying investment and are subject to issuer or counterparty risk because the Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such issuer or counterparty and has no rights with respect to the underlying investment. Certain structured investments may be thinly traded or have a limited trading market and may have the effect of increasing the Fund’s illiquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time, may be unable to find qualified buyers for these securities.
Mid Cap Companies Risk
Investments in mid cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by mid cap companies may be less liquid and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.
Focused Investing
Although the Fund is a diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Fund typically invests a significant portion of its portfolio in a limited number of issuers, which may be in the same industry, sector or geographic region. As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to risks associated with, and negative events, conditions or developments affecting or economic results of, those issuers, industries, sectors or geographic regions, and a decline in the value of a particular instrument may cause the Fund’s overall value to be more volatile and decline to a greater degree than if the Fund were invested more widely. Such volatility and decline may be sudden and significant. In addition, if such issuers are within the same market segment or of a similar type (e.g., growth stocks), the Fund will be more sensitive to adverse developments or conditions and risks affecting such market segment or type of issuer, including that the market segment or type of issuer may fall out of favor, than if the Fund were invested more widely.
The Fund does not lose its status as a diversified investment company because of any subsequent discrepancy between the value of its various investments and the diversification requirements of the 1940 Act, so long as any such discrepancy existing immediately after the Fund’s acquisition of any security or other property is neither wholly nor partly the result of such acquisition.
Liquidity
The  Fund may make investments that are illiquid or restricted or that may become illiquid or less liquid in response to, among other developments, overall economic conditions or adverse investor perceptions, and which may entail greater risk than investments in other types of securities. Illiquidity can also be caused by, among other things, a drop in overall market trading volume, an inability to find a willing buyer, or legal restrictions on the securities’ resale. These investments may be more difficult to value or sell, particularly in times of market turmoil, and there may be little trading in the secondary market available for particular securities.  If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid or restricted security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss or for less than its fair value and may be unable to sell the security at all.
Private Placements and Restricted Securities
The Fund’s investments may include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities could have the effect of increasing the level of Fund illiquidity to the extent the Fund may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. Additionally, the market for certain investments deemed liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for  the Fund to sell certain securities. If  the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss or for less than its fair value.
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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies
A special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) is a publicly traded company that raises investment capital for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company. Typically, the acquisition target is an existing privately held company that wants to trade publicly, which it accomplishes through a combination with a SPAC rather than by conducting a traditional initial public offering (“IPO”). SPACs and similar entities are blank check companies and do not have any operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions. The long term value of a SPAC’s securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC’s management to identify a merger target and complete an acquisition.
An investment in a SPAC is subject to the risks that any proposed acquisition or merger may not obtain the requisite approval of SPAC shareholders, may require governmental or other approvals that it fails to obtain or that an acquisition or merger, once effected, may prove unsuccessful and lose value. In addition, among other conflicts of interest, the economic interests of the management, directors, officers and related parties of a SPAC can differ from the economic interests of public shareholders, which may lead to conflicts as they evaluate, negotiate and recommend business combination transactions to shareholders. This risk may become more acute as the deadline for the completion of a business combination nears or in the event that attractive acquisition or merger targets become scarce.
An investment in a SPAC is also subject to the risk that a significant portion of the funds raised by the SPAC may be expended during the search for a target acquisition or merger. The value of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate over time. In addition, investments in SPACs may be subject to the same risks as investing in any initial public offering, including the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, including unseasoned trading, small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. In addition, the market for IPO issuers may be volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time. Although some IPOs may produce high returns, such returns are not typical and may not be sustainable. Certain investments in SPACs  are privately placed securities and are also subject to the risks of such securities.
Information Technology Sector Risk
To the extent the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in the information technology sector, the value of Fund shares may be particularly impacted by events that adversely affect the information technology sector, such as rapid changes in technology product cycles, competition for the services of qualified personnel and government regulation. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction and unpredictable changes in growth rates. Companies in the information technology sector also can be heavily dependent on patent protection and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. As a result, the value of shares may fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not invest significantly in companies in the technology sector.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk
The  Fund may experience adverse effects when certain shareholders, or shareholders collectively, purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such larger than normal redemptions may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. Large shareholder transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains, and may also increase transaction costs. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. Although large shareholder transactions may be more frequent under certain circumstances, the Fund is generally subject to the risk that shareholders can purchase or redeem a significant percentage of Fund shares at any time.
Active Management Risk
In pursuing the Fund’s investment objective, the Adviser has considerable leeway in deciding which investments it buys, holds or sells on a day-to-day basis, and which trading strategies it uses. For example, the Adviser, in its discretion, may determine to use some permitted trading strategies while not using others. The success or failure of such decisions will affect the Fund’s performance. In addition, it is expected that confidential or material non-public information regarding an investment or potential investment opportunity may become available to the Adviser. If such information becomes available, the Adviser may be precluded (including by applicable law or internal policies or procedures) from pursuing an investment or disposition opportunity with respect to such investment or investment opportunity and the Adviser may be restricted in its ability to cause the Fund to buy or sell securities of an issuer for substantial periods of time when the Fund otherwise could realize profit or avoid loss. This may adversely affect the Fund’s flexibility with respect to buying or selling securities and may impair the Fund’s liquidity.
Temporary Defensive Investments
Under adverse or unstable market conditions or abnormal circumstances or when the Adviser believes that changes in market, economic, political or other conditions warrant, the Fund may, in the discretion of the Adviser, take temporary positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to such conditions or circumstances. For example, the Fund may invest without limit in cash, cash equivalents or other fixed-income instruments, derivatives, repurchase
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks 
Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks (Con’t) 
agreements or securities of other investment companies, including money market funds, for temporary purposes.   If the Adviser incorrectly predicts the effects of these changes or during periods of temporary defensive or other temporary positions, such temporary investments may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
ESG Investment Risk
To the extent that the Adviser considers environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues as a component in its  investment decision-making process, the Fund’s performance may be impacted. Additionally, the Adviser’s consideration of ESG issues in its investment decision-making process may require subjective analysis and the ability of the Adviser to consider ESG issues may be difficult if data about a particular issuer (or obligor) is limited. The Adviser’s consideration of ESG issues may contribute to the Adviser’s decision to forgo opportunities to buy certain securities. ESG issues with respect to an issuer (or obligor) or the Adviser’s assessment of such may change over time.
Regulatory and Legal Risk
U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators regularly implement additional regulations and legislators pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation applying to the Fund (such as regulations related to investments in derivatives and other transactions). These regulations and laws impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or taxation of shareholders.
The SEC has recently proposed amendments to Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act that, if adopted, would result in changes to the Fund’s liquidity classification framework and could potentially increase the percentage of the Fund’s investments classified as illiquid. In addition, the Fund’s operations and investment strategies may be adversely impacted if the proposed amendments are adopted.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Fund Management 
Fund Management 
Adviser
Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., with principal offices at 1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, conducts a worldwide portfolio management business and provides a broad range of portfolio management services to customers in the United States and abroad. Morgan Stanley (NYSE: “MS”) is the parent of the Adviser, which is the parent of the Distributor. Morgan Stanley is a preeminent global financial services firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities, as well as providing investment banking, research and analysis, financing and financial advisory services. As of December 31, 2023, the Adviser, together with its affiliated asset management companies, had approximately $1.5  trillion in assets under management or supervision.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the investment advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
Advisory Fees
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, the Adviser received a fee for advisory services (net of fee waivers, if applicable) equal to 0.50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
The Adviser has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Fund, if necessary, if such fees would cause the total annual operating expenses of the Fund to exceed 0.80% for Class I, 1.15% for Class A, 1.65% for Class L, 1.90% for Class C  and 0.73% for Class R6. In determining the actual amount of fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement for the Fund, if any, the Adviser excludes from total annual operating expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses (as applicable), certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation). The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the Fund will continue for at least one year from the date of this Prospectus or until such time as the Trust’s Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.  The Adviser may make additional voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. The Adviser may discontinue these voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements at any time in the future.
The Fund’s annual operating expenses may vary throughout the period and from year to year. The Fund’s actual expenses may be different than the expenses listed in the Fund’s fee and expense table based upon the extent and amount of a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.
Portfolio Management
The Fund is managed by members of Counterpoint Global. Counterpoint Global consists of portfolio managers and analysts. Current members of Counterpoint Global who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are Dennis P. Lynch, Sam G. Chainani, Jason C. Yeung,  Armistead B. Nash,  David S. Cohen and Alexander T. Norton.
Mr. Lynch has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 1998. Mr. Chainani has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 1996. Mr. Yeung has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 2002.  Mr. Nash has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 2002.  Mr. Cohen has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 1993. Mr. Norton has been associated with the Adviser in an investment management capacity since 2000.  
Mr. Lynch is the lead portfolio manager of the Fund. Messrs. Chainani, Yeung,  Nash,  Cohen and Norton are co-portfolio managers. Counterpoint Global members collaborate to manage the assets of the Fund.
Additional Information
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund.
The composition of the team may change from time to time.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information 
Share Class Arrangements
The Trust has suspended offering Class L shares of the Fund for sale to all investors. The Class L shareholders of the Fund do not have the option of purchasing additional Class L shares. However, the existing Class L shareholders of the Fund may invest in additional Class L shares through reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
The Trust currently offers investors Class I, Class A, Class C and Class R6 shares of the Fund. Class I and Class R6 shares are not subject to a sales charge and are not subject to a distribution and/or shareholder service (12b-1) fee. In addition, no sub-accounting or other similar fees, or any finder’s fee payments are charged or paid on Class R6 shares. The Class L shares of the Fund are currently closed to all investors except in the limited circumstances set forth in this Prospectus. Class C shares are sold at NAV with no initial sales charge, but are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% on sales made within one year after the last day of the month of purchase.  Class I and Class R6 shares generally require investments in minimum amounts that are substantially higher than Class A and Class C shares.
Minimum Investment Amounts
The minimum initial investment generally is $1 million for Class I shares and $1,000 for Class A and  Class C shares of the Fund. The minimum initial investment amount may be waived by the Adviser for the following categories: (1) sales through banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisers and financial planners) purchasing shares on behalf of their clients in (i) discretionary and non-discretionary advisory programs, (ii) asset allocation programs, (iii) other programs in which the client pays an asset-based fee for advice or for executing transactions in Fund shares or for otherwise participating in the program or (iv) certain other investment programs that do not charge an asset-based fee, as outlined in an agreement between the Distributor and such financial institution; (2) sales through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Fund shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts, which may or may not charge a transaction fee; (3) qualified state tuition plans described in Section 529 of the Code (subject to all applicable terms and conditions); (4) defined contribution, defined benefit and other employer-sponsored employee benefit plans, whether or not qualified under the Code, where such plans purchase Class A, Class C and/or Class I shares through a plan-level or omnibus account sponsored or serviced by a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund, the Distributor and/or the Adviser pursuant to which such Class A,  Class C and/or Class I shares are available to such plans; (5) certain retirement and deferred compensation programs established by Morgan Stanley Investment Management or its affiliates for their employees or the Trust’s Trustees; (6) current or retired directors, officers and employees of Morgan Stanley and any of its subsidiaries, such persons’ spouses, and children under the age of 21, and trust accounts for which any of such persons is a beneficiary; (7) current or retired Directors or Trustees of the Morgan Stanley Funds (as defined  herein), such persons’ spouses, and children under the age of 21, and trust accounts for which any of such persons is a beneficiary; (8) certain other registered open-end investment companies whose shares are distributed by the Distributor; (9) investments made in connection with certain mergers and/or reorganizations as approved by the Adviser; (10) the reinvestment of dividends from Class A,  Class C or Class I shares of the Fund in additional shares of the same class of such Fund; or (11) certain other institutional investors based on assets under management or other considerations at the discretion of the Adviser. The Fund no longer accepts direct purchases of  Class C shares by accounts for which no broker-dealer or other Financial Intermediary is specified. Any direct purchase received by the Fund’s transfer agent for  Class C shares for such accounts will automatically be invested in Class A shares of the Fund.
Certain waivers may not be available depending on the policies at certain Financial Intermediaries. Each Financial Intermediary may also have its own rules about minimum initial investment amounts, minimum account balances, share transactions and limits on the number of share transactions you are permitted to make in a given time period and about rights of accumulation and letters of intent. When purchasing shares through a Financial Intermediary, you may not benefit from certain policies and procedures of the  Fund as your eligibility may be dependent upon the policies and procedures of your Financial Intermediary, including those regarding reductions of sales charges. Please consult your Financial Intermediary for more information.
Class R6 shares are offered only to eligible investors meeting certain minimum investment requirements. To purchase Class R6 shares, an investor must meet a minimum initial investment of $5 million or be a defined contribution, defined benefit or other employer sponsored employee benefit plan, in each case provided that the plan trades through an intermediary that combines its clients’ assets in a single omnibus account, whether or not such plan is qualified under the Code and in each case subject to the discretion of the Adviser. Initial omnibus trades of $5 million or more shall be accepted from certain platforms, including (i) banks and trust companies; (ii) insurance companies; and (iii) registered investment advisory firms. The $5 million minimum initial investment amount may be waived for Fund shares purchased by or through: (1) certain registered open-end investment companies whose shares are distributed by the Distributor; or (2) investments made in connection with certain mergers and/or reorganizations as approved by the Adviser.
If the value of your account falls below the applicable minimum initial investment amount for a class of shares of the Fund as a result of share redemptions or you no longer meet one of the waiver criteria set forth above, your account may be subject to involuntary
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
conversion or involuntary redemption, as applicable. You will be notified prior to any such conversions or redemptions.  No CDSC will be imposed on any involuntary conversion or involuntary redemption.
The Adviser, in its sole discretion, may waive a minimum initial investment amount in certain cases.
Distribution of Fund Shares
Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of shares of the Fund. The Distributor receives no compensation from the Fund for distributing Class I and Class R6 shares of the Fund. The Trust has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan with respect to the Class A  shares of the Fund and a Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan with respect to the Class L and Class C shares of the Fund (the “Plans”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plans, the Fund pays the Distributor (i) a shareholder services fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each of the Class A shares, Class L  shares and Class C  shares on an annualized basis and (ii) a distribution fee of up to 0.50% of the average daily net assets of Class L  shares on an annualized basis and up to 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C  shares on an annualized basis. The Distributor may compensate other parties for providing distribution-related and/or shareholder support services to investors who purchase Class A, Class L and Class C shares. Such fees relate solely to the Class A, Class L and Class C shares and will reduce the net investment income and total return of the Class A, Class L and Class C shares, respectively. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
The Adviser and/or Distributor may pay compensation to Financial Intermediaries in connection with the sale, distribution, marketing and retention of the Fund’s shares and/or shareholder servicing. Such compensation may be significant in amount and the prospect of receiving any such additional compensation may provide affiliated or unaffiliated Financial Intermediaries with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Fund over other investment options. Any such payments will not change the NAV or the price of the Fund’s shares. For more information, please see the Fund’s SAI.
About Net Asset Value
The NAV of a class of shares of the Fund is determined by dividing the total of the value of the Fund’s investments and other assets attributable to the class, less any liabilities attributable to the class, by the total number of outstanding shares of that class of the Fund. In making this calculation, the Fund generally values its portfolio securities and other assets at market price. When no market quotations are readily available for a security or other asset, including circumstances under which the Adviser  determines that a market quotation is not accurate, fair value for the security or other asset will be determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
In addition, with respect to securities that primarily are listed on foreign exchanges, when an event occurs after the close of such exchanges that is likely to have changed the value of the securities (e.g., a percentage change in value of one or more U.S. securities indices in excess of specified thresholds), such securities will be valued at their fair value, as determined under procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Securities also may be fair valued in the event of a significant development affecting a country or region or an issuer-specific development that is likely to have changed the value of the security. In these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair value rather than their market price. To the extent the Fund invests in open-end management companies (other than ETFs) that are registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s NAV is calculated based in relevant part upon the NAV of such funds. The prospectuses for such funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and its effects.
Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the values of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares. The NAV of the Fund (excluding any applicable sales charges) is based on the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other assets. Although the assets of each class are invested in the same portfolio of securities or other assets, the NAV of each class will differ because the classes have different class specific expenses.
The Fund relies on various sources to calculate its NAV. The ability of the Fund’s provider of administrative services to calculate the NAV per share of the Fund is subject to operational risks associated with processing or human errors, systems or technology failures, cyber attacks and errors caused by third party service providers, data sources or trading counterparties. Such failures may result in delays in calculating the Fund’s NAV and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended periods. The Fund may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures. In addition, if the third party service providers and/or data sources upon which the Fund directly or indirectly relies to calculate its NAV or price individual securities are unavailable or otherwise unable to calculate the NAV correctly, it may be necessary for alternative procedures to be utilized to price the securities at the time of determining the Fund’s NAV.
The Fund’s NAV per share is subject to various investment and other risks. Please refer to the “Additional Information About Fund Investment Strategies and Related Risks” and “Fund Investments and Strategies” sections of the Prospectus and SAI, respectively, for more information regarding risks associated with an investment in the Fund.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
Pricing of Fund Shares
You may buy or sell (redeem) shares of the Fund at the NAV next determined for the class after receipt of your order in good order, plus any applicable sales charge. The Trust determines the NAV for the Fund as of the close of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open for business (the “Pricing Time”). Shares generally will not be priced on days that the NYSE is closed. If the NYSE is closed due to inclement weather, technology problems or any other reason on a day it would normally be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the Fund reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders until, and calculate its NAV as of, the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day, so long as the Adviser believes there generally remains an adequate market to obtain reliable and accurate market quotations. The Fund may elect to remain open and price its shares on days when the NYSE is closed but the primary securities markets on which the Fund’s securities trade remain open. Trading of securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges may take place on weekends and other days when the Fund does not price its shares. Therefore, to the extent, if any, that the Fund invests in securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Trust’s SAI.
How To Purchase Fund Shares
You may purchase shares of the Fund on each day that the Fund is open for business by contacting your Financial Intermediary or directly from the Fund.
Purchasing Shares Through a Financial Intermediary
You may open a new account and purchase shares of the  Fund through a Financial Intermediary. The Financial Intermediary will assist you with the procedures to invest in shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing or selling shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, including Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, may be charged transaction-based or other fees by the Financial Intermediary for its services. If you are purchasing shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, please consult your Financial Intermediary for more information regarding any such fees and for purchase instructions.
Financial Intermediaries may impose a limit on the dollar value of a Class C share purchase order that they will accept. You should discuss with your Financial Intermediary which share class is most appropriate for you based on the size of your investment, your expected time horizon for holding the shares and other factors, bearing in mind the availability of reduced sales loads on Class A share purchases that qualify for such reduction under the combined purchase privilege or right of accumulation privilege available on Class A share purchases.

The availability of sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on whether you purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund (or the Distributor) or a Financial Intermediary. More information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers is summarized below. The Fund’s sales charge waivers (and discounts) disclosed in this Prospectus are available for qualifying purchases made directly from the Fund (or the Distributor) and are generally available through Financial Intermediaries. The sales charge waivers (and discounts) available through certain other Financial Intermediaries are set forth in Appendix A to this Prospectus (Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Discounts), which may differ from those available for purchases made directly from the Fund (or the Distributor). Please refer to Appendix A to this Prospectus (Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Discounts) or contact your Financial Intermediary regarding applicable sales charge waivers (and discounts) and for information regarding the Financial Intermediary’s related policies and procedures, such as with respect to rights of accumulation and letters of intent.
With respect to sales through Financial Intermediaries, no offers or sales of Fund shares may be made in any foreign jurisdiction, except with the consent of the Distributor.
Purchasing Shares Directly From the Fund
Initial Purchase
You may open a new account, subject to acceptance by the  Fund, and purchase shares of the Fund by completing and signing a New Account Application provided by SS&C Global Investor and Distribution Solutions, Inc. (“SS&C GIDS”), the Fund’s transfer agent, or Eaton Vance Management, the Fund’s co-transfer agent, which you can obtain by calling Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services at 1-800-869-6397 and mailing it to Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust, c/o SS&C Global Investor and Distribution Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 219804, Kansas City, MO 64121-9804.
After submitting a completed New Account Application to SS&C GIDS, you may wire Federal Funds (monies credited by a Federal Reserve Bank) to State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian”).  You should instruct your bank to send a Federal Funds wire in a specified amount to the Custodian using the following wire instructions:
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
State Street Bank and Trust Company
One Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02111-2101
ABA #011000028
DDA #00575373
Attn: Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust
Subscription Account
Ref: (Fund Name, Account Number, Account Name)
The  Fund no longer accepts direct purchases of Class C shares by accounts for which no broker-dealer or other Financial Intermediary is specified (i.e., such purchasers are not eligible investors for Class C shares). Any direct purchase received by the Fund’s transfer agent for Class C shares for such accounts will automatically be invested in Class A shares of the Fund. In addition, Class C shares held in an account for which no broker-dealer or other Financial Intermediary is specified and which are not subject to a CDSC will periodically be converted to Class A shares of the Fund.
Additional Investments
You may purchase additional shares of the Fund for your account at any time by contacting your Financial Intermediary or by contacting the Fund directly. For additional purchases directly from the Fund, you should write a “letter of instruction” that includes your account name, account number, the Fund name and the class selected, signed by the account owner(s), to assure proper crediting to your account. After mailing a “letter of instruction,” you may wire Federal Funds by following the instructions under “Initial Purchase.”
Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A Shares
Class A shares are subject to a sales charge equal to a maximum of 5.25% calculated as a percentage of the offering price on a single transaction as shown in the table below. For Class A shares sold by the Distributor, the Distributor will receive the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A shares (or any CDSC paid on redemption) and will retain the full amount of such sales charge. As shown below, the sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 and over.
 
Front-End Sales Charge
 
Amount of Single Transaction
Percentage of Public Offering Price
Approximate Percentage of Net Amount Invested
Dealer Commission as a Percentage of Public Offering Price
Less than $50,000
5.25%
5.54%
4.75%
$50,000 but less than $100,000
4.50%
4.71%
4.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000
3.50%
3.63%
3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000
2.50%
2.56%
2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million
2.00%
2.04%
1.50%
$1 million and over*
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
* The Distributor may pay a commission of up to 1.00% to a Financial Intermediary for purchase amounts of $1 million or more.
You may benefit from a reduced sales charge schedule (i.e., breakpoint discount) for purchases of Class A shares of the Fund, as applicable, by combining, in a single transaction, your purchase with purchases of Class A shares of the Fund by the following related accounts (“Related Accounts”):
A single account (including an individual, a joint account, a trust or fiduciary account).  
 
A family member account (limited to spouse, and children under the age of 21, but including trust accounts established solely for the benefit of a spouse, or children under the age of 21).
 
An UGMA/UTMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) account.
 
An individual retirement account (“IRA”).
 
Investments made through employer-sponsored retirement plan accounts will not be aggregated with individual accounts.
Investments of $1 million or more are not subject to an initial sales charge, but are generally subject to a CDSC of 1.00% on sales made within 12 months after purchase. See “—How to Redeem Fund Shares” below for more information about how the CDSC is assessed. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the then market value of the shares or the historical cost of the shares (which is the amount actually paid for the shares at the time of original purchase) being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price. In determining whether a CDSC applies to a redemption, it is assumed that the shares being redeemed first are any shares in the shareholder’s account that are not subject to a CDSC, followed by shares held the longest in the shareholder’s account.
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
In addition to investments of $1 million or more, purchases of Class A shares are not subject to a front-end sales charge if your account qualifies under one of the following categories:
Sales through banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisers and financial planners) purchasing shares on behalf of their clients in (i) discretionary and non-discretionary advisory programs, (ii) asset allocation programs, (iii) other programs in which the client pays an asset-based fee for advice or for executing transactions in Fund shares or for otherwise participating in the program or (iv) certain other investment programs that do not charge an asset-based fee, as outlined in an agreement between the Distributor and such financial institution.
 
Sales through Financial Intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Fund shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts, which may or may not charge a transaction fee.
 
Qualified state tuition plans described in Section 529 of the Code (subject to all applicable terms and conditions).
 
Defined contribution, defined benefit and other employer-sponsored employee benefit plans, whether or not qualified under the Code, where such plans purchase Class A shares through a plan-level or omnibus account sponsored or serviced by a Financial Intermediary that has an agreement with the Fund, the Distributor and/or the Adviser pursuant to which Class A shares are available to such plans without an initial sales charge.
 
Certain retirement and deferred compensation programs established by Morgan Stanley Investment Management or its affiliates for their employees or the Trust’s Trustees.
 
Current or retired Directors or Trustees of the Morgan Stanley Funds, such persons’ spouses, and children under the age of 21, and trust accounts for which any of such persons is a beneficiary.
 
Current or retired directors, officers and employees of Morgan Stanley and any of its subsidiaries, such persons’ spouses, and children under the age of 21, and trust accounts for which any of such persons is a beneficiary.
 
Certain other registered open-end investment companies, whose shares are distributed by the Distributor.
 
Investments made in connection with certain mergers and/or reorganizations as approved by the Adviser.
 
The reinvestment of dividends in additional Fund shares.
 
The reinvestment of dividends from Class A shares of the Fund in additional Class A shares of the same Fund.
 
Current employees of financial intermediaries or their affiliates that have executed a selling agreement with the Distributor, such persons’ spouses, children under the age of 21, and trust accounts for which any such person is a beneficiary, as permitted by internal policies of their employer.
 
Investment and institutional clients of the Adviser and its affiliates.
 
Direct purchases of shares by accounts where no Financial Intermediary is specified.
 
Certain waivers may not be available depending on the policies at certain Financial Intermediaries. Please consult your Financial Intermediary for more information. For specific information with respect to sales charge waivers and discounts available through a specific Financial Intermediary, please refer to Appendix A attached to this Prospectus.
Combined Purchase Privilege
You will have the benefit of a reduced sales charge by combining your purchase of Class A shares of the Fund in a single transaction with your purchase of Class A shares of any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (as defined herein) for any Related Account except for purchases of shares of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income or Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios.
Right of Accumulation
Your sales charge may be reduced if you invest $50,000 or more in a single transaction, calculated as follows: the NAV of Class A shares of the Fund being purchased plus the total of the NAV of any shares of the Fund and any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (as defined below) held in Related Accounts as of the transaction date.
For the purposes of this calculation, holdings of the following Morgan Stanley Funds are excluded: Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios and Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds. Shares of Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds that you acquired in the prior exchange of shares of the Fund or shares of another Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (other than Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios) are included in the Class A share right of accumulation.
Notification
You must notify your Financial Intermediary (or the Trust’s transfer agent, if you purchase shares of the Fund directly through the
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
Trust) at the time a purchase order is placed that the purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under any of the privileges discussed above. The reduced sales charge will not be granted if: (i) notification is not furnished at the time of the order; or (ii) a review of the records of your Financial Intermediary or the Trust’s  transfer agent, SS&C GIDS, or Eaton Vance Management, the Fund’s co-transfer agent, does not confirm your represented holdings. Certain waivers may not be available depending on the policies at certain Financial Intermediaries. Please consult your Financial Intermediary for more information.
In order to obtain a reduced sales charge for Class A shares of the Fund under any of the privileges discussed above, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform your Financial Intermediary (or the Trust’s transfer agent, if you purchase shares of the Fund directly through the Trust) of the existence of any Related Accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated to meet the sales load breakpoint and/or right of accumulation threshold. In order to verify your eligibility, you may be required to provide account statements and/or confirmations regarding your purchases and/or holdings of any Class A shares of the Fund or any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (including shares of Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds that you acquired in an exchange from Class A shares of the Fund or any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund except Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios, if applicable) held in all Related Accounts at your Financial Intermediary, in order to determine whether you have met the sales load breakpoint and/or right of accumulation threshold.
Letter of Intent
The above schedule of reduced sales charges for larger purchases also will be available to you if you enter into a written “Letter of Intent.” A Letter of Intent provides for the purchase of Class A shares of the Fund and Class A shares of other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Funds, except Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios, within a 13-month period. The initial purchase of Class A shares of the Fund under a Letter of Intent must be at least 5% of the stated investment goal. The Letter of Intent does not preclude the Fund (or any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund) from discontinuing sales of its shares. To determine the applicable sales charge reduction, you may also include (1) the cost of Class A shares of the Fund or any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund that were previously purchased at a price including a front-end sales charge during the 90-day period prior to the Distributor receiving the Letter of Intent and (2) the historical cost of shares of any Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund that you acquired in an exchange from Class A shares of the Fund or any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund purchased during that period at a price including a front-end sales charge. You may also combine purchases and exchanges by any Related Accounts during such 90-day period.
You should retain any records necessary to substantiate historical costs because the Fund, SS&C GIDS and your Financial Intermediary may not maintain this information. You can obtain a Letter of Intent by contacting your Financial Intermediary or by calling toll-free 1-800-869-6397. If you do not achieve the stated investment goal within the 13-month period, you are required to pay the difference between the sales charges otherwise applicable and sales charges actually paid, which may be deducted from your investment. Shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions are not aggregated to achieve the stated investment goal.
Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of the Adviser and its affiliates and direct purchases of shares by accounts where no Financial Intermediary is specified.
Conversion Features
A shareholder currently holding Class A shares of the Fund in a fee-based advisory program (“Advisory Program”) account, or currently holding Class A shares in a brokerage account but wishing to transfer into an Advisory Program account, may convert such shares to Class I shares of the Fund within the Advisory Program at any time. In addition, a shareholder holding Class C or Class L shares of the Fund through a brokerage account or an Advisory Program account may convert such shares to either Class A or Class I shares of the Fund within an Advisory Program at any time. Such conversions will be on the basis of the relative NAVs, without requiring any investment minimum to be met and without the imposition of any redemption fee or other charge. If a CDSC is applicable to such Class A or Class C shares, then the conversion may not occur until after the shareholder has held the shares for an 18-month or 12-month period, respectively, except that a CDSC applicable to Class A and Class C shares converted to Class I shares through Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Rollover IRAs, Inherited IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, BASIC Plans, Educational Savings Accounts and Medical Savings Accounts on the Merrill Lynch platform will be waived. With respect to Class A shares, Merrill Lynch will remit to the Distributor the full amount of the CDSC otherwise payable upon sale of such shares. With respect to Class C shares, Merrill Lynch will remit the portion of the payment to be made to the Distributor in an amount equal to the CDSC multiplied by the number of months remaining on the CDSC period divided by the maximum number of months of the CDSC period.
In addition, a shareholder currently holding a class of shares of the Fund in a Merrill Lynch Advisory Program account may have such shares converted by Merrill Lynch to an eligible class of shares of the Fund for a Merrill Lynch brokerage account upon the transfer of the shares of the Fund from a Merrill Lynch Advisory Program account to a brokerage account with Merrill Lynch. Such conversions will be on the basis of the relative NAVs and without the imposition of any redemption fee or other charge. The fees and expenses of the new class may be higher than those of the previously held class.
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
After eight years, Class C shares of the  Fund generally will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund with no initial sales charge, provided that the Fund or the Financial Intermediary through which a shareholder purchased or holds Class C shares has records verifying that the Class C shares have been held for at least eight years. The automatic conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares will not apply to shares held through group retirement plan recordkeeping platforms of certain Financial Intermediaries who hold such shares in an omnibus account and do not track participant level share lot aging to facilitate such a conversion. The eight-year period runs from the last day of the month in which the shares were purchased or, in the case of Class C shares acquired through an exchange, from the last day of the month in which the original Class C shares were purchased; the shares will convert to Class A shares based on their relative NAVs in the month following the eight-year period. At the same time, an equal proportion of Class C shares acquired through automatically reinvested distributions will convert to Class A shares on the same basis.
Furthermore, the Adviser may in its sole discretion permit a conversion of one share class to another share class of the same Fund in certain other circumstances, provided that the Fund’s eligibility requirements are met, and subject to the shareholder’s consent. Such conversions will be on the basis of the relative NAVs and without the imposition of any redemption fee or other charge.
A conversion of shares of one class directly for shares of another class of the same Fund normally should not be taxable for federal income tax purposes.
Please ask your financial advisor if you are eligible for converting a class of shares pursuant to these conversion features. A conversion feature’s availability will be subject to the applicable classes being offered on a Financial Intermediary’s platform. Shareholders should carefully review information in this Prospectus regarding share class features, including conversions and exchanges, or contact their financial advisor for more information. You should talk to your tax advisor before making a conversion.
In addition, Class C shares held in an account for which no broker-dealer or other Financial Intermediary is specified and which are not subject to a CDSC will periodically be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund.
General
Shares of the Fund may, in the Fund’s discretion, be purchased with investment securities (in lieu of or, in conjunction with, cash) acceptable to the Fund. The securities would be accepted by the Fund at their market value in return for Fund shares of equal value, taking into account any applicable sales charge.
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. What this means to you is that when you open an account, we will ask your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. If we are unable to verify your identity, we reserve the right to restrict additional transactions and/or liquidate your account at the next calculated NAV after your account is closed (less any applicable sales/account charges and/or tax penalties) or take any other action required by law. In accordance with federal law requirements, the Trust has implemented an anti-money laundering compliance program, which includes the designation of an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
When you buy Fund shares, the shares (plus any applicable sales charge) will be purchased at the next share price calculated after we receive your purchase order in good order. Purchase orders not received in good order prior to Pricing Time will be executed at the NAV next determined after the purchase order is received in good order. Certain institutional investors and financial institutions have entered into arrangements with the Fund, the Adviser and/or the Distributor pursuant to which they may place orders prior to the Pricing Time, but make payment in Federal Funds for those shares up to three days after the purchase order is placed, depending on the arrangement. We reserve the right to reject any order for the purchase of Fund shares for any reason.
The Trust may suspend the offering of shares, or any class of shares, of the Fund or reject any purchase orders when we think it is in the best interest of the Fund.
Certain patterns of past exchanges and/or purchase or sale transactions involving the Fund may result in the Fund rejecting, limiting or prohibiting, at its sole discretion and without prior notice, additional purchases and/or exchanges and may result in a shareholder’s account being closed. Determinations in this regard may be made based on the frequency or dollar amount of previous exchanges or purchase or sale transactions. For more information, please refer to the section of this Prospectus entitled “Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares.”
How To Redeem Fund Shares
You may process a redemption request by contacting your Financial Intermediary. Otherwise, you may redeem shares of the Fund by mail or, if authorized, by telephone, at no charge other than as described below. The value of shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the NAV at the time of redemption. Shares of the Fund will be redeemed at the NAV next determined after we receive your redemption request in good order and will be reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC.
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
Redemptions by Letter
Requests should be addressed to Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust, c/o SS&C GIDS, P.O. Box 219804, Kansas City, MO 64121-9804.
To be in good order, redemption requests must include the following documentation:
(a) A letter of instruction, if required, or a stock assignment specifying the account name, the account number, the name of the Fund and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, signed by all registered owners of the shares in the exact names in which the shares are registered, and whether you wish to receive the redemption proceeds by check or by wire to the bank account we have on file for you;
(b) Any required signature guarantees if you are requesting payment to anyone other than the registered owner(s) or that payment be sent to any address other than the address of the registered owner(s) or pre-designated bank account; and
(c) Other supporting legal documents, if required, in the case of estates, trusts, guardianships, custodianship, corporations, pension and profit sharing plans and other organizations.
Redemptions by Telephone
You automatically have telephone redemption and exchange privileges unless you indicate otherwise by checking the applicable box on the New Account Application or calling Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services to opt out of such privileges. You may request a redemption of shares of the Fund by calling the Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services at 1-800-869-6397 and requesting that the redemption proceeds be mailed or wired to you. You cannot redeem shares of the Fund by telephone if you hold share certificates for those shares.  For your protection when calling the Fund, we will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated over the telephone are genuine. These procedures may include requiring various forms of personal identification (such as name, mailing address, social security number or other tax identification number), tape-recording telephone communications and providing written confirmation of instructions communicated by telephone. If reasonable procedures are employed, neither Morgan Stanley, SS&C GIDS nor the Fund will be liable for following telephone instructions that it reasonably believes to be genuine. Telephone redemptions and exchanges may not be available if you cannot reach Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services by telephone, whether because all telephone lines are busy or for any other reason; in such case, a shareholder would have to use the Fund’s other redemption and exchange procedures described in this section. Telephone instructions will be accepted if received by Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on any day the NYSE is open for business. During periods of drastic economic or market changes, it is possible that the telephone privileges may be difficult to implement, although this has not been the case with the Fund  in the past. To opt out of telephone privileges, please contact the Fund  at 1-800-869-6397.
Systematic Withdrawal  Plan
If your investment in all of the Morgan Stanley Funds has a total market value of at least $10,000, you may elect to withdraw amounts of $25 or more, or in any whole percentage of a fund’s balance (provided the amount is at least $25), on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis, from any fund with a balance of at least $1,000. Each time you add a fund to the plan, you must meet the plan requirements.
Amounts withdrawn are subject to any applicable CDSC. A CDSC may be waived under certain circumstances. See the Class A and Class C  waiver categories listed below.
To sign up for the systematic withdrawal plan, contact your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor or call toll-free 1-800-869-6397. You may terminate or suspend your plan at any time. Please remember that withdrawals from the plan are sales of shares, not Fund “distributions,” and ultimately may exhaust your account balance. The Trust may terminate or revise the plan at any time.
CDSC Waivers on Class A and Class C Shares
The CDSC on Class A and Class C  shares will be waived in connection with sales of Class A and Class C  shares for which no commission or transaction fee was paid by the Distributor or Financial Intermediary at the time of purchase of such shares. In addition, a CDSC, if otherwise applicable, will be waived in the case of:
Sales of shares held at the time you die or become disabled (within the definition in Section 72(m)(7) of the Code, which relates to the ability to engage in gainful employment), if the shares are: (i) registered either in your individual name or in the names of you and your spouse as joint tenants with right of survivorship; (ii) registered in the name of a trust of which (a) you are the settlor and that is revocable by you (i.e., a “living trust”) or (b) you and your spouse are the settlors and that is revocable by you or your spouse (i.e., a “joint living trust”); or (iii) held in a qualified corporate or self-employed retirement plan, IRA or 403(b) Custodial Account; provided in each case that the sale is requested within one year after your death or initial determination of disability.
 
Sales in connection with the following retirement plan “distributions”: (i) lump-sum or other distributions from a qualified corporate or self-employed retirement plan following retirement (or, in the case of a “key employee” of a “top heavy” plan, following attainment of age 59½); (ii) required minimum distributions and certain other distributions (such as those following
 
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
attainment of age 59½) from an IRA or 403(b) Custodial Account; or (iii) a tax-free return of an excess IRA contribution (a “distribution” does not include a direct transfer of IRA, 403(b) Custodial Account or retirement plan assets to a successor custodian or trustee).
 
Sales of shares in connection with the systematic withdrawal plan of up to 12% annually of the value of the Fund from which plan sales are made. The percentage is determined on the date you establish the systematic withdrawal plan and based on the next calculated share price. You may have this CDSC waiver applied in amounts up to 1% per month, 3% per quarter, 6% semi-annually or 12% annually. Shares with no CDSC will be sold first, followed by those with the lowest CDSC. As such, the waiver benefit will be reduced by the amount of your shares that are not subject to a CDSC. If you suspend your participation in the plan, you may later resume plan payments without requiring a new determination of the account value for the 12% CDSC waiver.
 
The Distributor may require confirmation of your entitlement before granting a CDSC waiver. If you believe you are eligible for a CDSC waiver, please contact your Financial Intermediary or call toll-free 1-800-869-6397.
Redemption Proceeds
The Fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds to you within two business days following receipt of your redemption request for those payments made to your brokerage account held with a Financial Intermediary. For redemption proceeds that are paid directly to you by the Fund, the Fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds by check or by wire  to you within one business day, following receipt of your redemption request; however, in all cases, it may take up to seven calendar days to pay redemption proceeds.
The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests by using a combination of sales of securities held by the Fund and/or holdings of cash and cash equivalents. On a less regular basis, the Fund also reserves the right to use borrowings or interfund lending to meet redemption requests, and the Fund may use these methods during both normal and stressed market conditions.
If we determine that it is in the best interest of the Trust or the Fund not to pay redemption proceeds in cash, we may distribute to you securities held by the Fund. If requested, we will pay a portion of your redemption(s) in cash (during any 90 day period) up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund at the beginning of such period. If the Fund redeems your shares in-kind, you will bear any market risks associated with the securities paid as redemption proceeds. Such in-kind securities may be illiquid and difficult or impossible for a shareholder to sell at a time and at a price that a shareholder would like. Redemptions paid in such securities generally will give rise to income, gain or loss for income tax purposes in the same manner as redemptions paid in cash. In addition, you may incur brokerage costs and a further gain or loss for income tax purposes when you ultimately sell the securities.
Reinstatement Privilege
If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same account and in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from or another Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 90 days of the redemption, the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months, the redeemed shares were subject to a front-end sales charge or CDSC and that you are otherwise eligible to invest in that class. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. For requests for reinvestment sent to the Fund’s transfer agent, the request must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your Financial Intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange shares of any class of the Fund for the same class of shares of any mutual fund (excluding money market funds) sponsored and advised by the Adviser (each, a “Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund”), if available, without the imposition of an exchange fee. Class L shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Class L shares of any Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund even though Class L shares are closed to investors.  In addition, you may exchange shares of any class of the Fund for shares of Morgan Stanley U.S. Government Money Market Trust (a “Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund” and, together with the Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Funds, the “Morgan Stanley Funds”), if available, without the imposition of an exchange fee.  Because purchases of Class A shares of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Ultra-Short Income and Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios are not subject to a sales charge, and purchases of Class A shares of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income Portfolio are subject to a reduced sales charge, you may be subject to the payment of a sales charge by your Financial Intermediary, at time of exchange into Class A shares of a Morgan Stanley Fund, based on the amount that you would have owed if you directly purchased Class A shares of that Morgan Stanley Fund (less any sales charge previously paid in connection with shares exchanged for such shares of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income or Short Duration Municipal Income Portfolios, as applicable). Class L shares of the Fund that are exchanged for shares of a Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund may be subsequently re-exchanged for Class L shares of any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund (even though Class L shares are closed to investors).  Exchanges are effected based on the respective NAVs of the applicable Morgan Stanley Fund (subject to any
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
applicable redemption fee) and in accordance with the eligibility requirements of such Fund. To obtain a prospectus for another Morgan Stanley Fund, contact your Financial Intermediary or call Morgan Stanley Shareholder Services at 1-800-869-6397. Prospectuses are also available on our Internet site at www.morganstanley.com/im. If you purchased Fund shares through a Financial Intermediary, certain Morgan Stanley Funds may be unavailable for exchange. Contact your Financial Intermediary for more information regarding the exchange privilege and to determine which Morgan Stanley Funds are available for exchange.
The current prospectus for each Morgan Stanley Fund describes its investment objective(s), policies, investment minimums and applicable sales charges, and should be read before investing. Since exchanges are available only into continuously offered Morgan Stanley Funds, exchanges are generally not available into Morgan Stanley Funds or classes of Morgan Stanley Funds that are not currently being offered for purchase.
You can process your exchange by contacting your Financial Intermediary. You may also send exchange requests to the Trust’s  transfer agent, SS&C GIDS, or Eaton Vance Management, the Fund’s co-transfer agent, by mail to Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust, c/o SS&C GIDS, P.O. Box 219804, Kansas City, MO 64121-9804 or by calling 1-800-869-6397.
There are special considerations when you exchange Class A and Class C  shares of the Fund that are subject to a CDSC. When determining the length of time you held the Class A or Class C  shares, any period (starting at the end of the month) during which you held such shares will be counted. In addition, any period (starting at the end of the month) during which you held (i) Class A or Class C  shares of other funds of the Trust; (ii) Class A or Class C  shares of a Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund; or (iii) shares of a Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund, any of which you acquired in an exchange from such Class A or Class C  shares of the Fund, will also be counted; however, if you sell shares of (a) such other fund of the Trust; (b) the Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund; or (c) the Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund, before the expiration of the CDSC “holding period,” you will be charged the CDSC applicable to such shares.
You will be subject to the same minimum initial investment and account size as an initial purchase. Your exchange price will be the price calculated at the next Pricing Time after the Morgan Stanley Fund receives your exchange order. The Morgan Stanley Fund, in its sole discretion, may waive the minimum initial investment amount in certain cases. For direct accounts, the check writing privilege is not available for Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund shares you acquire in an exchange from a non-money market fund. If you are investing through a financial advisor, check with your advisor regarding the availability of check writing privileges. The Fund may terminate or revise the exchange privilege upon required notice or in certain cases without notice. The Fund reserves the right to reject an exchange order for any reason.
If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Morgan Stanley Fund, there are important tax considerations. For tax purposes, the exchange out of the Fund is considered a sale of Fund shares and the exchange into the other fund is considered a purchase. As a result, you may realize a capital gain or loss. You should review the “Taxes” section and consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an exchange.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
Frequent purchases and redemptions of shares by Fund shareholders are referred to as “market-timing” or “short-term trading” and may present risks for other shareholders of the Fund, which may include, among other things, diluting the value of the Fund’s shares held by long-term shareholders, interfering with the efficient management of the Fund, increasing brokerage and administrative costs, incurring unwanted taxable gains and forcing the Fund to hold excess levels of cash.
In addition, the Fund is subject to the risk that market-timers and/or short-term traders may take advantage of time zone differences between the foreign markets on which the Fund’s securities trade and the time the Fund’s NAV is calculated (“time-zone arbitrage”). For example, a market-timer may purchase shares of the Fund based on events occurring after foreign market closing prices are established, but before the Fund’s NAV calculation, that are likely to result in higher prices in foreign markets the following day.  The market-timer would redeem the Fund’s shares the next day when the Fund’s share price would reflect the increased prices in foreign markets for a quick profit at the expense of long-term Fund shareholders.
Investments in other types of securities also may be susceptible to short-term trading strategies. These investments include securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid, which have the risk that the current market price for the securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (referred to as “price arbitrage”). Investments in certain fixed-income securities may be adversely affected by price arbitrage trading strategies.
The Trust discourages and does not accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by Fund shareholders and the Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures with respect to such frequent purchases and redemptions.
The Trust’s policies with respect to purchases, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are described in the “Shareholder Information—How To Purchase Fund Shares,” “Shareholder Information—Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
Shares,” “Shareholder Information—General,” “Shareholder Information—How To Redeem Fund Shares” and “Shareholder Information—Exchange Privilege” sections of this Prospectus. Except as described in each of these sections, and with respect to trades that occur through omnibus accounts at Financial Intermediaries, as described below, the Trust’s policies regarding frequent trading of Fund shares are applied uniformly to all shareholders. With respect to trades that occur through omnibus accounts at Financial Intermediaries, such as investment advisers, broker-dealers, transfer agents and third-party administrators, the Trust  (i) has requested assurance that such Financial Intermediaries currently selling Fund shares have in place internal policies and procedures reasonably designed to address market-timing concerns and has instructed such Financial Intermediaries to notify the Fund immediately if they are unable to comply with such policies and procedures and (ii) requires all prospective Financial Intermediaries to agree to cooperate in enforcing the Trust’s policies (or, upon prior written approval only, a Financial Intermediary’s own policies) with respect to frequent purchases, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares.
With respect to trades that occur through omnibus accounts at Financial Intermediaries, to some extent, the Trust  relies on the Financial Intermediary to monitor frequent short-term trading within the Fund by the Financial Intermediary’s customers. However, the Fund has entered into agreements with Financial Intermediaries whereby Financial Intermediaries are required to provide certain customer identification and transaction information upon the Fund’s request. The Fund may use this information to help identify and prevent market-timing activity in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to identify or prevent all market-timing activities.
Inactive Accounts and Risk of Escheatment
In accordance with state “unclaimed property” laws, your Fund shares may legally be considered abandoned and required to be transferred to the relevant state (also known as “escheatment”) under various circumstances. These circumstances, which vary by state, can include inactivity (e.g., no owner-initiated contact for a certain period), returned mail (e.g., when mail sent to a shareholder is returned by the post office as undeliverable), uncashed checks or a combination of these. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund or your Financial Intermediary. Since states’ statutory requirements regarding inactivty differ, it is important to regularly contact your Financial Intermediary or the Fund’s transfer agent. The process described above, and the application of state escheatment laws, may vary by state and/or depending on how shareholders hold their shares in the Fund.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you maintain a valid mailing address for your account, keep your account active by contacting your Financial Intermediary or the Fund’s transfer agent (e.g., by mail or telephone), and promptly cash all checks for dividends, capital gains and redemptions. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser will be liable to shareholders or their representatives for good faith compliance with escheatment laws.
For more information, please contact us at 1-888-378-1630.
Taxes
As with any investment, you should consider how your Fund investment will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. Unless your investment in the  Fund is through a tax deferred retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions and when you sell shares, including an exchange to another Morgan Stanley Fund.
Taxation of Distributions. Your distributions normally are subject to federal and state income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in Fund shares. A distribution also may be subject to local income tax. Any income dividend distributions and any short-term capital gain distributions are taxable to you as ordinary income. Any long-term capital gain distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains, no matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
If certain holding period requirements are met with respect to your shares, a portion of the income dividends you receive may be taxed at the same rates as long-term capital gains. However, even if income received in the form of income dividends is taxed at the same rates as long-term capital gains, such income will not be considered long-term capital gains for other federal income tax purposes. For example, you will not be permitted to offset income dividends with capital losses. Short term capital gain distributions will continue to be taxed as ordinary income taxes.
If certain holding period requirements are met, corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive which are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations.
If you buy shares of the Fund before a distribution, you may be subject to tax on the entire amount of the taxable distribution you receive. Distributions are taxable to you even if they are paid from income or gain earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid for your Fund shares).
Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income taxes.
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
You will be sent a statement (Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 1099-DIV) by February of each year showing the taxable distributions paid to you in the previous year. The statement provides information on your dividends and any capital gains for tax purposes.
Taxation of Sales. Your sale of Fund shares normally is subject to federal and state income tax and may result in a taxable gain or loss to you. A sale also may be subject to local income tax. Your exchange of Fund shares for shares of another Morgan Stanley Fund is treated for tax purposes like a sale of your original shares and a purchase of your new shares. Thus, the exchange may, like a sale, result in a taxable gain or loss to you and will give you a new tax basis for your shares.
The Fund (or its administrative agent) is required to report to the IRS and furnish to Fund shareholders the cost basis information for sale transactions of shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders may elect to have one of several cost basis methods applied to their account when calculating the cost basis of shares sold, including average cost, FIFO (“first-in, first-out”) or some other specific identification method. Unless you instruct otherwise, the Fund will use average cost as its default cost basis method, and will treat sales as first coming from shares purchased prior to January 1, 2012. If average cost is used for the first sale of Fund shares covered by these rules, the shareholder may only use an alternative cost basis method for shares purchased prospectively. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best cost basis method for their tax situation.
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.
When you open your account, you should provide your social security or tax identification number on your investment application. By providing this information, you will avoid being subject to federal backup withholding at the applicable rate on taxable distributions and redemption proceeds. Any withheld amount would be sent to the IRS as an advance payment of your taxes due on your income for such year.
Shareholders who are not citizens or residents of the United States and certain foreign entities will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. tax of 30% on distributions made by the Fund of investment income and short-term capital gains.
The Fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.
Because each investor’s tax circumstances are unique and the tax laws may change, you should consult your tax advisor about your investment.
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund’s policy is to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its net investment income, if any, in the form of an annual dividend and to distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually.
The Fund automatically reinvests all dividends and distributions in additional shares. However, you may elect to receive distributions in cash by giving written notice to the  Fund or your Financial Intermediary or by checking the appropriate box in the Distribution Option section on the New Account Application.
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months, the Adviser reserves the right to invest the amount represented by the check in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested. For accounts held directly with the Fund’s transfer agent for which the shareholder has elected to receive distributions via check, any distribution (dividend or capital gain) under $10.00 is automatically reinvested in additional shares regardless of your elected distribution option.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
As a diversified global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley, the parent company of the Adviser, engages in a broad spectrum of activities, including financial advisory services, investment management activities, lending, commercial banking, sponsoring and managing private investment funds, engaging in broker-dealer transactions and principal securities, commodities and foreign exchange transactions, research publication and other activities. In the ordinary course of its business, Morgan Stanley is a full-service investment banking and financial services firm and therefore engages in activities where Morgan Stanley’s interests or the interests of its clients may conflict with the interests of the Fund. Morgan Stanley advises clients and sponsors, manages or advises other investment funds and investment programs, accounts and businesses (collectively, together with any new or successor funds, programs, accounts or businesses, the ‘‘Affiliated Investment Accounts’’) with a wide variety of investment objectives that in some instances may overlap or conflict with the Fund’s investment objectives and present conflicts of interest. In addition, Morgan Stanley may also from time to time create new or successor Affiliated Investment Accounts that may compete with the Fund and present
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Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
similar conflicts of interest. The discussion below enumerates certain actual, apparent and potential conflicts of interest. There is no assurance that conflicts of interest will be resolved in favor of Fund shareholders and, in fact, they may not be. Conflicts of interest not described below may also exist.
For more information about conflicts of interest, see the section entitled “Potential Conflicts of Interest” in the SAI.
Material Nonpublic Information. It is expected that confidential or material nonpublic information regarding an investment or potential investment opportunity may become available to the Adviser. If such information becomes available, the Adviser may be precluded (including by applicable law or internal policies or procedures) from pursuing an investment or disposition opportunity with respect to such investment or investment opportunity. Morgan Stanley has established certain information barriers and other policies to address the sharing of information between different businesses within Morgan Stanley. In limited circumstances, however, including for purposes of managing business and reputational risk, and subject to policies and procedures and any applicable regulations, personnel, including personnel of the investment adviser, on one side of an information barrier may have access to information and personnel on the other side of the information barrier through “wall crossings.” The Adviser faces conflicts of interest in determining whether to engage in such wall crossings. Information obtained in connection with such wall crossings may limit or restrict the ability of the Adviser to engage in or otherwise effect transactions on behalf of the Fund (including purchasing or selling securities that the Adviser may otherwise have purchased or sold for the Fund in the absence of a wall crossing).  
Investments by Morgan Stanley and its Affiliated Investment Accounts. In serving in multiple capacities to Affiliated Investment Accounts, Morgan Stanley, including the Adviser and the Investment team, may have obligations to other clients or investors in Affiliated Investment Accounts, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund’s investment objectives may overlap with the investment objectives of certain Affiliated Investment Accounts. As a result, the members of an Investment team may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among the Fund and other investment funds, programs, accounts and businesses advised by or affiliated with the Adviser. Certain Affiliated Investment Accounts may provide for higher management or incentive fees or greater expense reimbursements or overhead allocations, all of which may contribute to this conflict of interest and create an incentive for the Adviser to favor such other accounts. To seek to reduce potential conflicts of interest and to attempt to allocate such investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, the Adviser has implemented allocation policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are intended to give all clients of the Adviser, including the Fund, fair access to investment opportunities consistent with the requirements of organizational documents, investment strategies, applicable laws and regulations, and the fiduciary duties of the Adviser.  
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. The Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay compensation, out of their own funds and not as an expense of the Fund, to certain Financial Intermediaries (which may include affiliates of the Adviser and Distributor), including recordkeepers and administrators of various deferred compensation plans, in connection with the sale, distribution, marketing and retention of shares of the Fund and/or shareholder servicing. The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of, additional compensation, as described above, by Financial Intermediaries may provide such Financial Intermediaries and their financial advisors and other salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Fund over other investment options with respect to which these Financial Intermediaries do not receive additional compensation (or receives lower levels of additional compensation). These payment arrangements, however, will not change the price that an investor pays for shares of the Fund or the amount that the Fund receives to invest on behalf of an investor. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares and should review carefully any disclosures provided by Financial Intermediaries as to their compensation. In addition, in certain circumstances, the Adviser restricts, limits or reduces the amount of the Fund’s investment, or restricts the type of governance or voting rights it acquires or exercises, where the Fund (potentially together with Morgan Stanley) exceeds a certain ownership interest, or possesses certain degrees of voting or control or has other interests.  
Morgan Stanley Trading and Principal Investing Activities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Morgan Stanley will generally conduct its sales and trading businesses, publish research and analysis, and render investment advice without regard for the Fund’s holdings, although these activities could have an adverse impact on the value of one or more of the Fund’s investments, or could cause Morgan Stanley to have an interest in one or more portfolio investments that is different from, and potentially adverse to, that of the Fund.
Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking and Other Commercial Activities. Morgan Stanley advises clients on a variety of mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, bankruptcy and financing transactions. Morgan Stanley may act as an advisor to clients, including other investment funds that may compete with the Fund and with respect to investments that the Fund may hold. Morgan Stanley may give advice and take action with respect to any of its clients or proprietary accounts that may differ from the advice given, or may involve an action of a different timing or nature than the action taken, by the Fund. Morgan Stanley may give advice and provide recommendations to persons competing with the Fund and/or any of the Fund’s investments that are contrary to the Fund’s best interests and/or the best interests of any of its investments. Morgan Stanley’s activities on behalf of its clients (such as engagements as an underwriter or placement agent) may restrict or otherwise limit investment opportunities that may otherwise be available to the Fund.
30 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Shareholder Information 
Shareholder Information (Con’t) 
Morgan Stanley may be engaged to act as a financial advisor to a company in connection with the sale of such company, or subsidiaries or divisions thereof, may represent potential buyers of businesses through its mergers and acquisition activities and may provide lending and other related financing services in connection with such transactions. Morgan Stanley’s compensation for such activities is usually based upon realized consideration and is usually contingent, in substantial part, upon the closing of the transaction. Under these circumstances, the Fund may be precluded from participating in a transaction with or relating to the company being sold or participating in any financing activity related to a merger or an acquisition.
31 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus  |  Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Consolidated Financial Highlights 
The consolidated financial highlights tables that follow are intended to help you understand the financial performance of the Class I, Class A, Class L, Class C  and Class R6 shares of the Fund for the past five years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).
The ratio of expenses to average net assets listed in the tables below for each class of shares of the Fund are based on the average net assets of the Fund for each of the periods listed in the tables. To the extent that the Fund’s average net assets decrease over the Fund’s next fiscal year, such expense ratios can be expected to increase, potentially significantly, because certain fixed costs will be spread over a smaller amount of assets.
The information below has been derived from the consolidated financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. Ernst & Young LLP’s report, along with the Fund’s consolidated financial statements, are incorporated by reference into the Fund’s SAI. The Annual Report to Shareholders (which includes the Fund’s consolidated financial statements) and SAI are available at no cost from the Trust at the toll-free number noted on the back cover to this Prospectus.
32 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Discovery Portfolio 
 
Class I
 
Year Ended September 30,
Selected Per Share Data and Ratios
2023
2022
2021
2020(1)
2019(1)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
$
12.06
$
42.00
$
38.19
$
19.92
$
23.30
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:
Net Investment Loss(2)
 
(0.03
)
 
(0.14
)
 
(0.24
)
 
(0.15
)
 
(0.05
)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
 
0.36
 
(19.69
)
 
7.35
 
20.73
 
0.35
Total from Investment Operations
 
0.33
 
(19.83
)
 
7.11
 
20.58
 
0.30
Distributions from and/or in Excess of:
Net Realized Gain
 
 
(10.11
)
 
(3.30
)
 
(2.31
)
 
(3.68
)
Net Asset Value, End of Period
$
12.39
$
12.06
$
42.00
$
38.19
$
19.92
Total Return(3)
 
2.74
%
 
(61.26
)%
 
18.36
%
 
115.34
%
 
4.71
%
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data:
Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands)
$
294,703
$
416,283
$
1,719,520
$
1,282,828
$
374,736
Ratio of Expenses Before Expense Limitation
 
0.74
%
 
0.77
%
 
N/A
 
0.74
%
 
0.74
%
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation
 
0.74
%
(4)
 
0.77
%
(4)
 
0.72
%
(4)
 
0.73
%
(4)
 
0.73
%
(4)
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation Excluding
Interest Expenses
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
0.72
%
(4)
 
0.73
%
(4)
 
0.73
%
(4)
Ratio of Net Investment Loss
 
(0.28
)%
(4)
 
(0.58
)%
(4)
 
(0.54
)%
(4)
 
(0.57
)%
(4)
 
(0.27
)%
(4)
Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.01
%
 
0.01
%
Portfolio Turnover Rate
 
51
%
 
67
%
 
115
%
 
65
%
 
116
%
(1)
Not consolidated.
(2)
Per share amount is based on average shares outstanding.
(3)
Calculated based on the net asset value as of the last business day of the period.
(4)
The Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation and Ratio of Net Investment Loss reflect the rebate of certain Fund expenses in connection with the investments in Morgan Stanley affiliates during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as “Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates.”
(5)
Amount is less than 0.005%.
33 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Discovery Portfolio 
 
Class A
 
Year Ended September 30,
Selected Per Share Data and Ratios
2023
2022
2021
2020(1)
2019(1)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
$
8.21
$
32.12
$
29.92
$
16.12
$
19.71
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:
Net Investment Loss(2)
 
(0.05
)
 
(0.14
)
 
(0.27
)
 
(0.17
)
 
(0.09
)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
 
0.25
 
(13.66
)
 
5.77
 
16.28
 
0.18
Total from Investment Operations
 
0.20
 
(13.80
)
 
5.50
 
16.11
 
0.09
Distributions from and/or in Excess of:
Net Realized Gain
 
 
(10.11
)
 
(3.30
)
 
(2.31
)
 
(3.68
)
Net Asset Value, End of Period
$
8.41
$
8.21
$
32.12
$
29.92
$
16.12
Total Return(3)
 
2.44
%
 
(61.35
)%
 
18.02
%
 
114.87
%
 
4.40
%
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data:
Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands)
$
422,575
$
527,685
$
1,944,335
$
1,403,660
$
403,285
Ratio of Expenses Before Expense Limitation
 
1.02
%
 
1.03
%
 
N/A
 
1.01
%
 
1.00
%
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation
 
1.01
%
(4)
 
1.03
%
(4)
 
1.00
%
(4)
 
1.00
%
(4)
 
0.99
%
(4)
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation Excluding
Interest Expenses
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
1.00
%
(4)
 
1.00
%
(4)
 
0.99
%
(4)
Ratio of Net Investment Loss
 
(0.56
)%
(4)
 
(0.85
)%
(4)
 
(0.81
)%
(4)
 
(0.82
)%
(4)
 
(0.52
)%
(4)
Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.01
%
 
0.01
%
Portfolio Turnover Rate
 
51
%
 
67
%
 
115
%
 
65
%
 
116
%
(1)
Not consolidated.
(2)
Per share amount is based on average shares outstanding.
(3)
Calculated based on the net asset value which does not reflect sales charges, if applicable, as of the last business day of the period.
(4)
The Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation and Ratio of Net Investment Loss reflect the rebate of certain Fund expenses in connection with the investments in Morgan Stanley affiliates during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as “Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates.”
(5)
Amount is less than 0.005%.
34 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Discovery Portfolio 
 
Class L
 
Year Ended September 30,
Selected Per Share Data and Ratios
2023
2022
2021
2020(1)
2019(1)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
$
6.20
$
27.00
$
25.69
$
14.21
$
17.96
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:
Net Investment Loss(2)
 
(0.07
)
 
(0.16
)
 
(0.36
)
 
(0.21
)
 
(0.15
)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
 
0.18
 
(10.53
)
 
4.97
 
14.00
 
0.08
Total from Investment Operations
 
0.11
 
(10.69
)
 
4.61
 
13.79
 
(0.07
)
Distributions from and/or in Excess of:
Net Realized Gain
 
 
(10.11
)
 
(3.30
)
 
(2.31
)
 
(3.68
)
Net Asset Value, End of Period
$
6.31
$
6.20
$
27.00
$
25.69
$
14.21
Total Return(3)
 
1.77
%
 
(61.52
)%
 
17.48
%
 
113.70
%
 
3.90
%
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data:
Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands)
$
4,197
$
4,704
$
13,762
$
14,173
$
8,124
Ratio of Expenses Before Expense Limitation
 
1.56
%
 
1.51
%
 
N/A
 
1.50
%
 
1.51
%
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation
 
1.55
%
(4)
 
1.51
%
(4)
 
1.44
%
(4)
 
1.49
%
(4)
 
1.50
%
(4)
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation Excluding
Interest Expenses
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
1.44
%
(4)
 
1.49
%
(4)
 
1.50
%
(4)
Ratio of Net Investment Loss
 
(1.10
)%
(4)
 
(1.33
)%
(4)
 
(1.26
)%
(4)
 
(1.27
)%
(4)
 
(1.06
)%
(4)
Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.01
%
 
0.01
%
Portfolio Turnover Rate
 
51
%
 
67
%
 
115
%
 
65
%
 
116
%
(1)
Not consolidated.
(2)
Per share amount is based on average shares outstanding.
(3)
Calculated based on the net asset value as of the last business day of the period.
(4)
The Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation and Ratio of Net Investment Loss reflect the rebate of certain Fund expenses in connection with the investments in Morgan Stanley affiliates during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as “Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates.”
(5)
Amount is less than 0.005%.
35 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Discovery Portfolio 
 
Class C
 
Year Ended September 30,
Selected Per Share Data and Ratios
2023
2022
2021
2020(1)
2019(1)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
$
7.52
$
30.51
$
28.74
$
15.67
$
19.42
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:
Net Investment Loss(2)
 
(0.10
)
 
(0.24
)
 
(0.49
)
 
(0.32
)
 
(0.22
)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
 
0.23
 
(12.64
)
 
5.56
 
15.70
 
0.15
Total from Investment Operations
 
0.13
 
(12.88
)
 
5.07
 
15.38
 
(0.07
)
Distributions from and/or in Excess of:
Net Realized Gain
 
 
(10.11
)
 
(3.30
)
 
(2.31
)
 
(3.68
)
Net Asset Value, End of Period
$
7.65
$
7.52
$
30.51
$
28.74
$
15.67
Total Return(3)
 
1.73
%
 
(61.66
)%
 
17.21
%
 
113.21
%
 
3.55
%
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data:
Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands)
$
13,434
$
15,363
$
59,936
$
33,781
$
6,518
Ratio of Expenses Before Expense Limitation
 
1.80
%
 
1.77
%
 
N/A
 
1.75
%
 
1.84
%
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation
 
1.79
%
(4)
 
1.77
%
(4)
 
1.71
%
(4)
 
1.74
%
(4)
 
1.83
%
(4)
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation Excluding
Interest Expenses
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
1.71
%
(4)
 
1.74
%
(4)
 
1.83
%
(4)
Ratio of Net Investment Loss
 
(1.34
)%
(4)
 
(1.59
)%
(4)
 
(1.52
)%
(4)
 
(1.59
)%
(4)
 
(1.32
)%
(4)
Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.00
%
(5)
 
0.01
%
 
0.01
%
Portfolio Turnover Rate
 
51
%
 
67
%
 
115
%
 
65
%
 
116
%
(1)
Not consolidated.
(2)
Per share amount is based on average shares outstanding.
(3)
Calculated based on the net asset value which does not reflect sales charges, if applicable, as of the last business day of the period.
(4)
The Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation and Ratio of Net Investment Loss reflect the rebate of certain Fund expenses in connection with the investments in Morgan Stanley affiliates during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as “Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates.”
(5)
Amount is less than 0.005%.
36 

 
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Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Prospectus   |   Consolidated Financial Highlights 
Discovery Portfolio 
 
Class R6(1)
 
Year Ended September 30,
Selected Per Share Data and Ratios
2023
2022
2021
2020(2)
2019(2)
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
$
12.34
$
42.67
$
38.72
$
20.15
$
23.50
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:
Net Investment Loss(3)
 
(0.02
)
 
(0.10
)
 
(0.19
)
 
(0.12
)
 
(0.04
)
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
 
0.37
 
(20.12
)
 
7.44
 
21.00
 
0.37
Total from Investment Operations
 
0.35
 
(20.22
)
 
7.25
 
20.88
 
0.33
Distributions from and/or in Excess of:
Net Realized Gain
 
 
(10.11
)
 
(3.30
)
 
(2.31
)
 
(3.68
)
Net Asset Value, End of Period
$
12.69
$
12.34
$
42.67
$
38.72
$
20.15
Total Return(4)
 
2.84
%
 
(61.20
)%
 
18.47
%
 
115.65
%
 
4.77
%
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data:
Net Assets, End of Period (Thousands)
$
170,794
$
194,806
$
547,683
$
354,067
$
130,653
Ratio of Expenses Before Expense Limitation
 
0.65
%
 
0.64
%
 
N/A
 
0.64
%
 
0.64
%
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation
 
0.64
%
(5)
 
0.64
%
(5)
 
0.61
%
(5)
 
0.63
%
(5)
 
0.63
%
(5)
Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation Excluding
Interest Expenses
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
0.61
%
(5)
 
0.63
%
(5)
 
0.63
%
(5)
Ratio of Net Investment Loss
 
(0.19
)%
(5)
 
(0.45
)%
(5)
 
(0.42
)%
(5)
 
(0.44
)%
(5)
 
(0.18
)%
(5)
Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates
 
0.00
%
(6)
 
0.00
%
(6)
 
0.00
%
(6)
 
0.01
%
 
0.01
%
Portfolio Turnover Rate
 
51
%
 
67
%
 
115
%
 
65
%
 
116
%
(1)
Effective April 29, 2022, Class IS shares were renamed Class R6 shares.
(2)
Not consolidated.
(3)
Per share amount is based on average shares outstanding.
(4)
Calculated based on the net asset value as of the last business day of the period.
(5)
The Ratio of Expenses After Expense Limitation and Ratio of Net Investment Loss reflect the rebate of certain Fund expenses in connection with the investments in Morgan Stanley affiliates during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as “Ratio of Rebate from Morgan Stanley Affiliates.”
(6)
Amount is less than 0.005%.
37 

 
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Morgan Stanley Prospectus   |   Appendix 
Appendix A 
Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Discounts
The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a Financial Intermediary. Financial Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or CDSC waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s Financial Intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular Financial Intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund (or the Distributor) or through another Financial Intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts. A Financial Intermediary’s administration and implementation of its particular policies with respect to any variations, waivers and/or discounts is neither supervised nor verified by the Fund, the Adviser or the Distributor. The Fund and the Distributor do not provide investment advice or recommendations or any form of tax or legal advice to existing or potential shareholders with respect to investment transactions involving the Fund.
*****
Merrill Lynch
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
 
Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan units or 529-specific share classes or equivalents)
 
Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program
 
Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers
 
Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform
 
Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (if applicable)
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
 
Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers
 
Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members
 
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus
 
Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement
 
CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch
Death or disability of the shareholder
 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code
 
Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only)
 
38 

 
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Morgan Stanley Prospectus  |  Appendix 
Appendix A (Con’t) 
Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers
 
Front-end Load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and Letters of Intent  
Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus
 
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable)
 
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or SAI, except that such shareholders will continue to be eligible for front-end sales charge breakpoint discounts as described in the Prospectus.
Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans
 
Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund
 
Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account
 
Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge
 
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”)
Shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Raymond James
Shares purchased in an investment advisory program
 
Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions
 
Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement)
 
A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James
 
CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James
Death or disability of the shareholder
 
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent
Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus
 
Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“OPCO”)
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
 
Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan
 
Shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Restatement).
 
A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO
 
Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members
 
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus
 
CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at OPCO
Death or disability of the shareholder
 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
 
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the prospectus
 
Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
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Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus
 
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Janney
If  you purchase Fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”) brokerage account, you are eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC, or back-end sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A shares available at Janney
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
 
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement)
 
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures
 
CDSC Waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney
Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder
 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund
 
Front-end Sales Charge* Discounts available at Janney: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and/or Letters of Intent
Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus
 
Rights of Accumulation (ROA), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Letters of Intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
*Also referred to as an “initial sales charge.”
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”)
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following additional sales charge waiver.
Front-end Sales Load Waiver on Class A Shares at Stifel
Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures. All other sales charge waivers and reductions described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI still apply.
 
Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”)
Shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on A-shares Available at Baird
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund
 
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird
 
Shares purchased using the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement)
 
A shareholder in the Funds C Shares will have their share converted at net asset value to A shares of the same fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird
 
Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SAR-SEPs
 
CDSC Waivers on A and C shares Available at Baird
Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder
 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
 
Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations as described in the Fund’s prospectus
 
Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
 
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulations
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus
 
Rights of accumulations which entitles shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible fund family assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulations calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
 
Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Baird, over a 13-month period of time
 
Ameriprise Financial
The following information applies to Class A share purchases if you have an account with or otherwise purchase Fund shares through Ameriprise Financial: Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial retail brokerage account are eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or in the SAI.
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family).
 
Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 7-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this Prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares or conversion of Class C shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply.
 
Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.
 
Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e. Rights of Reinstatement).
 
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (“Edward Jones”)
Policies Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
The following information has been provided by Edward Jones:
Effective on or after January 1st, 2024, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. Clients of Edward Jones (also referred to as “shareholders”) purchasing fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in the mutual fund prospectus or statement of additional information (“SAI”) or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of Morgan Stanley Funds, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.
Breakpoints
Breakpoint pricing, otherwise known as volume pricing, at dollar thresholds as described in the prospectus.
 
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”)
The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money market funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of Morgan Stanley Funds held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations (“pricing groups”). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the  ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge.
 
The employer maintaining a  SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.
 
ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares x NAV).
 
Letter of Intent (“LOI”)
Through a  LOI, shareholders can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders intend to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the
 
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if LOI is not met.
 
If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.
 
Sales Charge Waivers
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:
Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and other accounts in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate’s life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones’ policies and procedures.
 
Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.
 
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, the sale and purchase are made from a share class that charges a front load and one of the following:
 
The redemption and repurchase occur in the same account.
 
The redemption proceeds are used to process an: IRA contribution, excess contributions, conversion,  recharacterizing of contributions, or distribution, and the repurchase is done in an account within the same Edward Jones grouping for ROA.
 
Shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining  CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.
 
Exchanges from Class  C shares to Class A shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th  month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones.
 
Purchases of Class 529-A shares through a rollover from either another education savings plan or a security used for qualified distributions.
 
Purchases of Class 529 shares made for  recontribution of refunded amounts.
 
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) Waivers
If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a  CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:
The death or disability of the shareholder.
 
Systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value.
 
Return of excess contributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
 
Shares redeemed as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.
 
Shares redeemed to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones.
 
Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
 
Shares acquired through NAV reinstatement.
 
Shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimums Balances, as described below.
 
Other Important Information Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
Minimum Purchase Amounts
Initial purchase minimum: $250
 
Subsequent purchase minimum: none
 
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
Minimum Balances
Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:
 
A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform
 
A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform
 
An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI
 
Exchanging Share Classes
At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at  NAV a shareholder’s holdings in a fund to Class A shares of the same fund.
 
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
Effective September 29, 2023, if you purchase or hold fund shares through an applicable J.P. Morgan Securities LLC brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers), share class conversion policy and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information.
Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a CDSC and are exchanged into Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC’s share class exchange policy.
 
Qualified employer-sponsored defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, other employee benefit plans and trusts used to fund those plans. For purposes of this provision, such plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or 501(c)(3) accounts.
 
Shares of funds purchased through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Self-Directed Investing accounts.
 
Shares purchased through rights of reinstatement.
 
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
 
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC or its affiliates and their spouse or financial dependent as defined by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.
 
Class C to Class A share conversion
A shareholder in the fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the same fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is consistent with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC’s policies and procedures.
 
CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
 
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus.
 
Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
 
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
 
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
 
Front-end load discounts available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC: breakpoints, rights of accumulation & letters of intent
Breakpoints as described in the prospectus.
 
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Eligible fund family assets not held at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies their financial advisor about such assets.
 
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Appendix A (Con’t) 
Letters of Intent (“LOI”) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable).
 
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Where to Find Additional Information
In addition to this Prospectus, the Fund  has an SAI, dated January 28, 2024 (as may be supplemented from time to time), which contains additional, more detailed information about the Trust and the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus.
The Trust publishes Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (“Shareholder Reports”) that contain additional information about the Fund’s  investments. In the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and the investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. For additional Trust information, including information regarding the investments comprising the Fund, please call the toll-free number below.
You may obtain the SAI and Shareholder Reports without charge by contacting the Trust at the toll-free number below or on its Internet site at: www.morganstanley.com/im. If you purchased shares through a Financial Intermediary, you may also obtain these documents, without charge, by contacting your Financial Intermediary.
Shareholder Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site 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].
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust
c/o  SS&C GIDS,
P.O. Box 219804
Kansas City, MO 64121-9804
For Shareholder Inquiries,
call toll-free 1-800-869-6397.
Prices and Investment Results are available at www.morganstanley.com/im.
The Trust’s 1940 Act registration number is 811-03980.
© 2024 Morgan Stanley 
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